Here's What Successful People Do On Weekends - Are You Missing Anything?

The weekend may have just ended but it's not too soon to start thinking about the next one! I recently stumbled upon a book by Laura Vanderkam, What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekend, which highlights that successful people make sure that their weekend rejuvenates them rather than drain them. This allows them to them to hit the work-week running and be successful.

The Top 7 Successful Weekend Habits

1. Plan

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Wise words by Benjamin Franklin and probably the most important thing that people who are successful do differently is that they plan. They plan their downtime and what they'd like to do during the 48 free hours they have over the weekend. If you're too relaxed about "unwinding", you will just wind up doing nothing.

Having said that, you don't have to plan every activity down to the minute. Just schedule a few fun activities like heading to the beach or meeting up with friends so you can get those done.

2. Limit Chores

The chores never end so don't let them be a drag on your weekend. Keep the list short and to the essentials like shopping for groceries, essential emails and laundry. Got to keep those clothes smelling fresh!

3. Reflect

One of the best ways to learn is to reflect. Weekends provide the quiet time we need to think through what we've done, what we're doing and whether our actions will get us to our desired destination. Let's say we have a goal of "financial freedom". Working in a low paying corporate job that barely keeps us above our bills will not get us to where we want to be. Without reflecting on the situation, people tend to be stuck seeing only old solutions to their problems.

4. Mingle!

As the old adage goes, "It's not what you know, it's who you know." I've found this to be very true both in the corporate world as well as in business. People like working with and doing business with people they like. It is as simple as that. If you know less people, there are less people that like you. Unless you have a terrible personality... but you're reading this post, so i'm pretty sure you're a charmer ;)

Don't forget the family as well! All relationships take work and effort, family is no different. Sometimes the relationships we're closest to are the ones we take for granted.

5. Unplug

One of the trappings of modern life is that we're always connected - to our phones, to our emails, to our screens. Think about it - when was the last time you were truly unplugged and lost in your own thoughts? Walks are a great way to recharge and it was what Steve Jobs used to boost his happiness and creativity.

6. Recharge

So now that you've unplugged, how do you recharge? Walks as i mentioned earlier are one great way, but by no means the only way. Reading books, playing video games, meditating, yoga are some good ways to feel revitalized for the week ahead. Just don't go overboard!

7. Exercise

Last but not least, exercise! There are so many benefits to exercise - reduce the risk of diabetes, reduce cardiovascular risk, reduce cancer risk, and improve your mental health and well-being.

The most common excuse is, "but i have no time!" I don't know what your situation is but i know that if someone offered me a million dollars to exercise 30 minutes every day, i would find the time. The health benefits that come with exercise are worth way more than a million dollars in my opinion, so i try to find the time. This could be as simple as parking further away and going for an extra long walk.

Reflection

Reading the book made me reflect on what i'm doing differently from these "successful people". Two key areas stood out:

• I don't plan my downtime
• I haven't had much opportunity to mingle with 2 newborns at home

I'm definitely going to start planning my weekends more but socializing is going to be tough. That's an excuse, i know. Maybe i could invite friends over or try and find short get-togethers around the neighborhood.

What do you think of these habits? Are you missing anything or do you think something else should be included instead?

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Infograph credit: careerbliss.com
All other images: pexels