For many people, Mondays are easily the most hated day of the week. At Johnson, however, Mondays aren’t a source of dread. They’re a chance to start anew, to endeavor to be better this week than you were the last. How has Johnson been able to transform the meaning of the day? It all started with a choice and with a mindset. 

Mindset Mondays are part of a campus-wide drive to instill a sense of mental resilience and positivity into students and staff. This mostly occurs through homeroom classes, where students work on activities centered around formulating a strong mindset. The activities vary from week to week, but Principal Brett Miksch plans to start creating videos with staff and students that give examples of how people across campus personally benefit from Mindset Mondays, as well as to show videos from Dr. Amber Selking, the author of “Winning The Mental Game.”

“Coining all Mondays at Johnson High School ‘Mindset Monday’ is a simple reminder that we need to check ourselves and be aware of our mindsets that we choose to start the week with,” Miksch said. 

Achieving this awareness has a large impact on performance in any given situation. Beginning the week with a strong mindset allows students to maximize their performance and consistently aim for improvement. 

“Training the mindset is truly the way to be successful,” Head Cross Country Coach Ashley Akina said. “How you think is how you perform, whether that’s on a test, on the track or in an arena.” 

In these types of difficult situations, achieving a strong mindset is essential to enduring to the end and creating a positive outcome. 

“Especially in a sport like ours, when you’re running a 5K, it’s a lot of time to think,” Akina said. “If somebody passes you up, that’s a moment when you typically see some separation because you have to determine in your mind, am I going to push through or am I defeated?” 

In addition to enhancing the performance of teachers and students in an academic or athletic environment, Mindset Mondays boost the school community and spirit by helping students avoid complacency, allowing them to keep the initial excitement they started the year with. 

“Mindset Mondays set a really good precedent of what the school spirit should be around here. Everyone should be excited and prideful for anyone performing, playing or representing our school, and I feel as if Mindset Mondays do contribute to that,” senior Matthew Sides, Senior Class Head Spirit Coordinator, said. 

This improvement seen in the faculty, students and spirit due to Mindset Monday has solidified the importance of mindset-driven teachings in academic life, which Miksch intends to continue. 

“We have a goal here to produce championship mindsets in our students and in our staff, and a key ingredient to me is keeping a consistent message,” Miksch said. “It really is as simple as that!”