The Monday Morning Volume Knob

Mondays are loud. Before you even get out of bed, the notifications are dinging, the emails are piling up, and the mental “to-do” list is already screaming at you.

The natural reaction is to scream back—to jump straight into the noise and try to overpower it with caffeine and hustle.

But I’ve found that usually leads to burnout by 2:00 PM.

I took a walk through the Blue Ridge woods to clear my head before this week kicked off. I realized that the best way to handle the noise isn’t to get louder; it’s to start with absolute silence.

Find Your “Woods”

You might not have a forest in your backyard, but you need to find your mental equivalent.

Before you open the first email or check the first analytic, take ten minutes to just be. Lean against a wall. Sit in your car. Turn the volume down to zero.

When you start your week from a place of calm, you aren’t reacting to the world; the world has to react to you. You are setting the pace. You are choosing the direction.

…And Then, Reality Hits

Of course, you can be as Zen as a monk, but the universe has a funny way of checking your ego.
I was having a very “Disney Princess” moment in the woods—quietly connecting with nature, feeling the serenity, extending a hand of friendship to the local wildlife…

And then he just took the food and bolted. No magical moment, no birds singing on my shoulder—just a squirrel securing the bag and running.

And honestly? That’s the real lesson for Monday.

Set your intentions. Find your calm. But when things go sideways (and they will), don’t lose your mind. Just laugh, grab your next opportunity, and keep moving.

Have a focused (and slightly unpredictable) week, everyone.

– Zachary Starr