Case of the Mondays

I suffer from Monday-itis.

Without fail Monday comes and I am filled with the urge to projectile vomit on everyone I see - because quite frankly I’d much rather be sitting at a coffee shop journaling than waiting for the number 4 bus at 7 in the morning only to be sandwiched between a morbidly obese man who smells of socks and the bag lady who easily marinated in curry for the past 24 hours. Twenty minutes later, and only four miles mind you, I arrive. I have it down to a science, stepping off the bus at approximately 7:42, Pike’s Place Starbucks coffee with three Splenda’s and a splash of cream in hand by 7:51 up to the 22nd floor and clocking in by roughly 7:54. Science. Because it is Monday I have three days of reporting to catch up on; nine websites times four reports each equals someone please stab me in the eye I do not like reporting. I do try. I try to have a positive attitude about staring aimlessly at Excel documents till lunch time, but with each passing report I quickly start to loose my cool. By 10:30 I have easily checked my email, Facebook, bank account, Craigslist and flights to Switzerland where my sister is studying about five times each.

Lunch comes and I am a bit calmer because for the most part reporting is done and I can move on to something else. However, this is where my overactive imagination kicks in to high gear and I start to contemplate just how I am going accomplish the life I have decided I am supposed to lead; complete of course with a handsome, roughly 6’2’ adoring husband, 2.5 lovely children and living in the most up and coming neighborhood of which ever state I land in – surrounded by a picket fence hypothetically speaking. All of this will follow my becoming an accomplished writer and successful business owner. Welcome to my delusional mind. The problem is however that I am just crazy enough to believe that I can make this happen; my life.

All of this prompts the following internal conversation; how much of what stands between us and our ultimate goal is ourselves? Between the “I can’t’s”, “some day’s” and “it will never happen” there is little time or energy left to make it happen; life. Not too long after I got back from Italy I came across a quote by Carol Burnet that said, “Only I can change my life – no one can do it for me.” In the past couple months I have found that statement to be not only painfully true but incredibly inspirational. It has become my mantra and one I must quietly tell myself often, especially on Mondays when I feel all hope is lost and I am doomed to work at a computer for the rest of my life. As far as I am concerned at this point my dreams may be far fetched and not wholly formed but I will do everything in my power to accomplish my life. The more time I spend complaining and wishing my twenties away the less time I have to learn, to grow and to appreciate life.

So this is my challenge for everyone, have the humility to admit that you may be standing in your own way of success and make the decision that only you can change that. So as it seems, Mondays are truly a paradox for me. Starting off painful and turning into an inspiration.