Ep. 60 One Simple Shift to Stop Hating Mondays as a Small Business Owner
The Sunday scaries are real. That creeping sense of dread as the weekend winds down. The resistance to setting your alarm. The heavy feeling knowing another work week is about to begin.
Here's what most people don't talk about: leaving corporate doesn't automatically make this go away.
I learned this the hard way. I left my nine-to-five thinking that running my own business would magically cure my Monday morning dread. I imagined waking up excited and energized, eager to dive into work I loved. Instead, I found myself hitting snooze for two hours, anxiety building in my chest, already feeling behind before the week even started.
For three years, I replicated the exact same miserable Monday structure I'd had in corporate. And I had no one to blame but myself.
Then I made one simple change that completely transformed how I felt about Mondays. Now I genuinely look forward to them. My husband, who has a traditional job, sits on the couch Sunday evening dreading the week ahead while I'm practically bouncing with excitement about what I get to work on Monday morning.
The shift was so simple, I almost feel silly sharing it. But it's too valuable not to: I stopped doing things I hate on Mondays.
That's it. That's the secret.
But there's more nuance to it than that simple statement suggests, so let me walk you through exactly what changed and how you can design your own Mondays that don't feel miserable.
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Why We're Conditioned to Dread Mondays
The first time I really noticed Monday dread affecting me was during my corporate burnout era. Sure, I'd felt it in middle school, high school, and college, but it became impossible to ignore when I was working a traditional job.
Most corporate jobs follow a predictable Monday pattern:
Back-to-back meetings starting first thing
Catching up on everything that happened over the weekend
Feeling like the grind is starting all over again
Setting the alarm for 5 AM after a relaxing weekend
Putting on professional clothes and makeup
Performing for coworkers in a way that's genuinely draining
There's a reason "somebody's got a case of the Mondays" is a cultural trope. It's not because you're lazy or need to work harder. You're completely normal. Our society and workforce have turned Monday into the enemy.
The problem is, this conditioning doesn't disappear just because you start working for yourself.
The Freedom That Wasn't Actually Freedom
When I left corporate, I was excited to finally run my business and, most importantly, have control over my own schedule. I genuinely thought that freedom and flexibility would make all those feelings about Monday mornings evaporate.
It didn't.
I started my business because I wanted:
Freedom and control over my time
Flexibility to work when and how I wanted
To do something I genuinely loved
To not have someone else controlling my schedule
But somehow, that Monday dread never went away. Looking back now, I can see exactly why: I didn't actually change anything about how I was working or approaching my week.
Instead, I replicated the corporate structure I was used to because it was the only thing I knew.
I scheduled important meetings first thing Monday morning. I didn't build in any time for a slow start to my week. I prioritized my clients' needs over my own. I made myself constantly available because I was hustling to build my business.
Yes, I left the formal nine-to-five structure. But I just created my own version of it.
This is a crucial lesson for new business owners or anyone new to running their business full-time: You have to be intentional about how you plan your days and weeks if you want them to feel different from corporate. Otherwise, it's easy to fall into the same traps simply because you don't know any different.
You can go from having a terrible boss to being your own terrible boss. And that's not why you're here.
When I Finally Got Sick of Myself
After about three years of running my business this way (hitting the ground running Monday morning and feeling exhausted the rest of the week), I got sick of myself.
I was tired of starting every week feeling behind already. At 10 AM on Monday, with the entire week ahead of me, I was already beating myself up: I haven't gotten enough done. I'm too busy. I don't have time for the things I want to do. I'm already behind.
That feeling sets the tone for everything. Every client interaction, every team meeting, everything I did throughout the week was clouded by this terrible feeling that started Monday morning.
The pattern became miserable quickly. Sunday nights, I'd put off going to bed because going to bed meant Monday would start. I didn't want to set my alarm. Eventually, I started sleeping through my alarm, snoozing for one or two hours because I couldn't motivate myself to begin a day I knew I wouldn't enjoy.
And I had nobody to blame but myself.
