Ready to recharge your routine in the new year? Here's how to make the most of every day between Monday and Saturday.
Monday: Take back the morning
6:30 a.m. While most of us are hitting snooze, then stumbling out of bed clamoring for coffee, Carrie Sloan is bobbing in San Francisco Bay in her tank suit, goggles, and chin-strap cap. The 33-year-old belongs to the Dolphin Club-a swimming and boating club dating back to 1877-where the unwritten law, even in 50° water, is no wetsuits. Starting the day with a swim is a way to reboot her mind, get inspired, and play before sitting down at her desk. It's sort of like carving out a reverse happy hour. But swap the margarita for sea lions and views of Alcatraz.
- Lengthen the a.m. : An early start can "make you feel the exhilaration of your own aliveness," Sloan says.
- Use MAPS: MAPS (that is, meaning, authenticity, purpose, strengths) activities help develop inner contentment, says Aymee Coget, CEO of the American Happiness Association. Swim, learn a language, or join a cause.
- Give it time: Most habits, including getting up early, form within 21 to 30 days, Coget states, but give yourself 90 days. Once a habit is formed, you could respond like Sloan: "Days I don't swim, I feel I've been cheated."
Tuesday: Call it the new Saturday
Folks place too much importance on waiting until the weekend for get-togethers, says Ivy Entrekin, a personal chef in Portland. So midweek, Entrekin organizes "block dinners," aka potlucks, with neighbors. Some contribute homegrown produce instead of cooking; others bring simple foods like freshly picked blackberries or chocolate bars. Four days is such a long stretch to wait for a friend's meal, she says. "Having something to look forward to midweek gives me a little more momentum to push on through. It's a necessary exhale that we sometimes forget to take." Mingle on work nights. It can be as simple as ordering a pizza and making a salad, but Entrekin has other tactics for pulling off a dinner party.
- Choose a theme: It's fun and it gives people a starting point. With a "rainbow potluck," everyone brings a dish in an assigned color; a chocolate-themed potluck relies on dishes both sweet (one-bowl brownies) and savory (three-bean chili with cocoa).
- Serve buffet-style: Those stuck in the commute can feel at ease if they arrive late.
- Share cleanup tasks: Have guests wash their own plates as they leave.
- Make your dish on Sunday or Monday before the party: Entrekin's favorite do-ahead dessert: fruit crisp started in a slow-cooker in the morning and finished under the broiler to crisp the topping. Add scoops of ice cream.
See more ways to reboot your work week
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