Old leaders, new leaders, and future leaders what does your Monday Morning Consist of?

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 16:26:13 -0400

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/what-successful-people-do-on-monday-mornings-2015-6#ixzz3kKcn7Az8

Christmas is over for 2017, how will you start your Monday, January 1, 2018?

RP Members and Connections another Question lost in RallyPoint Space, but definitely worth taking a look at or thinking about. Check out the link above and the "16 things successful people do on Monday mornings!"

You don't have to agree and "Yes" you have the right to disagree, but at least look at these from a positive perspective! You may end up adding one or two to your morning regiment!

16 things successful people do on Monday mornings

Get a head start on the week.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 30 at 2015 4:47 PM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 16:47:03 -0400

COL Mikel J. Burroughs, 0500 wake up, 0510 off to gym or for a run, usually a run. Back at the house by 06:30. Shower, ACU's on and eating by 07:15. Watch ESPN until about 07:45. Out the door by 07:55. At work by 08:15. Get work stationed set up and check all emails by 08:30. Get project updates by 08:45. Begin workload and work until 12:00. Lunch until 12:30. Back to work until 16:00. Update project status and review for next day until 16:30. Pack up and be home by 16:50. If everything goes as planned without additional meetings, mandatory training or special events, my Monday is locked in. Now please keep in mind, this is my "kids summer break" schedule, after Labor Day, there will be some getting the kids ready and out to the bus stop prep too. Schedule will get tighter.

Response by CSM Michael J. Uhlig made Aug 30 at 2015 4:47 PM

CSM Michael J. Uhlig — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 16:47:26 -0400

Many things on this list is what we do everyday in the military, not just Mondays. Up early, PT daily, don't leave work for the next day.....makes sense.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Aug 30 at 2015 5:34 PM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 17:34:00 -0400

Monday is my "reset" day. It's the day where I arrange everything for the last week, and mop up everything for the previous week.

I like to get in a little early, by about 30 minutes or so. Not too much, because I also like my sleep. I make sure all my trucks "functional" for the day, and what direction I need to give the guys before I boot them out the door. As soon as they are gone, it's phone call time.

Like the article says. Smile, they can hear you on the other side. Long standing rule I have is never call anyone before 8am if I can avoid it, never after 9pm unless someone died, or is on fire. People just aren't ready for it. Their minds haven't caught up yet.

Around 10~ I'm on the road taking care of all the stupid things, like bank, accountant, etc. Normally finish up right around chow time.

Response by Sgt Kelli Mays made Aug 30 at 2015 11:07 PM

Sgt Kelli Mays — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 23:07:24 -0400

My Monday mornings start with me checking both emails....and as I start answering/responding to them.....The phone starts ringing... ..not just my office phone, but my cell phone too.....sometimes I'm on one call and have to ask whoever is on it to hold on cause a call is coming in I have to take....it's crazy.......I'm usually on the phone non stop all day and in between I write emails/responses or text messages....I'm not fond of texting, but it seems clients and Realtor's want to always text me so I'm stuck texting.
Tomorrow morning...Monday August 31st...I'll be at the Methodist Hospital with my 3 yr old grandson who is going to have cranial surgery....so it won't be a typical Monday morning for me.

Response by CMSgt Mark Schubert made Aug 31 at 2015 7:30 AM

CMSgt Mark Schubert — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 07:30:13 -0400

>Old leaders, new leaders, and future leaders
Sir, I think I'm all of the above - but "old" definitely fits!
#1 I thank God for every day - #5 is not necessary because I do that on Friday's before I leave. The rest are pretty much done everyday, not just on Monday morning. One thing I add to my daily routine is to read the word and remember who I am REALLY working for - staying focused on that make a huge difference in how you deal with people and prioritizing what's "really" important.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 2 at 2015 6:20 PM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 18:20:47 -0400

I know many people will think I am crazy for saying this, but I love Mondays! I feel recharged and ready to tackle the challenges the week will hold, no matter if they are known to me or not yet discovered. I identified with almost all the items on the list except for putting a smile on and adding a bit of humanity to my e-mails. This is always something I have to check myself on, I get in the zone and focus on the task at hand. Early morning Monday runs set the pace for the rest of the week.

