Let Your Weekend Be A Weekend

So many people don’t allow their weekend to be a weekend. Why? I think people—especially salespeople—often feel like the weekend is our only opportunity to “catch up.”

We can’t get enough of our work done during the week—because work gets in the way! The weekend is blissfully free of all the meetings, phone calls, interruptions, and last-minute emergency fire drills that take over our week.

Do you feel like the only way to get any work done is to do it outside of work hours? We’ve all been there!

You Need R&R!

Sadly, when we spend all weekend catching up on work, we rob ourselves in another area.

We invest so much time into our businesses. We want them to be successful and profitable. This results in very little time invested for ourselves. When we repeat this pattern week after week, our business may do great—but we’re burnt out, overwhelmed, unfulfilled, exhausted, and unhealthy.

If you’re burnt out, how can you sustain your business? You can’t. If your life falls apart, your business will too.

The most successful athletes work hard but know how essential recovery is to their success. Pro-level training plans outline workouts but incorporate rest periods and healthy amounts of sleep.

Similarly, the most successful businesspeople know that hard work requires rest and recovery to be sustainable. You have to make taking care of yourself a priority. It’s good for business!

Set Limits On Your “Working Weekends”

The fact is, the weekend is possibly the only time most of us will get to rest, relax, and recover. For those of us with children, sometimes the weekend feels even busier than the work week! This is why it’s so important to let your weekend be a weekend and take steps to protect this valuable time.

Working over the weekend isn’t always completely avoidable. But if you’ve decided to “work” this weekend, set strict limits ahead of time. Determine a specific time frame you’ll do the work, and only work during those hours.

I’ll admit it—I often work on Sundays! But it’s a good example of how setting limits allows you to keep your weekend from being taken over by work.

• First, I clearly define what I want to accomplish. For me, these are usually tasks like coming up with ideas for articles, brainstorming marketing ideas, and managing my calendar.
• Second, I clearly define how long I’ll work on these things. If I block out noon to 4 p.m. for work, I don’t go beyond that allotted amount.

Working Weekend Don’ts

If you’re comfortable working on the weekend, it’s entirely okay to build a half-day into your regular schedule. But there’s a critical rule for this block of time: Don’t put things off until the weekend! This should always be seen as bonus time.

The reality is, you never know when there’s a last-minute birthday party invitation or if you’ll come down with something and desperately need an afternoon of lying on the couch! Rest and recovery need to take priority. If you have a big Monday deadline, don’t let things wait until the weekend! You’ll be doing the work when you least want to, and the quality of your work will suffer.

The other thing I recommend against is waiting until Sunday night to plan for the upcoming week. If you’re doing this, you’re already behind the ball. Follow the 10-10-30 rule, and use your Friday afternoons to plan for the following week. This way, you can go into your weekend and fully enjoy it, knowing you already have a plan for Monday.

Make Time For Yourself!

Years ago, I promised myself that Saturdays would always be a full day off. I work from home, so I’m careful to avoid even going into my office! I want my Saturday to be truly open and free from work. I can do anything I want, without feeling guilty about it. That way I can truly relax and recover!

Until next time—go sell some stuff!