It's the Monday after Daylight Savings, YAY...said no one, ever. All Mondays can be rough, but especially when you're an hour behind on sleep. Growing up with parents who worked in the event industry, weekends were the busiest days for my family, so I wasn't quite as attuned to the Monday slump as the general population. Now, running my own business is essentially a 24/7 job, but when so much of society closes for the weekend, things like phone calls and appointments have to be put on hold until normal business hours. Thus, Mondays have become a bit of a catch-up day for the to-dos that pile up all weekend, so I'm starting to understand the overwhelm of the beginning of a new week.
I am finding lately that it's really easy to just be waiting for the day to be over. When I'm tired or overwhelmed, I often am going through the motions, mechanically checking things off my to-do list until it's cleared. When I get into this habit, the days pass in a blur, and suddenly I have no idea if it's Monday or Friday and can't remember one thing I did the day before.
As part of my Lent resolution this year, I'm trying to be more intentional with how I live each day. Every day, even Monday, is a gift. I recently saw a Facebook post that said "God chose to wake you up this morning," and I think this is a really important reminder. Even if you don't believe in God, it's a fact that each day is not guaranteed, and that the days we have on Earth are limited. We might as well do our best to take advantage of the time we do have.
So this all sounds well and good, but the reality is that it's much easier said than done. I 100 percent admit to being the kind of person who listens to or reads something motivational and walks away preaching about seizing the day and changing the world and swearing that this time, I'm actually going to implement all of the advice I just received. Then, twenty minutes later I'm bogged down in responding to angry emails or trying to figure out why the audio in our latest podcast episode is cutting out, and I've completely forgotten everything I had just committed to.
It's far too much pressure to expect ourselves to make everyday the best day ever. Not to sound cynical, but I hate the saying "live every day like it's your last." That's impossible! If I did that, then I'd live at Disneyland but also be broke because I'd donated all my money. Instead, this phrase causes me a significant amount of anxiety, because it suggests that everyday has to be extraordinary. The reality is that some days are just going to suck. Some days you're going to have to spend four hours on hold with a tech support person who can't help you, or stay up all night finishing a group project that no one on your team contributed to. So instead of striving for extraordinary, I think we need to reframe our intentions to instead try to sprinkle a little joy in the ordinary.
When I was really little, my parents would serve my sister and I oatmeal with sprinkles. I can't remember how this started, if it was something they always did or if it began as a bribe to get us to eat our oatmeal, but without fail, the bowl always came with a sugary swirl of rainbow jimmies. Even though I'm an supposed to be an adult now, there is still something so behooving to me about eating sprinkles for breakfast. I guess it's just a little reminder that there is happiness to be found in even the simplest and most mundane parts of life, an easy way to stop for a moment to remember that everyday can bring something to smile about.
So on this Monday, especially if you are not feeling like your best self, I challenge all of us to add some sprinkles to today. You don't literally have to put rainbow nonpareils in something (though you can! In addition to oatmeal they make a great addition to toast, pancakes, yogurt parfaits, and of course ice cream!) Just find something small you can do that will bring you joy. Set aside some time to play with your dog after work. Do a ten minute meditation during your lunch break. Treat yourself to your favorite dessert or make breakfast for dinner (you can even use one of my CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST recipes!) Drag someone along to the grocery store with you, split up your list, and make it a competition to see who can finish their portion the fastest. Skip somewhere instead of walking! Whatever it is, even if you just take thirty seconds to watch a funny YouTube video, pick something that will bring you happiness for at least a moment.
Don't try to make today perfect. It's not going to happen. Chances are, today probably is not your last day on Earth. Still, you deserve to have a perfect moment today, just add sprinkles!
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