MONDAY MOTIVATION: ENJOY THE RIDE

This article was originally published on September 16, 2019 at https://gritdaily.com/monday-motivation-enjoy-the-ride/

Monday Motivation here we come! This is for those of you who slog through your Monday mornings. If you lament the end of the weekend and dread returning to the office, you may need our Monday Motivation quick tips. Grit Daily offers an avenue to connect with others like you. We’re here to help get your work week off to a good start. Pump your fists – it’s time for Monday Motivation!

LIFE IS A JOURNEY

There have been some tectonic shifts in our culture since we rolled into the current century. Just about every industry has been disrupted and social media now teeters somewhere between the greatest thing since sliced bread and the scourge of society. Along the way, “life is a journey” has morphed into “life is a race” and only those running fast enough will succeed.

But we need to alter this mindset. Every once in awhile, we need to slow down. And then inhale, exhale and pause on our journey to reflect, to enjoy what we’re seeing or doing and to think carefully about what’s next versus speeding ahead. That’s Monday Motivation!

TIPS TO ENJOY THE RIDE

One of the first steps is reframing how you look at your life. View it as a journey, one big (hopefully long and fulfilling) road trip. To make the trip fun, you need to snack on candies and other treats once in a while. But you’re also going to hit speed bumps, have flat tires and run out of gas every once in a while.

Fun Monday Motivation fact – earlier this summer, I dragged my mom on a road trip. I’ve driven by the billboard signs for the Corning Museum of Glass countless times but never wanted to exit the main highway to wind my way through the back roads to get there. Well, I decided it was time to finally check it out. Not only was the museum full of incredible eye candy with its glorious glass architectural elements and sculptures, but the back roads were hilly and beautiful. Plus, it gave me some extra time with my Mom and there’s nothing wasted there.

#1 – STOP AT THAT LOOKOUT YOU’RE ALWAYS DRIVING PAST

You’ve probably driven by it countless times. You know, that lookout that calls to you but you somehow always find a reason to keep driving past it. “It will be hard to merge back into traffic.” Or, perhaps you’ve convinced yourself that there’s not that much to see and you get a pretty good glimpse from the road anyway.

Not so! Stop. Pull into the lookout to get a different perspective. Take your time and absorb the moment. Then, if you must, take a photo, but do not do so until you’ve fully relished the view.

#2 – ASK FOR DIRECTIONS

We’re raised to become independent and somehow learn to equate asking for help with failure. Nonsense! Asking for help works. Sometimes, it makes sense to pause your journey and get some guidance as to which is the best direction to go.

#3 – DON’T FORGET TO FILL UP YOUR TANK

It sounds so simple, remember to put gas in your car so that you don’t find yourself on Empty. Yet we make the mistake all the time. Over 500,000 motorists in the USA call on AAA each year because they’ve run out of gas, despite the new technologies, alerts and increased prevalence of gas stations on our roads. Moreover, we’re on an upward trend of running out of gas more often each year.

The situation is analogous to how we manage our lives, our bodies, and our health. We forget that we need to get off the road and refuel once in a while. Some of my readers may have seen my “Unplugging Experiment” results from earlier this summer when I ditched my car and electronics then literally went into the woods with my family and friends for a week. The Before and After results were wildly different: my mental and physical health were greatly improved!

MONDAY MOTIVATION WRAP-UP

So, what do you need to do? You need to do what’s right for you given your circumstances. However, even if – and especially if – you are feeling overwhelmed by all that you have on your plate, you must find a few moments to enjoy your journey. Today is Monday Motivation but you need to make adjustments each and every day of the week. It doesn’t take much to refuel, you just need to remember to do it!