The Monday Pet Blogging Checklist to Kick Your Week Off Right

I love Mondays. I realize that makes me an anomaly, but I approach Mondays with a positive mindset. It’s a fresh start, the chance to begin with a clean slate–and a solid project plan. Part of my Monday love comes from a carefully-crafted Monday routine that allows me time to settle into the week while making forward progress.

Here is the Monday pet blogging checklist that will kick your week off right… and maybe turn you in a Monday lover, too!

Monday AM: When you’re fresh and raring to go!

Set an intention.

What is your overarching intention for the week? It could be project specific (I’ll finish drafting the next chapter of my eBook by Friday) or it could be a mental or spiritual goal (I’ll avoid procrastination during work hours). Keep one big-picture intention in mind to stay focused all week long. (That’s actually mine: Stay focused.)

Pick three to dos.

Our lists get so long that it feels impossible to ever make progress. Then, we get overwhelmed and procrastinate. Avoid that cycle altogether by picking only three tasks to accomplish. These are your Most Important Tasks (MITs) for the week and get the most time and energy. If you happen to finish those three with time to spare, simply pick another task from…

Start an “if time” list.

Every Monday morning, I use a large, lined sticky note to start my “if time” list. These are things I want to do eventually but aren’t my three most important tasks for the week. However, as I complete those MITs, I can move these tasks to the front. These tasks often include busy work (update tax spreadsheet, file paperwork, etc.) that I can chip away at while doing something else or when I find a spare pocket of five to 10 minutes.

Mark priority emails.

Replying to emails first thing is a tough habit to break, but emails are often other people’s demands on you and your time. Mark those that do need a reply today, then move on. If you use Gmail, the star system is helpful for this.

Turn off notifications.

Seriously, turn them off. No social notifications, no email notifications, no IM pings. Turn them all off, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and get down to those MITs.

Monday PM: When your energy wanes.

Reply to those priority emails.

Most emails take minimal brain power. You already decided which ones need a reply today, so work through those during your post-lunch slump. Same goes for voicemails, by the way. Return them in the afternoon when you don’t have a ton of creative energy left. 

Reply to comments.

Engagement is one of the most important aspects of being a blogger. Spend a chunk of your afternoon replying to comments on your site and across social. It’s as important as content creation but doesn’t require the same mental energy investment. Bonus: If you find yourself with an extra pocket of time, use that to read other blogs and leave thoughtful comments.

Plot tasks for tomorrow to work toward those three to dos.

Reflect on your day and glance through the lists you made in the morning. What should you slate as your MITs for tomorrow based on what you accomplished today?

And there you have it! A wildly productive Monday!

Even though this is a solid plan to kick off your week on a productive foot, you could use this same set of pet blogging checklist items each day of the week. I find that the later in the week I get, the more interruptions I experience, along with more meetings and obligations. You might find you have to tweak this a bit and, say, only reply to comments on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Find what works best for your focus!

Are you a Monday person? What do you do to stay on track? Any tips for pet bloggers who need some Monday motivation?

Maggie Marton serves as the BlogPaws senior editor. When not hiking with her two pit mixes, Emmett and Cooper, or playing with Newt the Cat, Maggie writes about them (and the pet industry) at ohmydogblog.com and maggiemarton.com.

Images: Dmitri Ma/Shutterstock.com and Igor Normann/Shutterstock.com