Taking Stock: What Was Actually Happening on Mondays?
I finally forced myself to examine why I felt this way every single Monday. What could I change to make me feel more optimistic and excited to start my work week?
At this point, I'd been doing CEO days (a full day focused only on my own business) almost every week since going full-time. For reasons I can't explain, I'd been doing them on Thursdays. Those were my favorite days of the week. I didn't take client calls. I worked only on my own business. If I had personal errands, I'd do them on CEO days. It was my business self-care day where I got to be selfish, focus on myself, and not worry about clients, scheduling, or timelines.
I loved Thursdays.
Then I looked at a typical Monday schedule:
9 AM: Meeting with my VA
Throughout the day: Multiple client calls
Afternoon: Six Figure Brand Society office hours
Plus: Catching up on weekend emails, planning content for the week (because I probably didn't get to it the previous week), and a mile-long to-do list
No wonder I was exhausted before the week even began.
The Realization That Changed Everything
Around this same time, I was learning something crucial about myself: being on multiple calls is extremely draining for me.
I've always known I'm an introvert. I'm an only child. I could spend days alone without talking to another human and be perfectly happy. But after a couple of years running my business this way, it really hit me: if I have more than two (maybe three maximum) hours of calls in a day, I'm physically tired for the rest of that day and into the next.
So why was I doing that every single Monday?
Of course I was starting the week feeling burnt out, behind, overwhelmed, and like I'd never catch up. I was doing my most mentally and emotionally draining task first thing every week.
That's insane.
Now, I'm a big proponent of "eating the frog"—getting things you don't want to do out of the way so you can look forward to what comes next. I'm all about delayed gratification. But it started clicking for me that this was an unhealthy way to start my week.
When I looked at it objectively, the pattern was obvious: Of course this is ruining my week every single week.
So what if I just didn't do that?
The First Shift: Closing My Calendar on Mondays
I started with a simple decision: I'm not taking any calls on Mondays.
I'd still do client work. I'd still email with people. I'd do all my normal tasks. But no calls. My calendar would be closed for Mondays. I'd take calls Tuesday through Friday only.
That half-step made a big difference immediately.
I was still doing client work, still communicating via Slack or email, but I wasn't "on" first thing Monday morning. I didn't feel like I had to be super prepared right after a weekend where (hopefully) I wasn't thinking about work at all.
This worked really well for a while. Me and Mondays were doing okay. I wasn't dreading them. I wasn't having anxiety. I wasn't super excited either, but they were fine. Neutral.
But I wanted better than neutral.
The Second Shift: Moving My CEO Day to Monday
Then I asked myself: What could I do on Mondays that would make me really excited about the week?
The answer was obvious. The thing that really lit me up was my CEO days. I loved working on my business. I loved creating marketing content, updating my portfolio, organizing backend systems—all the stuff most of us say we don't have time for. That was what I was genuinely excited about.
So I moved my CEO day from Thursday to Monday.
This shift had an unexpected bonus benefit. About half the time when Thursday rolled around, I'd feel like I didn't have time to focus on my own business. I needed to prioritize client work. And of course, my own business would get pushed to the back burner.
By putting my CEO day on Monday, I made it impossible to skip.
I hadn't even opened client emails yet. I didn't know if I was behind that week or had too much to do. By prioritizing my own business first thing in the week, before looking at anything client-related, I couldn't talk myself out of it.
This forced prioritization helped my business grow significantly.
What My Mondays Look Like Now
It's been about two years since I made this full shift, from bombarding myself with client calls and busy work on Monday mornings to phasing out calls and then moving my CEO day to the start of the week.
I still mostly follow this structure. I do have calls with my VA every other Monday, but besides that: no calls, no client work. I'm 100% focused on my own business on Mondays.
It has been a game changer.
It's honestly funny now. My husband has a traditional job, and every Sunday he says, "Man, time to start another week." He likes his job, but he's not excited about it. Meanwhile, I'm sitting next to him on the couch thinking, I can't wait for Monday. I have so much exciting stuff to work on. We're going to do so many cool things this week.
