Word association: What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say “Monday”?
For the overwhelming number of you out there, Monday is synonymous with the start of the work week, the end of the weekend, it’s stressful, it’s inconvenient, it’s something you dread. Right?
Every Monday I go out with friends for drinks. You may have a similar tradition with your friends. It’s a time to unwind and relax after the dreaded “first day of the work week”. And every Monday evening undoubtedly turns into a “why I hate my job” conversation for most of the people I’m with. But never for me.
Now I’m not special. I’m not unique. I’m no different than you and any one of you out there could be doing what I’m doing. Running your own business, being your own boss and having career freedom is a realistic goal, contrary to popular belief.
But I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you need to be an entrepreneur. Because you don’t. And anyone out there who tells you that you’re a sucker for staying in an office is full of shit. Those who tell you that entrepreneurship is the path to enlightenment are living in their own fantasy world. It’s only one path of many.
Every single one of you, whether you clean houses, work at an ad agency, crunch numbers, or run your own design firm – every one of you/us should be working toward one common goal:
No more Mondays.
Whatever you do to pay the rent, to put food on the table, and to save for that new iPad – it needs to be something that doesn’t have you dreading your Monday morning commute. It needs to be something you don’t have to complain about over drinks Monday night. It needs to be something that fulfills you personally, professionally, and financially.
You need to be challenged and excited by your work – you don’t need to like it every day (I sure don’t) but you do need to love it. Your career should ignite a fire within that has you excited about waking up every morning and curious to learn what opportunities the day will bring.
With that being said, my message today is simple: If you don’t love what you do – if you find yourself dreading the alarm going off on Monday morning, find a way to make a change.
Start working not toward being an entrepreneur, not toward working from the beaches of Buenos Aires (unless that’s what you want to do) – but instead simply start working toward work that doesn’t feel like work.
No more Mondays. Who’s with me?