Many people out there think that they need some Monday motivation. If you’re one of those, stop deluding yourself and think about it. Monday is the beginning of the week, even if you’re stuck in a mundane job or routine, there’s always something you can start on a Monday. If one needed motivation for Monday, why do we often start our diets on Monday, sign up for the gym on Monday, and start other ventures on Monday? The answer is simple. Monday is a new beginning. Our brains work better when they have an existing anchor they can use, rather than having to come up with a reason why a certain day is better than another for a new beginning. Our brains see it as “Monday is a new beginning anyway, I will take advantage of that.” The bigger the existing beginning is, the bigger the significance we apply to it.
Based on my experience, I am more likely to keep something up if I’ve started it on New Year, than on a Monday. The reason for this is that another Monday is around the corner, so if I don’t follow through the first time, I can re-start more easily. With New Year, however, it’s different. If I’ve made all those excuses to myself that it’s on 1st January I would start a new venture, it’s harder to give up so quickly. Can you relate?

Monday motivation is an illusion. To start something, you don’t need to be motivated. You need to have the desire, courage and determination to do it. Once you’ve started, you need the motivation to keep going. Have there been times when you know you need to do something – to start a new business, to start taking care of your body, to start working on a book – and you still don’t do it?
The word “motivate” was first used in 1863 and means “to stimulate toward action”, it doesn’t mean the action itself. If you’ve been thinking to yourself that you’re lacking motivation to get going, I dare you to think again. You might lack the motivation to continue with this new thing, and that’s understandable. Your priorities might have changed over time and you can’t find a reason to carry on. Then you need a motivation kick, something to keep you on track, should that still be the right track.

Then why don’t you acknowledge the need for a Wednesday motivation? Getting started is often easier than carrying on, only because getting started is a one-off event. Once you’ve come to the point where you are ready to make THE step, you make it. Then the reality hits. Then you need to keep your focus and determination. Then, in the middle of the storm, is when you need that motivation, a reason to carry on. There will be moments in that middle part of the process, when you’ve started, you’ve put a lot of hard work, and things have not yet come to fruition. Those are the moments of truth that will determine if you’re going to make it or break it. Focus on that middle part, as it will require the most amount of hard work.

So, get your Wednesday motivation sorted, and you’ll go further than thinking that a Monday motivation will do the job. Don’t forget to let me know how it goes for you!