16 Fun Motivational Monday Ideas & Activities for Work in 2023

Here is our list of the best motivational Monday ideas.

Motivational Monday ideas are different ways to uplift and inspire employees at the beginning of each week. Examples include sharing motivational quotes, setting weekly goals, and engaging in friendly competitions. These activities aim to help your team start their Monday with activities that will motivate all members to contribute their best.

Motivational Monday is an example of an employee engagement activity, culture-building activity, and company culture committee idea. These events are a way to improve employee satisfaction and boost staff morale.

This list includes:

• motivational Monday activities for employees
• motivational Monday games
• motivational Monday meeting ideas
• motivational Monday quotes for work

Here we go!

List of motivational Monday ideas

Motivational Monday is the start of a brand new week with new opportunities. This day provides a chance to encourage employees to work hard and accomplish weekly goals. Here are our top motivation Monday ideas to help you start the week off right.

1. Motivational Quotes

One of the best ways to start the week strong is by sharing your favorite motivational Monday quotes for work. We recommend asking each team member to share an inspirational quote with the group.

Here are a few examples to consider:

• “Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want.” – Ken Poirot
• “Mondays are the start of the work week which offer new beginnings 52 times a year!” – David Dweck
• ​​”The future depends on what you do today.” – Mahatma Gandhi
• “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan
• “On my own I will just create, and if it works, it works, and if it doesn’t, I’ll create something else. I don’t have any limitations on what I think I could do or be.” – Oprah Winfrey
• “There are many opportunities in every single day, and Monday is the perfect day to seize them all.” – Isabella Koldras
• “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
• “The sun himself is weak when he first rises; and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on.” – Charles Dickens
• “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot
• “Stop making excuses, you’re the only one stopping you.” – Issa Rae
• “Monday Morning Blues? Why not change the color of your Monday to yellow and brighten up the coming week?” – Kanika Saxena
• “Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end, you are sure to succeed.” – Abraham Lincoln
• “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar
• “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” – Sara Blakely
• “This should be the spirit every Monday. Know that something good will always happen.” – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsh
• “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand
• “Every day brings new choices.” – Martha Beck
• “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
• “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

Inspirational quotes are a great way to increase motivation and drive. Sharing these quotes will help your team become inspired for the week ahead.

Check out more motivational quotes for work.

2. Office Breakfasts

Office breakfasts are a great way to begin the day with a tasty meal. Plus, your employees will be pleasantly surprised when they walk into an office full of tasty breakfast. If you have any meetings on Monday morning, then we recommend hosting those conferences over breakfast and coffee.

If you are unsure what kind of breakfast to bring into the office, you should consider ordering a dozen bagels with a side of butter and cream cheese. Bagels are a safe option that most employees are sure to enjoy. Pairing your bagels with coffee is also a great idea.

Here are more office breakfast ideas.

3. Outdoor Meetings

If you are looking for motivational Monday meeting ideas, then consider holding an outdoor meeting. By meeting with your team outside, you can each get a breath of fresh air and a change of scenery for the day.

If the weather permits an outdoor meeting, then it can also be a great idea to use the space to your advantage. You can participate in activities you cannot do indoors, such as a walking tour. For example, you can plan a walk around the perimeter of your building. During the walk, you should discuss key updates and project statuses that you would typically discuss during a team meeting.

Walking tours are a great way to encourage fitness among your team as you conduct meetings and build your team’s motivation.

For inspiration, check out this list of outdoor team building ideas.

4. Spirit Week

One of the best motivational Monday activities for employees is to launch a team spirit week. Spirit weeks are weeklong events in which each day has a specific theme. We recommend using Monday to build your team’s excitement.

Here are our suggestions for spirit week themes:

• Monday: Sports day
• Tuesday: Wear pajamas to work day
• Wednesday: Wacky hair Wednesday
• Thursday: Throwback Thursday
• Friday: Crazy sock day

Hosting a spirit week can encourage a sense of unity and camaraderie among your team. When your team feels connected, each member can become more motivated to succeed at work.

Read this list of spirit week ideas for work.

5. Talent Show

When it comes to motivational Monday games, team talent shows are a great way to get all members engaged in a fun activity. We recommend hosting a talent show during the lunch hour with snacks and refreshments.

Here are a few ways your employees can participate:

• Sing an upbeat song
• Perform a choreographed dance
• Play a musical instrument
• Recite original poetry
• Perform a magic act
• Paint a picture
• Do a standup comedy routine

Talent shows are an opportunity for employees to showcase their skills and capabilities. This activity can help employees get to know each other better and improve camaraderie. In addition, talent shows can allow you to add fun to the workday.

Here is a guide to employee talent shows.

6. Desk Decorating Challenge

Holding a desk decorating challenge is a fun and competitive way to begin the week. For this activity, ask employees to decorate their desks using office supplies. The items that folks can use as decorations include tape, banners, sticky notes, highlighters, and balloons.

To turn the activity into a competition, set a time limit. For instance, at the beginning of the challenge, you can set a timer giving participants 20 minutes to decorate their desks completely. You can tour the room and appraise each team member’s creation at the end of the timeframe.

By hosting a desk decorating challenge, you are encouraging employees to express their creativity through art. In addition, seeing new and colorful decorations around the office on a Monday morning can brighten your team’s mood.

