Mondays seem to be such a downer. That’s when the fires and the frustrations happen. That’s when you question why you got out of bed in the first place. All of the best plans of a productive week get shot down before you’re out of the gate. Maybe that’s a good thing.

Everyone comes back from the weekend to pick up where they left off. All of the loose strands get picked up. Everyone is trying to get into the flow after a two day holiday. Rather than try to be productive, try to get the engine up to speed. Calibrate instead of produce.

Everyone wants answers on a Monday. Everyone does follow-up on a Monday. Everyone gets things in gear on a Monday. They get stuff in gear with the idea that they can produce. Instead, they’re going to wallow in minutiae. Follow-ups and contacts are tasks that could be put off until later in the week, but they will sap away productivity on all those other days. Instead of bemoaning this trend, capitalize on it. Collect those tasks. Bundle in meetings and conference calls. Surrender the whole day to calibrating the instracture to create productivity for the remainder of the week. Machines create hour after hour until they break down. We’re not machines. We’re complex and we interoperate. By consciously surrendering Monday to calibration, you can feel in control of the process instead of swept away by it.

Design your work life starting with Monday. Spend your Monday on calibration: giving and seeking follow-up; taking meetings; and preparing for productivity.