Response by CPT Chris Loomis made Dec 25 at 2017 1:04 AM

CPT Chris Loomis — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 01:04:03 -0500

What does my Monday consist of? A huge volume of coffee and a lot of cussing.

Response by Maj John Bell made Dec 25 at 2017 2:33 AM

Maj John Bell — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 02:33:58 -0500

I always did
5) They clear their desk and desktop
8) They update their to-do list and goals
9) They visualize the week's successes
before I left for the weekend, but I think it is a solid list.

The other thing I did on Fridays was to try and remember an "attaboy" for each immediate subordinate and one level down. Then I would write down a 3-5 line thank you card. If They were married, I mailed it to their spouse or child. If they were single, I mailed it to their parents.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Dec 26 at 2017 12:35 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 12:35:15 -0500

Going over what is written on the board for what's has to be done. Shop is loaded this year with repair work.

Response by SSG James Elmore made Dec 26 at 2017 3:55 PM

SSG James Elmore — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 15:55:57 -0500

Lots of coffee............

Response by SCPO Morris Ramsey made Dec 26 at 2017 7:09 PM

SCPO Morris Ramsey — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 19:09:22 -0500

COL Mikel J. Burroughs Monday is fresh start day.

Response by SSgt Clare May made Dec 27 at 2017 10:08 PM

SSgt Clare May — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 22:08:12 -0500

Lol... First thing New Years day Col.... At 0:00:01 I better be wishing my wife a very Happy Birthday!

Response by Sgt John H. made Dec 28 at 2017 1:17 PM

Sgt John H. — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 13:17:18 -0500

Food for thought. Thank you COL Mikel J. Burroughs

Response by Capt Dwayne Conyers made Dec 28 at 2017 2:15 PM

Capt Dwayne Conyers — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 14:15:11 -0500

In God’s unchanging hands...

Response by SPC Brian Stephens made Dec 28 at 2017 3:12 PM

SPC Brian Stephens — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 15:12:11 -0500

By sleeping in and taking the rest of New Year's Day OFF!

Response by CPO Charles Helms made Dec 28 at 2017 7:46 PM

CPO Charles Helms — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 19:46:21 -0500

It will start like any other day Colonel, if the good Lord willing I will get up and have my morning coffee!! When I was in the service I thought of everyday as a Monday up until the weekend when in port!! But once you put to sea every day was Monday the routine was the same, but not every launch was the same!! Life on the flight deck is always an adventure!! But the days never change, you can lose track of days when you're at sea for extended periods of time!!

Response by SGT Charles H. Hawes made Dec 28 at 2017 8:51 PM

SGT Charles H. Hawes — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 20:51:01 -0500

Monday morning i am going to be working with my brother in law to see about getting the electrical ran into my new shop. Can't wait to start working on my project vehicle's.

Response by Donna Brickey made Dec 28 at 2017 10:39 PM

Donna Brickey — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 22:39:20 -0500

Interesting ideas in this article Mikel. Seems worth employing them any day, not just Monday..Also, I must admit that I am a rebel, in that I do not wake up early hardly ever. That is because I go to bed late. Instead of working out at 5 or 6 AM, I work out at 11 PM! I definitely like some of the other suggestions too. Cannot understand how anyone can skip breakfast. If I do, I have a bad start. Happy New Year coming up!

Response by Sgt Albert Castro made Dec 28 at 2017 11:32 PM

Sgt Albert Castro — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 23:32:17 -0500

Nice share COL Mikel Burroughs.

Response by Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 29 at 2017 12:48 AM

Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 00:48:19 -0500

Excellent article Col. !!! Thank you for sharing !!! I find that I just naturally do most of them !!! HOORAH !!!

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Dec 29 at 2017 10:54 AM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 10:54:09 -0500

COL Mikel J. Burroughs from years of military life, checking off on the list I made on Sunday evening. If I waited to plan until Monday, I was so far behind, I would never catch up.

