“I close my eyes and breathe deeply: Such serenity transports me to tomorrow.

I wake up before the sun rises: It’s Monday. I love Mondays. I smile as my eyes flutter open, reach to my right to turn off my alarm. My husband still lays sleeping next to me, so I quietly slip out of bed and tiptoe out the door, dogs trailing behind.

The house is dark but I take the opportunity to sit in the silence, computer in front of me and a piping hot cup of coffee in hand. This time has become my own, something I do to jumpstart my creativity and awaken my mind before the daily to-do list reaches my grasp. I write for 30 minutes about the prior weekend, filled with grandiose adventures and simple, special moments, before my husband comes downstairs and kisses me on the forehead. I close the computer hood and move to kiss him deeper, then follow him to the counter to make breakfast, pour his coffee, pack lunch.

We say our goodbyes and I retreat upstairs to get dressed, pairing pumps and earrings with the outfit I laid out the night before. After doing my make-up, I step back and look in the mirror. I am pleased with how I look. It feels so good to be proud of the skin I’m in.

I drive to work and although there is traffic, I don’t mind. I catch up with friends, listen to the radio, and organize my thoughts.

Work is wonderful. I finally have found my groove and I feel motivated, energized to succeed in my role and inspire others to do the same. I keep a close watch on my staff members, make sure that they are taking lunches, practicing healthy habits while occupied at a desk from nine to five. The lessons I’ve learned along the way can certainly be taught to others following in my footsteps, and I am eager to be a resource. On this particular day, we are all doing lunch outside of the office. We all pile in my car, share laughs and stories over ramen and sushi.

I drive home, excited to work out with my husband and cook the sirloin steaks we bought for dinner. Evenings are special, even on Mondays. We do silly little things, like lighting candles for kitchen ambiance, or listen to Sinatra while we move around our island, preparing our meal. I’m able to put work aside while in the quirky company of my better half- We really try to be present for the few hours we have together before bed.

Lately, the grind has become less of a burden. In changing my mindset, in changing my everyday routine, the world around me has fallen into perfect place.

Even on Mondays.”

Additional Note: I signed up for the #tut30days infinite possibilities challenge in 2016 is well; I kept my writing assignments in a journal and didn’t get passed the 6th day. My “Visualization of the Perfect Day” exercise was very different than the one above, however, and that resonates with me. My 2016 perfect day was set to a weekend backdrop, alone with my husband and lackluster in details. We slept in, we drank coffee, then set out on an adventure-filled car ride around noon. We held hands in the car and reveled in our seafood and sunset infused activities.
That is exactly what last year consisted of- wonderful memories made with my husband. Yet while we lived out each weekend to the fullest, our two-day agenda didn’t override our weekday grind. It was still busy, and on my end, it was devoid of the things I wrote in my journal on day 1: to become healthy, financially sound, happy in my marriage, self-confident, and more in tune with the world around me. While many of those themes were exercised, others were neglected. My goal this year then, is to focus on bringing my work-week to life. I want to praise every day, not just the weekend hours.

What do you do, to ensure that your weekday is fulfilling? Send me some inspiration in the comments below!