How do you start your Mondays?

No matter our work and purpose, the struggle to get stuff done is often a source of shame and pressure. It can be for my neurosparkly brain, anyway.

Below is my Monday plan - when I remember to use it, things actually turn out much smoother.

Offered in the spirit that some of this might spark something useful for you.

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Tune in - get quiet/ground/breathe etc.

Convert inbox messages with tasks to mini-projects (what I call tasks as they almost always have several steps hidden inside, sneaky buggers) - email/Teams/whatsapp

(Tune in)

Go through all lists and create post-its (or whatever) of mini-projects with a hard absolute deadline of your last working day this week or before

Sort by absolute hard deadline of today, tomorrow, next day etc

(Tune in)

In addition, choose the one important but not urgent project to focus on and book into Deep Work slot

(Tune in)

See if you’re mentally bouncing off/squinting/clenching/glazing over any of the mini-projects and go deeper into why (still, slow, gentle)

(Tune in)

Choose first mini-project with a deadline and list alllll the tiny steps

(Tune in)

Tune into which tools to use - postits, music/telly/podcast in background, stand/sit, rewards, timer, body double, text accountability…

(Tune in)

Do the steps!

(Tune in)

Choose next mini-project with a deadline (repeat 7-9) then nice-to-get-dones

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Wish I'd remembered this today. Past Meg knows me well. I should listen to her advice…