Mondays have been a real struggle this year since getting bacck into the groove of work. I've had a couple of Monday where I've done nothing. I've i've really beaten myself up over that lack of productivity too.

Mid-January i bought the Derren Brown book A little happier. I really love its tagline too, Notes for Reassurance. For some reason, that tagline really caught me. Reassurance is really comforting, like having a cuddle with your Grandma - Happier is something I'm not sure I can achieve every day.

One of the 17 chapters (notes really) is entitled, Be wary of Goal-setting. Interesting I thought... I'm always being told to set goals or being asked with my goals are for a project. Goals are closely linked to expectations, which I've realised now, is the route of most of my unhappinesss.

My expectations for a Monday we're too high. I get to the office and hit the ground running, to pick up from Friday without skipping a beat. Well... i turns out that my mind can't do that very well.

Today I set my expectations low. I had stuff to do today and have a couple of important deadlines this week - I was determined to start the week off right. I woke up, got the kids and missus out the house and had a lazy hour to get myself ready.

I put on my (fiction) podcast to enjoy while I was getting ready, easing me out of the weekend and into the week.

I got to work, pulled up my task list from friday and picked the one thing that I wanted to be done my the end of the day. It was painful but by 12:45 it was complete. I met my expectations.

I feel back into the swing of work now. Tomorrow I'll get in early, sit and work.

And I won't hate myself for not being perfect.