Do you feel like your weekends pass by in a flash? Is it hard to remember what you even did?
When I began working from home, I noticed that my weekends slipped by without getting anything done that was important to me. Plus, it seemed that there wasn’t enough definition between my “work life” and my “home life.”
So, one day I decided to make a few changes. I wanted my weekends to be relaxing, but also pack a productivity punch for two reasons.
- I wanted Monday to give me a HUGE headstart to the week without a lot of effort.
- I wanted to use my weekend time as wisely as I did during the week.
What I ended with was a weekend that was part relaxing and part productivity. It works a perfect balance and here are the five biggest changes that I made:
1. Learn Something New
Whether you choose to listen to a podcast, read a book, or watch a motivation video – gaining knowledge and skills is your most productive use of extra time. Once I began incorporating this, I found that my work during the week got done in much less time. Plus, I gained a lot of motivation rather effortlessly.
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2. Meal Plan & Prep
Like most, eating healthy is a huge goal of mine. But it didn’t always happen as I hoped it would during the week.
So, I began getting serious about meal planning. Then, I made it a routine to prep 3 salads every Sunday. It really doesn’t take much time, but it helps me eat better BY FAR during the week.
3. Do Laundry
Now, weekends are for doing laundry start to finish. In the past, only part would get done and we’d be picking clothes out of baskets and doing thirty-minute searches just to find what we needed. It’s simple, but this one alleviates a lot of frustration.
4. Declutter the House
To be clear, this is NOT about cleaning the house (though that may need to be done too).
Instead of putting a bandaid over a “stuff problem,” you’re actually fixing the problem by decluttering. So, what can you TAKE OUT of your home so that you never have to pick it up again?
5. Map Your Week Out
Finally, taking thirty minutes every Sunday to plan has been a game-changer for how intentional I am during the week.
But HOW you map it out is also important. First, I write the non-negotiable appointments for the week, followed by MY HIGHEST priorities and goals. As a result, self-care, exercise, learning, and time with my family get as much time as work and other pursuits.
It has also helped me realize that deep work is important to block in if I’m going to get real work done during the week without frustration.
In Conclusion
If you do these five things, I promise you’ll have a MUCH smoother and productive time all seven days of the week. And if you have a little extra time, try giving yourself a few goals for the week, taking a nature walk, and organizing your workspace too.
All of these things contribute to productivity and happiness. And the best part is, most of them take very little time to implement! 10-30 minutes at a time is all you need to make major life changes and fix reoccurring problems that pop up during the week.
So, what are you waiting for? What is one thing you can start? Start your productive weekend soon!
“Focus on being productive instead of busy.”
Tim Ferriss