7. Weekend Catch-up

Weekends are a great time to disconnect from work and recharge for the coming week. After the weekend, one of the best motivational Monday meeting ideas is simply catching up with your team.

We suggest beginning each meeting by asking employees, “How was your weekend?” Then, you can encourage team members to talk about any highlights from their days off and any fun activities and memorable events they would like to share with the group. For example, if you spent your weekend celebrating your birthday, you can share a few key moments, such as cutting your cake and opening presents from family and friends.

Taking some time at the beginning of your meeting to catch up from the weekend will show employees that you genuinely care about them, even outside work.

8. Goal Setting

For a fresh start to the week, we recommend having each team member create a to-do list of goals they want to accomplish during the week.

Example aims include:

• Practice effective time management
• Dedicate enough time to key projects
• Meet all deadlines ahead of due dates
• Participate in a training course to improve presentation skills
• Schedule a one-on-one meeting with coworkers
• Organize and declutter email inbox

Monday is a great day to plan goals and aspirations for the week ahead. We suggest blocking off time on your team’s calendars to think about ambitions and areas of improvement.

Here is a list of goal-setting activities.

9. Offering Incentives

If you would like employees to feel excited about coming into the office on a Monday, then we recommend offering incentives. For example, you can hold a raffle to win a $25 Starbucks gift card. Another option is to give folks in the office an extra 30-minute break. Extra time for employees to invest in themselves is a big deal and can be enough motivation to take your team through the week.

By incentivizing employees on Monday, you are providing team members with a new opportunity for motivation each week.

Brush up on the best employee incentive ideas.

10. Casual Mondays

If your employees must come into the office wearing professional attire, then we recommend giving them a break every Monday. To help your employees feel more comfortable in the workplace, tell team members to wear casual clothing to the office on the first day of the week.

By allowing teammates to dress casually on Mondays, you will enable them to enter the week more comfortably. When your team feels comfortable in the workplace, this can result in more productivity, motivation, and employee satisfaction.

11. Friendly Competitions

You can turn motivational Monday games into friendly competitions among teammates to get employees excited. Contests and games are a great way to foster healthy competition at work. A few examples include:

• Olympic-style games
• Lip syncing competitions
• Desk decorating challenges
• Trivia tournaments
• Scavenger hunts
• Raffles and door prizes

As part of these competitions, we recommend rewarding winners with prizes. You should get creative with your prizes, so employees feel like they are competing for a valuable reward. For instance, prizes can include one additional vacation day, a gift card, a bonus pay, or a paid lunch.

Here are more workplace competition ideas.

12. Inspirational Music

Music is a great way to provide much-needed motivation on a Monday morning. We suggest asking employees to contribute their favorite inspirational songs to a shared playlist.

Some suggestions:

• Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen
• Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
• Working 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton
• Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross & The Supremes
• Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey

Once you have finalized your motivational songs, turn up the volume and leave the playlist on repeat for the rest of the day. With each song, you might even find new lyrics and quotes to keep you motivated at work.

Check out the best motivational songs for work.

13. Short Breaks

Work-life balance is essential in preventing stress and burnout. We recommend helping your team obtain this balance by encouraging several small breaks throughout the day. Monday is an ideal day to implement short breaks since most employees may feel tired from the weekend.

We suggest assigning two extra 15-minute breaks to each team member to organize this activity. However, to avoid any overlap, ensure you do not assign breaks simultaneously for each employee.

Giving your employees time for themselves during the workday can help them feel refreshed and motivated throughout their shifts.

14. Meditation Sessions

A team meditation session is one of the most fun and relaxing motivational Monday activities for employees. Meditation is a proven method of putting your mind at ease and peace. Plus, participating in an activity like meditation can help put your employees into a positive mindset.

Meditation can improve work performance, mood, and overall health. In addition, this activity is beneficial because it can provide your team with a moment of peace and tranquility in the middle of a busy Monday.

15. Skill-Building Workshops

To make the most out of your motivational Monday, we recommend hosting a professional development workshop where team members can work on sharpening their abilities and learning new skills.

Example topics:

• Team building exercises
• Internal job application advice
• Financial planning
• Public speaking exercises
• Leadership training
• Workplace allyship tips

To make this activity more enticing, we recommend hosting a lunch and learn session where teammates can participate in the skill-building workshop over a company-provided lunch.

Here is a list of corporate workshop ideas.

16. Office Newsletters

If you want to begin your week by giving your team a news rundown, we recommend creating a company newsletter. In your newsletter, you should include information that your employees care about, such as:

• Updates on key projects
• Training opportunities to learn new skills
• Upcoming office events
• Internal job openings
• Company-wide days off

To boost motivation for your newsletter, we recommend incorporating a positive message from the team leader to all employees. Reading this inspirational message can be an excellent way for teammates to begin the day.

Conclusion

Motivational Monday is a fun and creative way to give employees a boost of inspiration for the long week ahead. After a relaxing weekend, many folks have grown to dislike Mondays because of work, school, and professional obligations. However, adding a boost of motivation to the first day of the week is a great way to mix up your routine.

Motivation comes in different forms, from sharing inspirational quotes to participating in a team activity. Keeping your team motivated every Monday is a great way to increase workplace happiness and satisfaction while boosting productivity and success.

Next, read about the benefits of happy employees and employee motivation tips for managers.