Steal This Apple Executive’s Monday Ramp-Up Ritual to Set Your Week Up for Success

Among the many viral workplace trends TikTok trends last year was the idea of “bare minimum Mondays.” The idea, suggested originally by someone named Marisa Jo before being discussed by millions, is that professionals who are teetering on the edge of burnout should consider giving themselves permission to do the least amount of work possible on Monday. 

The idea is this helps fight the Sunday blues, eases one into a return to work, and prevents a cycle of inflated expectations and shamed disappointment that can derail the rest of the week.

That all sounds sensible enough, but I have to confess that my initial response to bare minimum Mondays was skepticism. If entrepreneurs — or employees — can’t muster any energy or clarity on Monday after a weekend of rest, how will they ever manage later in the week? Getting a good head of steam going on Monday often provides me with the momentum to make it to Friday. Plus, I’m the sort of person who stresses about undone work so much that it’s pointless to try to relax when I know I have a towering inbox to tackle (this kind of “precrastination” isn’t always helpful).

On the other hand, I can see why several million people responded positively to Marisa Jo’s catchily named suggestion. Surveys show sky-high levels of burnout, and that management gurus have gone from talking about the “Great Resignation” to the “Great Exhaustion.” Getting into the groove on Monday is a particular challenge now. 

Is there a better way to tackle Mondays that acknowledges the human brain’s need to warm up slowly, as well as our generally low levels of energy at the moment, but also the value in starting the week with energy and focus? I think I recently stumped on an excellent idea in the form of a helpful blogpost from an Apple executive. 

A better plan to start your week

Michael Lopp is a veteran tech executive and author who shares his thoughts on leading engineering teams on his blog Rands in Repose. Recently, he addressed the topic of how exactly he approaches Mondays. 

Lopp agrees with me that Mondays are a golden opportunity for productivity and a fresh perspective that are too valuable to waste slacking. “It’s not Wednesday when everything is already blowing up. Monday is a blank slate before 9am; this is my chance to set the tone,” he writes. 

To do that, he follows a simple seven-step playbook that marries calm and reflection with priority-setting and action: 

1. Sip quietly 

Lopp’s first step seems designed to give your brain some space to wake up and stretch: “While it is still quiet, get a fresh cup of coffee (I prefer black and strong). Not a coffee drinker? Great, try Chai or just a glass of water. You need a brief pause, a sip, between these steps. Now, read something unrelated to work to get the mental juices flowing. Skim the news. Work adjacent. Important, but not urgent. Sip.” 

It’s worth noting that, while sipping a beverage may sound simple, meditation teachers insist it can be a form of mindfulness as long as you keep your focus on the present moment. This kind of mindful “savoring ritual” is an often-recommended way to clear the clutter out of your brain, buffer against stress, and simply enjoy your work and life more. 

2. Clear your workspace 

Once you’ve cleared your mind, continue on to clearing your workspace: “Maybe it’s your desk, maybe it’s your desktop, but spend three minutes making your space your own. Everyone has a different version of this, but it’s an essential investment as the chaos begins. Sip.” 

3. Scrub your inbox.

Next up, tidy up your electronic workspace. “If attention is required, apply it. Schedule time later in the day if more attention is required than available. If that’s not going to happen, put the task in To-Do. Sip,” continues Lopp. 

4. Scrub Slack 

Last up in the cleaning and centering portion of this process is Slack. “I’m looking for those direct messages and channels with red notification badges where someone @mentioned me because that’s always news. I’m skimming channels I’ve previously put in a well-maintained HOT channel group. Skimming. Not reading. Taste the soup. Finally, time permitting, I’ll skim other non-HOT channels just looking… just being curious and encouraging serendipity. Sip,” writes Lopp. 

5. Do a calendar audit 

Now that you have some space and order in your mind and in your physical and virtual spaces, it is time to consider how you’re going to fill them throughout the day and the week. Try to head off any potential snarls or time wasters at the pass. 

“Look through the entire week and see what will require a disproportionate investment. For these areas, ensure I have appropriate preparation time, including additional blocked-off time. Bonus time savers: make sure any double-booked times are resolved, build in travel time for geographically challenged meetings, and decline meetings that seemed important weeks ago but now appear less important. Alert important people regarding these declines and give them the ability to convince you otherwise. Sip,” instructs Lopp. 

6. Survey your to-do list 

Lopp is another engineering leader who swears by a simple to-do list, though he offers his own twist on how to use one. “A to-do list is only as valuable as its last complete update, so I do one,” he reports. “The goal is to put all tasks into one of three buckets: today, tonight, or later. If I cannot do this quickly, carve off time on the Calendar to curate the To-Do list.” Also, of course, sip. 

7. Review (or invent) metrics 

“Somewhere in your work universe, there is an important set of metrics you are supposed to watch carefully. They are in one of three possible states: (1) They are well-defined and universally understood (2) They exist (sort of) somewhere (maybe?) and some people think they are important (kind’a) (3) They don’t exist, so no one cares. Regardless of disposition, you must spend some brief time either reviewing well-defined metrics, making semi-understood metrics more accessible to more people, or defining or finding these metrics,” concludes Lopp. 

While the talk of metrics may seem more or less alien to your particular field, the basic idea is universal. Every job has, at its heart, some essential purpose. I need to write articles that attract readers. Designers need to design things that solve customer problems. Business owners need to make a profit. Lopp’s final step is all about remembering what you’re supposed to ultimately be accomplishing and making sure you’re tracking your progress (and dedicating your time) accordingly. 

What appeals to me about this process is that it is soothing rather than stressful. It’s rooted in the pleasure of a nice cup of something warm and an understanding that your brain needs to warm up before work, just like your body needs to warm up before exercise. It aims at finding the essence of the week, while promising to make work more focused and impactful but also less frantic and exhausting. I think I’ll give it a try. 

Do you have a Monday ramp up ritual that you swear by? 

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