June 24, 2025

There’s something quietly rebellious about deciding to like Mondays.

Not tolerate them. Not power through them. But genuinely like them.

We’ve started a little tradition in my house that has completely changed the way we experience the start of the week. On Monday nights, we make steak. A really good one. We open a bottle of red wine that we might have otherwise saved for a “special occasion,” and we sit down and have dinner together. That’s it. No fanfare. Just intention.

We talk. We connect. We look each other in the eye instead of at our phones. And after a full day of work and the usual Monday chaos, we end the day with something that feels… well, lovely.

I’ll admit, I make a mean steak rub. (I won’t say it’s life-changing… but it’s not not life-changing either.) We’ve perfected our Monday night steaks to the point that we rarely order steak at restaurants anymore—because honestly, ours is better.

But the real magic isn’t in the seasoning—it’s in the decision to make something nice out of something that people usually just habitually slog through.

I know Mondays get a bad rap. And in fairness, they can be hard.   This blog isn’t called Mondays With Mary, because…no.  But I wonder how many other parts of our lives—parts we’ve labeled as drudgery or unavoidable stress—could be reengineered with just a little intention. Maybe not turned into something perfect or Instagram-worthy, but into something that nourishes us a bit more than it drains us.

For us, this simple Monday night habit has become a quietly powerful life hack. It requires very little planning, but delivers something big: a sense of control, a touch of elegance, and the reminder that joy doesn’t have to wait for the weekend.

Maybe for you it’s not steak and wine. Maybe it’s music and a walk. Or dessert for dinner. Or lighting a candle and reading something just for pleasure.  Or a movie with popcorn.

Whatever it is—what if you picked a part of your week that feels flat or functional, and turned it into something just for you?

A little intention goes a long way—even on a Monday.

Until Next Time,

Mary Schuster
Chief Knowledge Officer
October Research, LLC