Response by SSG David Andrews made Dec 29 at 2017 11:45 AM

SSG David Andrews — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 11:45:21 -0500

I visited the link and I cannot argue or disagree with any of the points in the link. My personal shortcoming and problem is "keeping a clean desk". I have tried for years to clean and organize my desk and keep it that way. That just seems to be unworkable in my case. I wish I had one dollar for every time that I have cleaned and organized my desk and out of nowhere, it looks like it had just been hit by a hurricane. I will continue to work on my desk problem. I hope everyone is ready to hit the ground running in the New Year.

Response by SSG Donald H "Don" Bates made Dec 29 at 2017 12:22 PM

SSG Donald H "Don" Bates — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 12:22:44 -0500

Great advice for those still active, for me, an old guy, I do some of them still but not all. :-) Happy New Year to ALL.

Response by PO2 Kevin Parker made Dec 29 at 2017 12:28 PM

PO2 Kevin Parker — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 12:28:30 -0500

17. They don't push their good attitude on others. They just show them, it's not as bad as they think.

Response by SPC Diana D. made Dec 29 at 2017 1:50 PM

SPC Diana D. — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 13:50:21 -0500

I always made sure on Friday to clean my desk off so that when I came to work on Monday there would be no work left from the week before!

Response by MSG Mark Million made Dec 29 at 2017 1:59 PM

MSG Mark Million — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 13:59:00 -0500

Given the fact that I like my job and I work with veterans every day, Monday is always a good day for me!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 29 at 2017 2:00 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 14:00:56 -0500

It is supposed to be like -30 or some crap Sun night into Mon. I'm not leaving my apartment. I'm enjoying time with my daughter before I have to go to SLC next weekend.

Response by SGT Brianna MacKinnon made Dec 29 at 2017 2:26 PM

SGT Brianna MacKinnon — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 14:26:29 -0500

I pretty much agree with all of these points. Too bad too many of them are specific to someone who works at a desk. Some of them are difficult to translate to working as a Carpenter, Land Surveyor or Assembly Line Worker (all 3 would be me. :) ) However, the one's that translate even with difficulty (adapt and overcome) I do because otherwise you just get run over by everyone else.

Response by SFC Greg Bruorton made Dec 29 at 2017 2:28 PM

SFC Greg Bruorton — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 14:28:33 -0500

As the photo above your topic depicts, I hope to be able to start the year off right by extending a hand to someone in need.

Response by Manuel Perea made Dec 29 at 2017 5:38 PM

Manuel Perea — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 17:38:10 -0500

Writing a list of things to do, goals for the week and challenges to overcome.

Response by SSgt Bruce Probert made Dec 29 at 2017 7:54 PM

SSgt Bruce Probert — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 19:54:30 -0500

If you need to set new goals each week you're not doing your job. End of work Friday you should have a good idea what needs to be done starting Monday and what co-ordination needs to take place. There are those that will Email for a minor decision and sit doing nothing until they get an answer, as well as those who write a self aggrandizing narrative report that takes half a day or more that could have been done in 5 minutes or less, so remember Email is only a tool, not your purpose in life. Disruptions whether personnel or supply chain need to be planned for with contingency and personnel assessments, to do less is unacceptable. The first Priority is to ensure that everyone has what they need to commence their week, documents, supply and personnel needs. You can not make some one else happy, you can however share yours with those around you. Lead by example and make it a good one.

Response by SSG Dave Johnston made Dec 30 at 2017 9:48 AM

SSG Dave Johnston — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 09:48:46 -0500

I'll do 3 cups of Coffee. feed the cats, scratch my belly and thank the "All Father, He who is nameless," that I am among those that will view the day.

Response by SSgt Thomas Hirschey made Dec 30 at 2017 4:23 PM

SSgt Thomas Hirschey — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 16:23:41 -0500

I’m retired but work at my last unit as the safety officer, every Monday morning is spent walking around observing operations, correcting ignorance and talking to Marines.

