Seth Saunders Learning

Mastering Monday’s

What? Are you kidding me? How can it be Monday already? IMG_0080

Not sure about you but I have asked the questions and at times often. Depending on where we might be in our life Monday’s can be a day we are excited to come or a day we wish we could skip. The truth is, Monday’s have a dramatic impact on us in many ways.

For most people it is the first day of the work week or school week. It is a day that people are trying to get caught up on emails and projects. It is often the day that a project is due in school for kids. It is a day that there is probably some type of team meeting at work to check on previous weeks accomplishments and set the goals for the coming week. Monday’s carry quite a bit of weight when it comes to impacting our overall week.

Although I have not completely mastered Monday’s, I have observed and/or experienced somethings that can help make Monday’s better.

  1. A good Monday starts with a complete Friday. I have found that if I make sure that prior to leaving work on Friday I have reviewed my key tasks to ensure I have a solid starting point on Monday, I feel more relaxed during the weekend and more organized to start my Monday’s.
  2. Find inspiration. Starting your Monday morning off with something inspirational is a great way to get the brain and emotions in us aligned. We will feel good and have the desire to make it a great day. That inspiration may come from reading a quote, article, scripture, chapter in a book, watching an inspiration video on YouTube, listening to a great podcast, it can come in many forms.
  3. Be proactive. Since you and I are not alone when it comes to struggling on Mondays at times, be the person who influences others in a positive way. Be the one who says hi to co-workers with a smile first. When others complain, you find a way to compliment to create positive energy. I have found that I feel so much better when I am being proactive in helping others get their Monday’s started off on the right foot.
  4. Breath and focus. Sounds easy but can be extremely difficult, especially on Monday’s. However, the ability to really focus on Monday’s is critical. This is why point 1 is so important. The more you organized, the better you can focus. Taking time to just breath, nice deep breaths does amazing things to align your body and brain.

I wish I could say this is the perfect formula and that it works for everyone but its not. These are just somethings I have found to help me and others Master Monday’s. I came across this quote by David Dweck and really feel it defines the importance of making the most of every Monday: “Mondays are the start of the work week which offer new beginnings 52 times a year!”

Now, go be hero on Monday’s. You deserve it.

Seth Saunders Leadership, Learning

Leadership Progression Article in Training Indsustry Magazine

Leadership Progression

I was privileged to have an article published in the Summer 2015 edition of the Training Industry Magazine.

Here is a direct link to the article:

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_2015summer/index.php?startid=16

I hope you enjoy and find it useful.

Seth

Seth Saunders Learning

Failure is like Mouthwash

Failure should be like mouthwash, use it to kill the germs but be sure to spit it out.Listerine-Mouthwash-01

Failure can be a wonderful and powerful learning tool. The problem is that from the time we are born we are taught how to be successful. We are taught that the key to life is winning and that the way to be successful is to win, win, win. However, there are many great leader, people and organizations who have failed and yet have found success from what they learned. Their experiences taught them what to do and what not to do. This said, you should not plan to fail but be prepared to learn should failure present itself.

Don’t get discouraged when failure enters your life. Sure, you will feel disappointed, frustrated, angry, sad, lonely, and at times hopeless. All of those are natural feelings as we are human. Allow those feelings to teach you. Take an assessment of what went wrong and what you can learn from that. Be willing to ask lots of questions and be honest with your responses. Once you have done this, be sure to take note of your responses so you are better prepared next time.

Although failure can be a great teaching tool, don’t make it a habit. In fact, because there is such an emotional attachment to failing, it can have numerous negative impacts on one’s life. So learn what you need learn but be sure not to duplicate your mistakes. Just like with our teeth, we need to be sure we are brushing our teeth not just using mouthwash to kill the germs. So it is with our decisions, we need to practice those things that will lead us to success  but when we fail, use it as learning tool but get back to doing what will lead you to success.