Mind-numbling Mondays

Monday sucks.

The most difficult part of Mondays is waking up. Yet physically, it's the easiest - all you have to do is open your eyes and get out of bed. But really, it's like pulling a ten tonnes wooden cart towards the light ahead. If you had an early Sunday night, two steps forward and you're there. If you had spent the night at your favourite pub, then you would probably have to sweat it out a few more steps. Should you accept the one-for-the-road-drink once too often, then it'll be half a mile ahead, on a forty-five-degree slope, upward.

Hard as it is, it's the first thing that needs to be done. The good thing is, if you manage to get through it, you would have lifted off from the lowest point of the week. Better, but still sucks.

I try to get through most Mondays like a robot - emotionless - which I think is the best way. I would blank out my thoughts and just do what need to be done, one step at a time. Brushing teeth - personal hygiene. Done. Eating breakfast - energy to get through the day. Done. Driving - to go to work. Done. Work - livelihood. C'mon, let's go! Wait ... that's a Friday battle cry. On Monday, it's more like, OooooK, let's do it.

The method of execution is important. Focus.

Brushing teeth is nothing more than rubbing my teeth and gum with a toothpaste-topped toothbrush. Breakfast is simply putting edible stuff into the mouth and chewing and swallowing. Driving is merely stepping on the right pedal to go, and the left pedal to brake - or is it the other way round? See what I mean about focusing? Get the job done, nothing more, nothing less.

The same principle applies at work. For example, there's an activity that I need to repeat through the day for about seven or eight times to get my job done. So while I'm doing it, I would blank out the numbers, forget about the frustration on how many more times that I need to do it. Focus on the job and just do it. Nothing more, nothing less. Before you knew it, it will be the last time I'll be doing it for the day.

Hopefully, nothing that requires more time and effort than deciding on whether to chew my food twenty times or twenty one times during lunch would pop up during work, and I would be done by the time my work needs to be done. If anything does pop up, curse for a few minutes and get into it again. Focus and just do it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Driving home after work on Mondays is probably the best part of the day. One down, and <number blanked out> to go. My spirit is starting to soar.

Once I reach home, my mind will start to wonder a little bit. It is allowed to wonder a little bit. It will attach more emotions to dinner, tv programs, my children's homework, the blogs I read, etc.

On a reflective thought though, I wonder if that's not the way to live our lives? Focus and just do it. Nothing more, nothing less. But that's probably too much grinding for my brain on a Monday night, so is editing this post for the n-th time.

That would leave the next best thing to do to be done - hitting the bed early to get the day dusted and done with.

Sweet dream ...

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