Dear Sunday Jerks,
Dear Sunday Jerks,
That is what my wife used to call me too. Not because she is mean, but because I was a jerk on Sundays.
On Saturday I was fine. I was happy. The day felt light.
But on Sunday? Everything changed. I could feel the weight of Monday rising up. I could hear the sand of Sunday falling quickly through the hour glass and knew what would happen soon.
I’d be back in my cubicle.
Back at a job I did not love. Back to leaving my personality in the parking lot on Monday morning when I walked into the building.
Monday felt like forever. And even worse, it had four brothers called Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
I spent 10 years like that. And I deserved every inch of the title “Sunday Jerk.”
I lived half weekends grumpily growing darker as the day got closer to Sunday night.
If you feel that way, there are two things I want to tell you today on this Sunday.
1. You are not alone.
One of the first things fear tries to do is put you on an island. To isolate you into believing you are the only one who feels a certain way. You’re not. Don’t believe that lie that you’re some kind of unique failure because you’re a Sunday Jerk.
2. You don’t have to be miserable.
Oh the lies we’ve all been taught about our day jobs. “Work is supposed to be miserable! That’s what makes it work. Welcome to being an adult. It’s the humble thing to do! Who are you to dream you’ve got some sort of gift you’re supposed to share with the world? It’s just a job.” Nonsense. Do you know why we were both Sunday Jerks? Because you can’t be miserable 40 hours a week and then flip some magical switch to “happy” on the weekend. Just a job? Are you really OK with donating the majority of your waking life to something you hate? It took me 10 years to realize I wasn’t, I hope you don’t mortgage that much of your life to the belief that being miserable is what work is all about. It’s not. It doesn’t have to be this way.
I wrote Quitter
We’re streaming the Quitter Conference live because we want to share hope with as many people as possible.
But even if you’re not able to take part in either the book or the conference ever, please know this.
Monday is not your identity. I hate how heavy it feels for you right now, but it is not your forever. And you’re not the only one who has been a Sunday Jerk.
I was one too.