Recaffeinated Mondays: Why Writing on a Monday Sets the Tone for a Productive Week

Let’s face it. Today is a holiday for many of us, but Monday is generally the toughest day of the week. After a relaxing weekend or perhaps a flurry of activities, it can feel daunting to dive back into work mode.

We must stop Monday from coming, but how?

Rather than dreading Monday as a hurdle to overcome, it can be an opportunity to set the tone for a productive and fulfilling week ahead, especially if you’re a writer.

Think about it. Monday can be a great day for writing.

Fresh Start, Fresh Ideas: Monday gives us a clean slate brimming with possibilities. It’s the perfect time to harness the energy of a fresh start and channel it into your writing. Whether you’re working on a novel, a blog post, or a business proposal, the beginning of the week offers the mental clarity needed to generate new ideas and tackle creative challenges head-on.

Beat Procrastination: Hitting the ground running on a Monday, especially after a great weekend, can be a challenge. I’m actually coming back to Monday, and technically to work tomorrow, after a week and a half of dealing with a non-COVID plague.

On a side note, recovery from this current round of flu/virus/pestilence, roughly takes seven seasons of Friends.

I digress.

If you make a commitment to writing on Monday, you get a jump on conquering the temptation to put off the important tasks. Like the work in the garage, I should be doing rather than writing this post.

Establish a Routine: Consistency is key when it comes to writing. I try to write every day. If I miss Monday, it makes it easier to miss Tuesday. You get the idea. Writing is about being consistent, even when you don’t feel like it.

Set Achievable Goals: Nearly ten years ago, I set a goal to write a thousand words a day. I’ve probably done that about eighty percent of the time. I took some breaks when there was a lot going on, or last summer during the Old Man Bucket List Road Trip ™. Granted, I’ve written some crap. But I’ve written consistently. Monday is a day to review those goals and get a fresh start if we’ve detoured from the plan.

Start Strong, Finish Strong: Starting the week strong sets the tone for the next six days. Hit the goal on Monday, it’s easier to do the same on Tuesday, then Wednesday. You get the idea. Eventually it’s a habit and it feels strange not to do it.

Don’t just put Monday writing down as something to cross off your to-do list. Consider it a great way to grasp the opportunities for the week that lies ahead.

It’s Monday, you still have time to do some writing.

I still have to work in the garage.

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Go West Old Men: A Travel Memoir. Part 7

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2. I grew up below this mountain. My first mountain hike was along the Appalachian Trail to the top. My cousin and I went on a rainy Sunday afternoon and pretty much slid back down. When I was young, I didn’t understand what this mountain meant. Now that I’m less young, I understand that the mountain speaks to me of home, of heritage, of faith. The mountain is a part of me.

This is Part 5 of the story, follow these links to see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Getting There

Throughout the planning process we spent hours pouring over maps and routes and essential stops along the way.

While I did purchase a new (to me) Jeep in January, we quickly realized Scott’s Grand Cherokee was larger and more equipped for any essential off-roading. Up until that point I had not been aware of potential off-roading adventures.

We contacted a good friend from Asbury and asked if we could park my Jeep at her house in Lexington. We agreed to meet on Saturday afternoon, August 19th and begin our journey from there.

I left on Friday, August 18 and made a quick trip to my hometown to visit my Mother, and make a quick trip to my Father’s gravesite. I know he’s not there, but sometimes I just need to stop to let him know what is going on.

I grew up at the foot of the mountain called Angel’s Rest. It was not until I moved away that I gained a real appreciation for the beauty that surrounded me.

You can never really go home again, but you can go to your Mom’s and have her cook you breakfast. Of course she did.

I left Saturday morning and headed toward Kentucky and our friend Carolyn’s house.

Carolyn took some comical pictures of the two of us trying to combine all of our stuff for the trip into one vehicle. She shared a concern with my wife that she didn’t see any toilet paper. Trust me, we were covered. So to speak. We made it, and then we spent the next fifteen days unpacking and repacking.

I don’t know that I felt that our trip would have begun properly if we did not visit the Asbury campus. It was a beautiful, warm summer afternoon. Students were milling around campus getting ready for classes to begin.

Our first stop was Hughes Auditorium. Hughes is a place of significance. Three times a week (when we were

In February of this year, this was the place of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that lasted for 16 days and drew more than 50,000 worshippers to the small city of Wilmore. The after effects are still being felt around the world.

there), the entire student body would gather for chapel services. Over the decades Hughes had been a place for many spiritual revivals, including the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that occurred in February of 2023.

We toured the new STEM building a sparkling new centerpiece for the campus, and the renovated student center. In both many of the rooms and areas were named for beloved professors and classmates.

Touring the campus was a fitting beginning for our trip. We had dinner at local favorite restaurant, said our goodbyes to Carolyn, and headed west.