Mondays, Not So Bad

I’m not sure when Mondays started getting a bad reputation. I’m sure it was long before Garfield bemoaned the start of a new week. I’m also not sure when Mondays started to be thought of as the first day of the week. It’s not; Sunday is, which is really confusing since Sunday is tossed in with the weekend. For quite a few people, Monday is the first day of the business week, but then, like Char, some people say their weekends are not Saturday and Sunday, but rather, Tuesday or Wednesday, or some other combination. Of course, not everyone gets a weekend, like Zac who has days off such as Tuesday and Friday. With all of this confusion, it is surprising Mondays still get a bad rep.

However, according to research by the John Hopkins BloombergSchool of Public Health, Mondays are a great day to either start a new habit or break a bad one. Of course, if this is the same Bloomberg that wanted to take away my Supersized soda, then I’m already against the study. Furthermore, before you think I sit around reading scientific research studies, allow me to say that I found this tidbit while thumbing through the girls’ HealthMagazine. And yes, I’d rather own up to reading a publication geared for women than stuffy reports or Gallup polls. Besides, it was left in the bathroom and I forgot to take my book in there.

Still, Mondays do seem to be the day we choose to start over, never Sunday. If we screw up our diet or daily workout routines, we always say, “I’ll begin again on Monday.” Why? Because we view Mondays as a new beginning. I know I do. If I’ve had a week of total disruptions to my writing routine, I don’t sweat it. I consider the week one of recuperation and vow to get back to scribbling on Monday.

With Monday being viewed that way it gives us fifty-two times a year to start over. That’s fifty-two new beginnings! Monday then has the reputation of a fresh start and not a continuation of the same old drudgery. When you begin the week with such a positive outlook, the rest of the week is sure to follow. Yet, if it doesn’t, there’s always next Monday to begin again.

Why not begin this Monday? What have you wanted to do that you haven’t started, yet? Begin it today, whether it’s eating healthy, going to the gym, or becoming more organized. Pick a Monday and begin. Or what if it’s a bad habit you want to get rid of? Maybe you want to cut out one red meat meal a week or pull away from the television a little. Start this Monday. It’s a new beginning, a new chance to follow your dream and make it happen.

Mondays are not so bad. They are a clean slate to a new week. So, what are you going to do with yours?

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