Mondays can set the tone for your entire week, but too many devs treat them as “warm-up” days, easing into work with coffee, Slack catch-up, and vague plans.
The problem? By Tuesday, you’re already playing catch-up. I stopped thinking of Mondays as “just the start” and started using them as my productivity accelerator.
Here’s what’s been working for me (without turning into a time-tracking, cold-showering productivity robot).
1. Ship something before lunch
- This is my personal “non-negotiable.”
- It doesn’t have to be big – maybe it’s merging a pull request, closing a Jira ticket, or pushing a small feature.
- By shipping early, I create momentum, and the mental win carries into the rest of the week.
Pro tip: If possible, line up a small task from Friday that’s easy to finish Monday morning. Instant win.
2. Think in themes, not endless task lists
Long to-do lists can kill morale before you start. Instead, I define 2-3 themes for the week, for example:
- “Stabilize the onboarding flow”
- “Optimize API response times”
- “Write docs for the new SDK”
Everything I do should connect to one of these themes. It’s a mental filter that cuts out low-value busywork.
3. Make Monday your “code review day”
I used to save code reviews for when I had a break. Now, I do most of them Monday morning.
Why? It’s a low-pressure way to get into the coding mindset, unblock teammates, and clean up the pipeline for the rest of the week.
4. Schedule one protected deep work block
Mondays are full of “quick syncs” and catch-ups, unless you defend your calendar.
I block a 90-minute slot in the afternoon where Slack is off, email is closed, and it’s just me and the code. One solid block like this can do more than four hours of fragmented work.
5. End with a reset ritual
At the end of Monday, I clear my workspace, close open tabs, and jot down my next three priorities.
It’s a small thing, but it means Tuesday starts without that “where do I even begin?” feeling.
💡 The takeaway:
You don’t need an overhaul to have a productive week, you just need intentional Monday moves.
Small wins create momentum. Momentum turns into consistency. And consistency is what actually gets projects shipped.