Response by SGT Brent Scott made Dec 30 at 2017 4:42 PM

SGT Brent Scott — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 16:42:59 -0500

Monday is Monday, it’s a day of resetting, with the occasional moment of retard mixed in, gets me set up for the week

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 30 at 2017 8:03 PM

CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 20:03:13 -0500

Living and breathing another day in paradise my friend.

Response by SPC Nanette Porter made Dec 31 at 2017 10:19 AM

SPC Nanette Porter — Sun, 31 Dec 2017 10:19:26 -0500

Yes that is the part I still struggle with, if I don't get it all done that day then there is the next day. For me that just means that much more for the next day.
But in the reality it all works out eventually I just have to have pashents. Not something I am good at yet!

Response by SP5 Billy Mullins made Dec 31 at 2017 5:22 PM

SP5 Billy Mullins — Sun, 31 Dec 2017 17:22:04 -0500

getting up early and making list for the day and the week ahead helps me. Of course since I am retired I can have devotional and prayer time first.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 20 at 2018 10:36 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 20 Jan 2018 22:36:49 -0500

I have been a leader for 46 years. Every single day and night, holiday, weekend and moment of reflection for those 46 years I have been conscious of people that depend on me for strength and courage, guidance, and motivation to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Not only those that work for me, but my superiors that depend on the performance of my organization to realize their objectives. Being a leader is easy when times are good. It is fun to give out raises, bonuses, awards praise, and other benefits. Being a leader comes to the cutting edge when the leader is surrounded by a group of people that must accomplish some task, series of tasks in the face of uncertainty, adversity, or even a degree of hopelessness. That is the point where the difference between a leader and a manager begins to come forward. Monday for me is like every other day. I am conscious that whenever I face the day and the people I lead, those that are colleagues, or those that I work for, they are measuring me and assessing their own condition through what they interpret from that impression when they first see me. It is important that I have confidence and concern about the things I am responsible for. It is equally important that that I convey that confidence and that I reassure those who depend on me and those I depend on that we will account for ourselves. Whatever you lead the very first impression when you walk out the door or meet people face to face is the most important of the day. There is a lot that goes into pulling that off. You have to ensure your people are trained, armed/equipped, and mentally up to the challenges. You have to ensure that you are attuned to the requirements and can meet any challenges head on. Fact is, you can never be sure of it. What you can do though is to ensure that everyone that depends on you from the bottom to the top realizes that you GIVE A SHIT. I am never at a better sharp edge than when someone attacks my people and I am sure my people are right. My people know it and they realize that they must assure me they meet the standards I communicate. They know that if they do I will defend them relentlessly. If not, they know we will discuss how to appropriately accomplish the task at hand. When they look at me on Monday, I want them to know I have confidence in them and that together we measure up to the challenges.

Response by MSgt J D McKee made Jan 22 at 2018 12:19 PM

MSgt J D McKee — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 12:19:39 -0500

Hmmm--that one is hard because I have trouble telling Monday from any other morning, but here goes
(1) get up whenever I wake up
(2) Scratch my ass and take a pee
(3) Smoke too many cigarettes and drink too much coffee
(4) see what's on the news so I can nearly stroke out over whatever the current idiocy is
(5) load up on enough drugs that I can stand to walk around.
(6) Avoid talking to my way-too-liberal - but-I - love-her-anyway wife about....anything of consequence.
(7) It's after noon. Beer?

I see down in the chain someone had "running". I sort of know what that is, but since nobody ever chases me and there is nobody I want to catch particularly, it's not on my list.

Thats about it, how in the hell does anyone have the energy to do 16 things on Monday morning?

Response by COL Thomas Cagley made Feb 17 at 2018 1:22 PM

COL Thomas Cagley — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 13:22:14 -0500

Doesn't exactly answer your question, but on Jan 2 (Tuesday) I was elected to the Lake Forest City Council in a special election.

Response by PO1 Mike Dean made Feb 20 at 2018 10:49 AM

PO1 Mike Dean — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 10:49:15 -0500

I've been pretty successful. My Monday mornings are pretty much all the same these days..... COFFEE.... plenty of coffee. Do you really expect an old sailor to say anything different? Yeah, I followed up with all those other things in the article. But COFFEE remains number one and foremost.