When was the last time you said those words?

If you’re an entrepreneur, you may not have a traditional Monday anymore. By that, I mean that you are probably working 7 days a week (or feel like you are), so every day is like Monday.

Personally, I don’t mind Mondays anymore. In fact, I look forward to Mondays. Why?

Mondays offer a new opportunity, a level playing field that I can take advantage of. I had goals and targets for last week, this week I can set new goals, new targets, and the game starts again.

We’ve all heard about the impact our attitude has on our emotions, stress levels, and our health. If we dread Mondays then we’re setting ourselves up for an emotional, stressful day. Why do that to yourself?

Here are some tips that I use to help you avoid the Monday doldrums.

1: Start with YOU time

I get up early every morning, seven days a week. I use the time before the workday starts for personal time. Sharpen the saw time. I write, read, listen to podcasts or watch videos all in an effort to stay on top of things. Having time to myself helps me feel like I can devote time to the tasks at hand.

When you wake up, don’t just hop out of bed and hit the road. Take some time for yourself. Block out about an hour where you can just sit quietly, read a book, listen to a podcast, or if you’re so inclined, actually meditate. You’ll thanks yourself later.

2: Plan your day

I sleep like a baby every night. I used to lie awake staring at the ceiling, my mind spinning about all the things I didn’t get accomplished that day and all the things I needed to accomplish the next. Now, I plan my days the night before. I review my daily activities making sure there is nothing else I can do and then I write down all the major things I need to accomplish the next day. Once I have done that, I know I can rest easy. And I do.

Before you head to bed tonight, think about the day ahead. Plan your activities. Prioritize the tasks and set goals for yourself. Sometimes just having a plan can reduce your stress levels.

3: Music soothes the savage beast

I know that some people, mainly teenagers, can listen to music, watch television, text their friends, and work on their homework at the same time. Bless them. That’s not how I work. I need quiet, maybe some soft music playing in the background. The music helps take the edge off if I’ve got a beast – a deadline perhaps – looming.

Sometimes, your Monday can appear to be a beast. Pacify it by listening to music. There are lots of studies that show music can reduce our heartrate as well as calming our brain activity allowing us to have better focus. A little background music during stressful times can’t hurt. The point is, there’s no reason to get all worked up over Monday… or any other day for that matter. Take some steps to chill, gather your thoughts, put a plan in place, and then take care of business.