# **An Easy Daily Routine That Transformed Everything: Setting Intentions for Achievement**

## **My Experience with Mondays: A Challenging Beginning**

For countless years, Mondays were the day I dreaded the most. They felt like an insurmountable wave of responsibilities poised to overwhelm me after a weekend of reprieve.

While I was in my medical fellowship, the demands on Mondays were particularly severe. One fellow was assigned to handle all weekend duties, allowing the others to rest. However, when Monday rolled around, it meant catching up on everything that transpired during their absence.

Mondays entailed:
– Grabbing updates on both established and newly admitted patients transferred from the weekend duties.
– Finding consultants who had taken temporary coverage.
– Evaluating lab tests, imaging outcomes, and outstanding orders—all prior to patient visits and rounds with the medical team.

Mondays felt burdensome, and their effects didn’t confine themselves to just that single day. The stress and fatigue carried over into Tuesday, then Wednesday, and soon enough, my entire week became daunting.

I cherished my profession—but I was not fond of how my weeks commenced. No matter what approach I took, I couldn’t dispel my Monday anxiety.

## **An Epiphany: The Significance of Intention**

Years later, I encountered professional coaching and eventually achieved certification myself. Through this coaching experience, I discovered success habits—practices that foster clarity, alleviate overwhelm, and enhance personal wellbeing.

That was when it dawned on me: I required a success habit to reshape my connection with Mondays. And I found it.

## **My Transformative Routine: Establishing an Intention for the Day**

Rather than allowing the day to dictate my emotions, I resolved to set the tone for myself.

Every morning, I pose a simple yet profound question to myself:

### **“How do I want to feel today?”**

This inquiry redirects my focus away from specific occurrences throughout the day—things beyond my control—and channels my energy toward something I *can* influence: my experience of the day.

## **How to Begin Setting Intentions**

Each morning, prior to immersing myself in my agenda, I take a few moments to establish an intention for how I aim to approach the day.

For instance, I frequently select “ease and flow” as my daily intention. To enrich this practice, I contemplate:
– **What does ease and flow signify for me?**
– **How does it resonate within my body?**
– **What thoughts nurture this feeling?**

By dedicating just five minutes to grounding myself in this intention, I commence my day with clarity, focus, and *choice*.

## **Staying Centered Amidst Life’s Turmoil**

In the medical field, unpredictability is inevitable. Miscommunications, tardiness, delays, and shifting priorities can easily derail workflow.

So, how does a physician maintain flow when circumstances diverge from expectations?

### **Revisit Your Intention.**
Instead of succumbing to the spiral of stress, I take a moment to recall what I envisioned at the start of the day: *ease and flow.*

This intentional break enables me to reset and prevents me from reacting impulsively to stress. It’s my method of reclaiming control over my experience instead of letting chaos determine my mood.

## **A Lasting Practice**

Over the years, I’ve incorporated numerous tools into my daily routine, each proving beneficial in various ways.

But establishing an intention? That continues to be my cornerstone.

It centers me, guides me through challenges, and keeps me aligned with what truly matters. Most crucially, it serves as a reminder that my vocation—this beautiful, purposeful work—*does not have to drain me.*

And now, Mondays don’t burden me. Instead, they represent a chance.

### **The simplest alterations, when practiced consistently, possess the power to transform everything.**

Wishing you blessings on your journey.

—
**By:** Dr. Stephanie Wellington
Physician | Certified Professional Coach | Founder, *Nurturing MDs*
Assisting physicians in transforming stress into ease and flow.

Connect with me on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/DrStephanieWellington/) or [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-wellington-md-cpc-5545b737/).