Do I Have To?

How do you feel about Mondays?

Asking yourself this one question could reshape the way you view your world. Mondays can be seen as a dreadful thing or a chance to accomplish much. To some, Mondays are evil harbingers, foreshadowing a week of missed emails, unnecessary meetings, and stressful encounters. Yet to others, Mondays provide a week full of unlimited potential. Whichever side of the coin you fall on, we all share one thing in common when it comes to Mondays – they are created perfectly equal to any other day. So, why do we all have such strong feelings about Mondays?

Is the glass half empty or half full?

Understanding how others see the world is a crucial part of leadership, and learning to see both points of view allows us to bridge the gap. While its true that some people jump out of bed every Monday, ready to face the week, many others face it with a grimace and anxiety meds. Determining how Mondays affect you is one key to helping you overcome the Monday blues.

For many, Mondays are synonymous with stress, which is a common barrier in workforce inefficiency and can lead to many other negative outcomes. The majority of Americans are stressed about their jobs and are anxious about their future. In fact, 83% of Americans admit their job stresses them out and over 60% say it keeps them awake at night. Stress can be a huge distraction in the workplace and something most people take home with them. So, how can we overcome our own negative attitude and those found in others?

A large factor in creating a stress-free environment is clear and open communication.

I realize this seems easier said than done, but it is possible. It starts with enabling your managers and project leads to feel free to approach upper level management with questions, concerns and feedback.

Another key to communicating is sharing your views with an open mind. Keeping a positive, open mind is a crucial element to creating positive feedback loops with your employees. This type of open communication allows for the other party to feel their needs are being valued. This is a crucial key in leadership at any management level.

[bctt tweet=”Keeping a positive, open mind is a crucial element to creating positive feedback loops with your employees. ” via=”no”]

If you are reading this and still see the glass as half-empty, you’re not alone. Actually, studies have shown that genetics have a role to play in one’s outlook on life. In fact, recent studies have shown that there is a genetic component to whether one tends to be an optimist or a pessimist.

Sometimes we can’t directly change our circumstance, but we can change the way we view our Mondays. Mondays unite the world in this one thing; a new day. We all start the week with the same amount of hours, the same amount of days and an entire week full of potential.

Do you have a list of tasks that are nagging at you right now? Are they keeping you awake at night? If so, why not consider reshaping the principle way you approach tasks? This week, instead of saying “I have to…” replace it with “I get to…”, even if begrudgingly. Developing your “I get to” attitude can cause a shift away from a negativity, and allow you to engage with others in a more positive way.

So, while it’s true that we cannot always change the direction or outcome of our day, we can choose how we see the world around us. Each time we face a challenge, we have an opportunity to ask ourselves this simple question – “Do I have to… or Do I get to?”

Sources:

https://eblingroup.com/blog/have-to-or-get-to/

https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/is-the-glass-half-full-or-half-empty

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/american-workplace-broken-stress_us_566b3152e4b011b83a6b42bd