1. Spend time with family and friends.
At the end of the day what matters most in life is our relationships. Successful people make sure to schedule precious time with family and friends.
Weekends are the ideal time to reconnect with our loved ones either by jumping on the phone (Facetime is a great option) to catch up or to make plans to see them in person. We have so many options these days to keep these bonds strong.
2. Reboot and Recharge
Successful people unplug to recharge their battery. Going part of the weekend without checking email or social media frees up the mind from too much over thinking or stress.
A few hours of complete disconnection opens up the door for self reflection as well. It’s a good time to check in and ask the following:
- Am I focused on what is most important in my life?
- What areas do I want to grow in?
- Where am I self sabotaging myself?
- How am I showing up everyday- Am I being my most authentic, best self?
- Where in my life am I playing small?
- What areas of my life require more attention?
- What am I sweeping under the rug and neglecting in my life (aka, my blind spots)?
- What truly brings me joy?
- Have I been nurturing and kind to myself lately?
- Who have I been neglecting?
- How can I bring more value to others in my life?
It can be helpful to write down a few answers to these questions in a journal to invite in a full broad range perspective on them. Once Monday rolls around again a level of clarity and balance will set a renewed, positive tone for the week ahead.
3. Exercise
Successful people take time during their weekends to exercise. Often it can be difficult to get it all in during the week and it’s less likely to make excuses on a non official workday.
Going for a walk in the park, or riding your bike around your neighborhood can spark new ideas in all sorts of ways. My juices get flowing whenever I’m taking an indoor cycling class. Another friend of mind gets her strongest creative downloads while running. The body’s endorphins are charged up and the mind is stimulated in a very difficult way then sitting at one’s desk working.
Here are a few ideas:
- Explore new parks or neighborhoods with a friend you want to spend more time with.
- Sign up for ClassPass (free for the first month) and try different gyms, yoga studies, or exercise routines.
- Dance; Turn on Spotify and dance like no-one is watching and if they are it’s only because they wish they were doing it too.
- Get a rebounder. Jumping on a rebounder gives your energy a boost in less than 3 minutes
- Dust off your tennis racket and go hit a few balls around.
- Join a running club and sign up for a race. It’s exercise and inspiration all rolled up into one.
- Go for a swim. Yes, that means putting on a bathing suit and if that’s out of your comfort zone then definitely do it.
4. Volunteer
Successful people focus on giving, serving and making a difference. It’s a great way to switch up the mind focus on your own needs to the needs of others in a beautiful and unselfish kind of way. It’s another way to look at the world differently and gain a well rounded perspective on life. I know a successful business owner who participates in fundraising events who emphasizes the benefits of building deeper relationships with other philanthropic minded people. She says “It’s a win win for everyone.”
5. De-clutter and Organization Time
Successful people know the benefits of being organized. Time is the most precious commodity we have and we live in a face paced world. When things are tidy, orderly and in their proper place time won’t be wasted looking for what you need when you need it.
Where to start :
- Grab a few things out of your closet over the weekend and donate them to Goodwill.
- Clean out one junk drawer and neatly put things back in an orderly fashion.
- Empty out your email box and set up email folders.
- Clean out your car.
- Back up your electronics and organize your photos by creating and labeling photo albums.
6. Self Care
Successful people take personal time for themselves over the weekend. Self care is recognizing you are deserving and worthy of investing time in yourself. It’s the most important way to access your personal power unapologetically. Looking at the big picture, success can only be sustained if you don’t get frazzled or burnt out. To achieve big goals one must have enough fuel in the gas tank to energize them at the highest level.
Self care routines include:
- Getting adequate rest which includes quiet time for reading, napping, taking bubble baths, meditating or doing nothing.
- Beauty and grooming time which includes time to get manicures, skin treatments, hair maintained, etc.
- Occasional extra special treats like going to the beach alone or getting a massage.
- Taking yourself shopping for a new outfit, running shoes or a special journal to write notes in.
7. Plan For The New Week
Successful people plan out their week ahead of time. Planning ahead of time gets the mind charged up for productivity, efficiency and focus so that Monday morning you can hit the ground ready to for a successful week. Leaders and Achievers get this done by Sunday night.
When you start the week with clarity, organization and strategy in place you are way ahead of the game. It takes the guess work out and replaces it with confidence and direction.
This is a non-negotiable for me, personally. At the beginning of the week I have to know where I am going so that I can be on my A-game.
My Sunday routine includes:
- Write out goals and look at the whole week at a glance.
- Know what MUST get done and review the action steps.
- Create a morning routine in advance.
- Decide to bring in your very best into the week.
- Visualize a favorable week and see it backwards as if it already occurred.
- Look through personal commitments.
- Add in whitespace and creative time.
And there you have it. Successful people know that success happens to those that are intentional with their time, focus and energy. If you want to achieve the next level of success, planning your weekends well matter.