Some people tend to slide into their week slowly and don’t pick up their productivity until about Tuesday or Wednesday. By Thursday afternoon they are winding down for the coming weekend, and Friday, for all practical purposes, is not much different than Monday was...unproductive.

How do I know this? Well, to be honest, that’s how I used be. I dreaded Mondays and looked forward to Fridays, and did as little as I could get by with in between. Obviously, that’s not the most effective way to get things done, nor is it the way to capture what good living is all about, and fortunately it didn’t take me to long to figure that out

I now look forward to each new week and try to make each day in it count. The best way I’ve found to make that happen is to “maximize my Monday.” What do I mean by this? Well, since you won’t be very effective when Monday shows up if the only plan you have is just to get through the day, you need to think about Monday before Monday gets here.

On Thursdays, I look ahead to the next Monday and take time to plan and schedule, thus building a solid foundation of effectiveness and productivity for the week ahead. I make a list of projects and activities to engage in, the people I’ll talk to and appointments to keep, and in hardly any time at all, I have pre-arranged a Monday that has laid a solid foundation for my week.

Maybe you’re one who hasn’t looked forward to going to work on Mondays, and realize you could benefit from my simple strategy. Go for it! Don’t let anything hold you back. Start planning for next Monday by Thursday of this week. And remember that Monday (and every other day, too) is a day of fresh starts and new beginnings, so it’s never too late to start maximizing your Mondays.