Monday Motivation Is Really A Thing: Here’s What It Can Teach You [Opinion]

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Monday motivation is really a thing, according to a new report by GQ UK. In fact, more people begin their week with a sudden burst of motivation than they experience at the end of the week. But what can we learn about this energetic start to the week most experience, and what does it mean if you find Monday another day that is dragging on?

Monday motivation means that more people set personal- and business-related goals on Monday than they do on Friday, a fact that seems rather obvious to many. But for some, Monday is just another day that means a ruined weekend, lack of sleep, and another groove in the nine-to-five grind. If your Monday has arrived and you aren’t enjoying a sudden gush of optimism, it may be a signal that your life isn’t where you want it to be.

According to the Icahn School of Medicine, the brain is designed with several reward pathways, the most important of which is the mesolimbic dopamine system. According to their research, motivation is directly related to reward. If the brain is experiencing a reward, motivation and incentive will increase. For many people, they are motivated to work by the reward of a paycheck. But there are other rewards that people experience too.

Have you ever had a job that was dull or boring until someone you found exciting was hired? The work hadn’t changed, and you still performed the same tasks, but all of a sudden, there was a new reward. Maybe it was a personal interest in a co-worker, the prospect of a dating relationship, or just making a new friend. When the rewards change, motivation increases.

However, if you wake up without any Monday motivation, then it’s quite likely you aren’t getting enough rewards. Maybe you don’t get along with your co-workers, or maybe the pay isn’t enough. Whatever the reason, you can look at your Monday motivation or lack of it as a way of measuring your personal happiness.

If you woke up on Monday and wanted to just sleep in bed all day and it wasn’t due to a weekend of partying, your brain may be signaling it’s time to make a change in life. Sometimes, it seems the easiest thing to do is stay where we’re comfortable, but if there is no enjoyment, reward, or motivation, it isn’t worth it.

Some people are better at delaying gratification for rewards that aren’t achieved in the long-term. For these people, their motivation is intrinsic, knowing that through their reward is delayed, they are working closely to their goal. Though they might not experience immediate rewards, they remain motivated. For those who aren’t seeing rewards, have not hope of future rewards, and have lost all motivation, there is no question that a change is in order.

Did you wake up experiencing Monday motivation? If not, do you think that it’s time to change the course of your life and set new goals? Feel free to leave your comments, thoughts, and opinions below.