Hi, my name is Vaibhavi Goyal, and welcome to Choose Fullness.

For many college students, there’s usually one day in the week where their schedule is lighter, sometimes even completely free of classes. If given the choice, most students pick Friday as their break day, often seeing it as an “extra day to their weekend.”

At the start of this semester, I found myself a little envious of those people. My schedule is quite the opposite, Monday is my lightest day with only two classes, while Friday is my busiest where I have class from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM with no breaks in between. But to my surprise, this schedule has actually worked wonders for me and made me more productive in the long run.

Since Monday is my “break-day,” I’m done with class by 11:30 AM and have the rest of the day to myself. Most Mondays, I feel refreshed from the weekend and use that time to be as efficient and productive as possible. Sure, I could have the same amount of free time on Friday if I made that my day off, but by then, I’m usually exhausted from the week and way less motivated to get anything done. 

This experience showed me how valuable it is to plan ahead and set yourself up for success. You can’t always rely on motivation, because it will come and go at different times. People often say to rely on discipline instead, but even that can be tough, especially if you’re still in the early stages of building it. That’s where I find planning comes in and holds so much value. When you make conscious decisions ahead of time like when your motivation is high, you’re far more likely to stay on track when that motivation fades. I’m not dismissing the importance of building discipline, because that is essential within itself. I’m saying this strategy is a great starting point for people who struggle with self-control and need structure to maximize their time. Discipline doesn’t get built overnight, and this method gives you a framework to grow it gradually. 

But what if you’re not a college student with a flexible schedule? What if you’re working a 9–5 job and don’t have the luxury of choosing your “break day”? That’s totally fair, and it actually proves the heart of this theory even more. It’s not really about which day is lighter or how your exact schedule looks. It’s about the bigger idea of being intentional; planning ahead, knowing your patterns, and setting yourself up for success beforehand. You don’t need a free Monday to apply this mindset, it can be used in a variety of different ways. Maybe it means meal prepping on Sundays so your weekday evenings are smoother. Maybe it means laying out your workout clothes the night before and choosing to go to the gym in the mornings because you know after work you’ll never have the energy. It could also mean carving out a specific evening for rest so that it’s purposeful and restorative.  

The Monday Theory is less about Mondays and more about preparation and curating tiny systems that make the difficult choice easier.  Whatever your lifestyle looks like, there’s power in making decisions ahead of time, before you’re tired or tempted to procrastinate. Now don’t get me wrong, the Monday Theory isn’t about overloading your schedule just so you can feel superior to friends who go out on Thursday nights because they don’t have class the next day. It’s about intentionally creating a structure that helps you stay productive when, in the moment, you’re more likely to choose laziness. 

Rest is important, and I fully believe in the value of taking breaks, but they are most effective when they are purposeful. A planned Monday morning yoga class is likely to leave you feeling more refreshed and grounded than an unplanned Friday morning crash after a night out. And that’s not to shame anyone who builds in a free Friday and uses it to unwind…I get it. It’s just about being deliberate with your time and knowing what truly helps you feel your best. Socializing and having fun are essential parts of a healthy balance, but if you struggle to prioritize your time, this strategy can help. And when you do have your “break day,” think of all the ways you can use it to invest in yourself. It doesn’t always have to be academic work, it can be personal development, self-care, exercise, journaling, or meditation.  

Small mindset shifts like these can make you feel fulfilled and in control of your time. They help you grow closer to your best self and there’s nothing more rewarding. When you take the time to plan ahead and create structure, you’re not just being productive, you’re choosing to grow and to spend your time in a way that serves you. Fullness doesn’t just come from big achievements or hectic schedules, it comes from choosing to shape your day as a reflection of who you wish to become. Whether that’s through productivity, rest, or self-care, it’s all part of the same choice. 

So remember—your glass is full. Whether you see it that way is up to you.