It has helped me fall back in love with my business.
These days, I spend Mondays on:
Marketing strategy
Content creation
My own brand development
Developing new offers
Cleaning up systems and processes
Big picture thinking and planning
I'm not delivering client work. I'm not on calls. I'm not clearing my inbox or putting out fires or reacting to urgent requests. Those things are important and non-negotiable parts of running my business, but they drain me. And that's not how I want to start my week.
I started my business to control my time, but more importantly, to control how I feel while I'm working. I feel my best when I start the week slowly, prioritize my own business first, and don't do things I hate at the beginning of the week.
The Unexpected Benefits
This shift has created ripple effects I didn't anticipate:
Consistent marketing and content creation: Because I'm doing it first, I actually do it. I haven't missed creating content in two years. It's built into my week in a way it never was when I tried to squeeze it in around client work.
No missed client deadlines: Despite dedicating a full day to my own business, I haven't missed a single client deadline. No clients have left because they felt deprioritized. Nothing has gone wrong. Everything has been fine.
Better business performance: My business is running better because I'm taking time to actually work on it strategically, not just reactively.
Less resentment toward client work: I'm not running on an empty tank constantly. I don't feel like I'm always being reactive or behind the eight ball. I know what's happening for the week because I've planned it out.
More confident leadership: I lead my business with more confidence and control because I'm not starting from a place of feeling overwhelmed.
Better creativity: Most importantly for my clients, I'm more creative. I have the brain space to think because I'm not stressed and feeling perpetually behind.
The Important Distinction
Notice I didn't say I stopped hating Mondays by taking Mondays off.
I'm still working on Mondays. I'm still doing hard work. Sometimes it's challenging, strategic work.
I'm just working on things that energize me instead of depleting me.
I still feel productive. I still feel like I'm moving the needle. I'm just productive on my own terms, moving the needle in my own business instead of pouring all my energy into everyone else's and leaving nothing for myself.
I can confidently say: the Sunday scaries are not a thing for me anymore. I'm not dreading giving away my energy first thing every Monday and spending the rest of the week trying to catch up. I look forward to working on my business. I cannot wait to hop out of bed when my alarm goes off Monday morning.
Doing things you like first thing during the week makes all the difference.
Taking Advantage of Business Ownership
Here's what's important to remember: We run our own businesses. We get to make our own schedules.
If we want to say "I'm not taking calls on Monday," we get to say that.
Now, if taking calls is something that lights you up and energizes you, if you love starting your week by being social and connecting with clients, then do that. There's no one right answer here.
The point is to figure out what works for you and do more of the things you love on Mondays so you start your week energized and positive. That energy will carry you through the rest of the week.
And I know someone out there is thinking: "Well, I don't work Mondays. I work Wednesday through Saturday." Whatever the first day of your work week is, the same rules apply.
Your Challenge: Redesign Your Mondays
Here's what I want you to do:
Step 1: Look at your last few Mondays. What's been on your schedule? How have you felt on those days?
Step 2: Ask yourself: Is there anything I could stop doing on Mondays that would free up brain space and make me feel better going into the week?
Step 3: Identify: What things could I add that would really light me up, energize me, and make me excited to work in and on my business first thing Monday morning?
The world tells us everyone hates Mondays. That it's just how it is.
But as a self-employed entrepreneur, you don't have to accept that. You get to decide. You built this business. You're allowed to design your day and your week exactly how you want so you can feel good running your business.
I legitimately look forward to Mondays now. And I want you to experience that too.
What are you going to change about your Monday schedule? Connect with me on Instagram and let me know what shifts you're making to reclaim your Mondays.
🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned In The Episode:
➡️ Follow me on Instagram @spechtand.co
➡️ Book Your Stand Out Brand Strategy Session (use code SFBPOD for $100 off)
➡️ Book A Brand Chat
🎧 Listen to episode 60 of The Six Figure Brand Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube
