“I work every weekend and it’s still not enough.”
Does this sound like you? Or maybe someone you know?
Many professionals and business owners spend so much time working. While some like the “busy-ness” and the hustle, most feel unsatisfied with their work output or where their business stands. The outcome is not enough, even if they already put so much input – and most of the time, these people are self-aware that maybe they’re not doing everything right. I will tell you now… that’s probably right.
In this article, I dive into the topic of time management with regard to stressing less, doing more, and having enough time for rest and family during the weekends. This topic stems from my book, Take Back Your Weekends which you can purchase from Amazon! Should you rather watch my previous live about this topic, simply go to the bottom of this page and you’ll find a YouTube video.
3 Actions You Can Do To Take Back Your Weekends
We only get the same hours in a day – but how come some people seem more productive even when we work more hours than them?
Here are three options you can do to do more and stress less.
#1 Work Longer Hours During the Week
Working longer hours is one of the most obvious actions to take back hours working during the weekend. Instead of working 8 hours, you can do 10 to 12 hours every day during the weekday. This should get you more things done, right?
However, I personally don’t recommend this. Yes, it may work for some – but for most people? It’s counter-effective.
We only have enough “mind power” in a day. At some point, people can’t keep producing enough quality for tasks. Our brain has a limited capacity to process – it gets tired too. By the end of the day, when we push ourselves to the breaking point of working more than what our brains could handle, we’ll probably produce mediocre results and it won’t make sense. Moreover, we’ll be too tired to be in our tip-top shape for the next day.
#2 Prioritize Your Task List
Most entrepreneurs who have the time management game figured out, know how to prioritize. Are you familiar with the three Ds?
- Delete – if the task at all important, and you can make do without doing it – delete it from your to-do list. This goes as well for our calendars. If the event won’t benefit you in any way (socialization can be a benefit), don’t go.
- Delegate – if you have members in the team, then use them to delegate the tasks that don’t need your full time and expertise. With delegation, you need to trust the person that he or she has the capacity to do it, If you don’t you’ll just stress yourself more.
- Do – the tasks you can’t delete or delegate, arrange them based on priority. What needs to be done today and what can be done within the week?
#3 Find Your Efficiencies
There are times when you are in absolute flow. During these moments, you’re totally focused and what you want to get done, really gets done. Yet, there are also times when you’re distracted and “not in the mood.” You’re multi-switching to different tasks cause you’re constantly reacting to everything around you. Then, at the end of the day, you’ll realize that you didn’t get anything done. You may have start doing all the things you need or want to do, but didn’t finish anything.
Many work on bursts – and I recommend taking the bursts into your advantage, but also training yourself how to use and control them.
Take a 45 to 75 minute work block where you focus on doing one task only, then take a break for 15 to 20 minutes. Then repeat the work blocks throughout the day. To achieve that focus you need three things:
1. A goal for that specific work block
2. Accountability (letting someone know that you’re going to get the task done)
3. Awareness that the break is coming.
I found time management system so much more effective when it comes to time management. Our brains need to pull back and refresh.
Video Timestamp
0:00-2:00 Introduction
2:01-12:51 How Do You Take Back Your Weekends
12:52-18:18 Knowing Your Priorities and Contingencies
18:19-25:15 My Book: Take Back Your Weekends & Closing