MONK!

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Somewhere around age four, the Child discovered the joys of her pointer finger.

I have no idea if this is kid-typical, but out of nowhere she realized there existed immense satisfaction in tapping all things gently with only that digit.

Unlike some child-behaviors (hello grating bruxism!) I don’t think I’d have noticed the quirk if it weren’t also the hey-day of a new television show.

The show featured Tony Shalhoub (love him) playing Adrian Monk, a brilliant detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Among his various & sundry mannerisms was the habit of tapping/touching things with only his index finger.

As a result, it took this Mama only twice seeing the Child do the same to start shouting MONK! each time a pointer finger tap occurred.

Partially because it made me laugh and somewhat because I believe my role as mother is to provide ample fodder for later therapy.

But I digress.

Sort of.

Because if it weren’t for the whole TonyChildMonk scenario I’d not have paid attention when the concept of Monk Mode repeatedly appeared in my life.

The phrase Monk Mode caused me to reminisce. It sparked me to snicker. It compelled me to share a story few will find fascinating.

Monk Mode as an approach to life intrigued me. A lot.

The premise behind Greg McKeown‘s Monk Mode Morning is simple:

Between when you wake up and noon you work deeply on only things which matter. No texts, no email, no meetings, no calls.

No guilty pleasures  Only thing(s) which are important/serve you in a very real way.

It wasn’t so much I’d slipped into (insert opposite of monkishness here) mornings, it was more the fact I’d gone too far with my structured procrastination.

I seemed never to complete anything.

After research, it grew clear to me Monk Mode worked 100% due to the fact it forced its user into consistency.

This also resonated with me as I credit all success I’ve achieved in my life to the c-word. Work, parenting, marriage, friendships, fitness—all of it.

I knew I needed to give Monk Mode a try.

My first step in implementation was to create a Monk Morning Mantra or, if I shed the alliteration I adore, a key phrase I’d consistently use as response to requests which didn’t fit into this new approach to my day.

  • Wanna connect for a project? Anytime after noon.
  • Wanna get together for a walk? Anytime after noon.
  • Want me to volunteer at school? Anytime after noon.

This three word phrase quickly became a reflex (like all good habits) and, even more powerful, since my response remained consistent for everyone from Big Brand Exec. to 11 year old no one’s feelings were hurt.

No one thought he/she was less important than others, as whether they liked it or not, everyone became quickly aware my morning time was sacred.

The firm margins initially felt awkward yet, as the weeks progressed, I found I looked forward to my mornings in a way I hadn’t for a while.

Why Monk Mode Morning worked:

  • It wasn’t wait until tomorrow (or even until tonight). To myself/others noon sounded both early and ‘soon.’
  • I can easily isolate in my world of work. Would Monk Mode work in an office setting? People seem to think so. I can’t imagine how it would without impacting others/potentially halting their a.m. productivity?
  • Monk Mode helped me front-load my day. It made all my frazzle work (AKA non-mindless stuff) finished by school pick up even if I had some less intense focus work to complete while the Child did homework.

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve made the Monk-transition (taps self gently with pointer finger) and so far it works for me.

More than anything–even the productivity–it’s been a way to re-enforce my morning-margins and a reminder the only path to success is spending dedicated time on the work which matters.

And you?

  • Have you hear of Monk Mode Mornings? Would this approach to work/life fit into your daily routine?

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Comments

  1. OMG I remember that show!!!
    It’s the opposite of monk mode around my house in the mornings. I may need to get up earlier if this would ever work.

  2. I like this idea – carving out a reasonable unit of space for what matters, with parameters. I’ll have to evaluate each day what it is that matters – whether it’s work or something else – but there’s something about a noon stop that appeals to me. The consistency & also that it feels like *rnough* & that I can give myself permission to ease up the self-pressure to produce all day long. Not sure if that makes sense.

  3. I love this. And I need to implement this as I can be all over the place, which does not work. Mornings are a great time to be productive!

  4. I cannot imagine how fabulous my mornings would be at work if I could convince the entire office to take this on.

    • I hear so much lamenting from friends who work in traditional office settings about the interruptions the noise the meetings the meetings and meetings 🙂 I wonder what it would be like if it could be monk mode even for two hours at the beginning of each day?

  5. We still catch that show every once in a while! Not sure how I’d implement this since a lot of my essential work does involve phone calls and meetings, but I am trying to prioritize and ask people to come back later if it’s not urgent so I can take care of what really must get done.

  6. I wish Monk Mode would fit into my life, but alas, no. When you have a job that requires you to see patients and be on the computer at 8 am, no monk mode. Altho I do have 2 days where I start after 12, so I could be on part-time Monk Mode!

  7. Part time or, I wonder, if you couldn’t do as I do some days: get up super early and tell everyone to back the hell off until you are ready 🙂
    Because I’m with you. There so many jobs where there’s necessary interaction – – it would be impossible. Or perhaps just instituting monk mode weekends??

  8. I’ve never seen (or heard of) the show – but I do love your Monk Mantra. Three simple words to structure your whole day on – what more could anyone ask for? I think I need to add something similar to my standard response – it’s a nice alternative to getting sucked into a “Yes” or being mean and always saying “No”

  9. When I get up super early, It’s very quiet and I often go into monk mode for a couple hours . . . but I do have to enjoy the pleasure of coffee

  11. And as I’ve said before if this really is the only part of my life where I live fear-based 🙂 even though I know the child tends to sleep in until six now on school days – – I still leave out of bed at four to snag that silence!!

  12. I loved the show! I have not heard of Monk Mode before, thanks Carla, learned something this morning! I do like a swarth of time in the morning when I just work.Longer than other times of the day. Totally could embrace the Monk.

  14. I try….. I have such a weird schedule these days that it is hard to do this many times but I did like in the past because I prefer to get things done early for me… now it is a bit different.

  15. Love this concept and I actually follow a similar path. I know I do my best work in the mornings. I don’t even have a shower and get dressed until after 10am, unless of course I have to work. I, like you, book all appointments and social dates after lunch. think I will borrow the Monk Mode. Thanks

  17. I didn’t watch the Monk but I can totally get down with this concept. I’ve only become super conscious that I spend way too much time scrolling my social media feeds in the morning before I actually get somethings done that I REALLY need to concentrate on. My productivity is definitely better in the mornings for sure.

  18. I try to do this… but mostly because I am NOT a morning person and prefer to avoid any human interaction until after noon. Some days I’m more successful than others… but my goal is to sleep til 8, drink coffee and work quietly until 11, make breakfast for Vegas and me (late, I know), then hit the gym at 12:30. Then you may speak to me. LMAO!

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