Have you ever wondered what Oprah does on the weekends? Even the most successful people in the world are, at the end of the day, only human. How they handle their downtime may give the rest of us a little insight into the way successful minds work.
“Successful people are simply those with successful habits.” – Brian Tracy
Here’s what successful people do on the weekends:
1. They unplug.
Even if only for a few hours, most of the uber-successful and wealthiest people in the United States take time off from being connected to their work life. Although their reasoning may be slightly different than ours, there’s a big takeaway in this for all of us.
Turning off your cell phone for 24 hours will force you to be more present and take more enjoyment from the activities that you do engage in on the weekends. I’ve mentioned this before, and if it seems like I keep harping on this point, it’s because it’s important. You must put the phone down.
2. They don’t turn into sloths.
Sometimes, after an extremely busy and overwhelming work week, the urge to bellyflop onto the couch and stay there until Sunday night can be tempting. This is a bad idea because it can lead to a feeling of apathy and depression, leading you back to work on Monday with a giant case of the Blahs. There’s nothing wrong with getting a little extra rest on the weekends, but be sure to temper it with some stimulating activities as well, like going to see a show, having lunch with friends, or having a backyard barbeque.
3. They connect with family.
Even our kids are now tethered 24/7 to some kind of digital device. It’s not life support, so get them into the
habit of unplugging along with you and teach them how to stay engaged in life. It’s an important skill that’s not being taught anymore. Reconnect your kids with the world, and with you.
4. They don’t do housework.
Using weekends to catch up on cleaning and laundry will negate the unwinding that you need in order to thrive Monday through Friday. Instead, the most successful people are good at managing their time during the week, enabling them to fit chores into smaller time-slots on weekday
evenings. This frees up the entire weekend for pleasure.
5. They don’t let Monday scare them.
I have heard my sons complain on more than one occasion, “It’s Sunday; the weekend is almost over!” This type of thinking will put you in a foul mindset, and can take away from a potentially fun afternoon and evening. Instead of fretting about what is to come on Monday, enjoy the remainder of your free time by staying unplugged and focused on friends and family.
*BONUS*
6. Most importantly, successful people rarely work on the weekends.
“Instead of fretting about what is to come on Monday, enjoy the remainder of your free time…”
While this isn’t a hard and fast rule, more and more success stories are happening to those people who know how to balance their time wisely. Re-charging your batteries on the weekends is critical to your ability to make good decisions during the week. If toting your cell phone (even if you turn it off) causes you undue temptation to check in on work, simply leave it at home while you enjoy life. Make it clear that during the weekends, you are off the clock and will be busy dedicating your time to unwinding, relaxing, and re-charging.
How do your weekend habits match up to those of some of the world’s most successful people?
Let us know in the comments below!
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