The best weekends don’t just happen when you are on vacation. Successful people and high achievers have learned to manage their schedules and make wise choices on how they spend their time, even at home.
Thankfully, there are strategic steps anyone can take to have weekends that are meaningful and almost as good as a day on the beach. Here’s how:
Leave the Cell Alone
There are eight extra hours in your weekend to check your cell phone incessantly–don’t. Talking to friends or looking up movie times is OK, but constant texting can leave you immobile–pinned to the couch or bed for hours. It may also raise your anxiety levels and distract you from getting on with your weekend plans. Use the weekends to meet those friends you’ve been texting all week for coffee or to join you for a movie. This will grow your friendship faster than the speed of a text.
Leave Errands for Weekdays
Just because you have the extra time on the weekends doesn’t mean you need to fill it up. Regulate errands and chores to weekdays or reserve less than three hours of your weekend to get them done. Consider doing errands Friday evening. Get it completely out of the way. Time-consuming, draining errands are unforgiving. A quick trip to the store can turn into a five-hour chase for that proverbial missing ingredient or outfit you must have. Make a list of all errands on Sunday evening, and complete them between Monday—Friday. Your weekends will change dramatically with this one tip.
Plan Weekends in Advance
Is there a concert you want to see or a friend with a birthday coming up? You can plan your weekends months in advance with little effort. List the weekend things you “must do†and spread them out over several months, with a reminder two weeks before. This will put your weekends on autopilot where you don’t have to think about them.
Do Nothing
What about using Friday or Saturday to do nothing at all? Allot one day for a guilt-free, errand-free recharge. The weekends are the time to restore and replenish. Grab your snacks and download your movies during the week. When Friday or Saturday hits, you can stay under the covers with your favorite movie. Blackout curtains are a must!
Build in Some Service or Social Time
Do you belong to a community group or writers circle? Don’t miss your scheduled meeting to give back and feed your own curiosities. Do something for a few hours that serves someone else or a project you want to launch.
Weekends deserve your attention as much as your weekdays. It is time reserved just for you to do what you please. Good weekends rebuild your focus, energy, and stamina one week at a time. Don’t let another one go to waste.
Maryann Reid is the digital managing editor of BlackEnterprise.com and the author of several books published by St. Martin’s Press. For more, please follow her @RealAlphanista.