As many of us on John’s programme are looking at the Partnership To Success as an addition to our normal day job, are you finding that you are spending the weekend completing the weekly lesson? Then maybe you should consider that many successful have people adopted many similar traits in order to bring their whole life into focus which might be hard to manage now, but maybe, as you get more successful and can drop the day job, you can start to adopt them.
Spend time with the family
Many busy, even if not successful people, are working long hours during the week and use the weekends to catch up on more work at home at the weekends, but in order to bring the two halves of your life together you should look to the weekend to devote more time to the family.
Even if there is work to be done, you should allocate small amounts of time to the activity outside “normal” hours so as not to disrupt the quality time that you need to share with your family, maybe first thing before they get up or last thing at night when they’ve gone to bed.
Have a hobby
One way to relax away from work is to take up a therapeutic activity at the weekend so that you are using the other side of your brain for an artistic activity or take on a physical activity like bike riding which can be shared with the rest of the family
Get away for the weekends
One good way to remove yourself away from work pressures is to go off somewhere away from your home and possibly away from the distractions of phone and e-mail. Maybe a walking weekend on the Moors which will both improve your physical persona and relax you as you can’t be contacted.
I know of one person who actually sends a day at a local monastery and does meditation for the day both for his own personal well being and also helps him focus on his business activities for the forthcoming work.
These are just three ways that successful people spend their spare time at weekend and research has shown that those who do take time out of the work regime at weekends are coming back to work more refreshed and ready to take on the hard work for the week.
How do you relax down at weekends and do you think these methods are worth investigating? I’d welcome your thoughts below
images courtesy of freeimages.co.uk
10 replies to "What Do You Do At Weekends?"
Hi Dave, I couldn`t agree more. I am working through this programme in the evening and weekends but always make sure it is not all day, just an hour or 2 in the morning while everyone else is getting up at the weekend and a couple of hours early evening in the week. Then sit down with the family around 8.30pm
Cheers,
Mike
Mike
Thanks for the comment
Time management and juggling all the balls can be very difficult. Fitting some work in during lunch breaks can help such as blog writing or commenting or just doing some blog/article research.
Time lost with the family can never be returned although if your job takes you away from home, as mine used to, I always found a long four week holiday in the summer helped to catch up, but never replace, time I’d lost!
DaveT
Hi Dave,
It’s interesting that you mention about taking time off working on our online business, because I sometimes find it strange reading blogs and stories of those who want to quit their day job to run an online business, only to find out later that they devote literally every hour of their day and week working on their business.
Anyway, for me due to I work part time, it frees me time to work on my online business in the mornings, so I dedicate that to blog visiting and comment. In the weekends, I spend either Friday or Saturday evening after work working on the weekly training and writing blog content. I take Sunday off, switch off all communications and spend it with family and perhaps watch a couple of films in the evening.
What about you Dave?
Sky
Sky
I have longer walks with the dogs and my wife at weekends and help her with gardening and stuff around the house.
I also enjoy my Premiership football even though I support Spurs :-)!
Taking Thursday off this week as off to Portugal to see my team play at Benfica! I wonder if this is relaxing as we’re 3-1 down with virtually no chance of winning, but at least it’s hot and sunny out there!
And thanks for the comment
DaveT
Hi Dave
Unfortunately I don’t get much time to wind down at the weekends as I work in the week & also have a young family a six year old girl & 3 year old boy.
I find I am constantly battling to find time for myself as I also want to enjoy some quality time with my children when I can.
To be honest for me setting up an online business isn’t all about the money although it is certainly useful. It is also about the choices that it can give you, the friends you can meet and the change of lifestyle.
What I tend to do is work on Partnership to Success when I can depending on what is going on this is usually in the evenings when everyone is in bed and early in the mornings before work.
Occasionally I can grab a day off from work here and there between jobs because I am self employed and can use this time to also move forward.
I would say that my relaxation at the moment is enjoying time with my family we quite often try to get the children out to a park or somewhere nice if the weather is fine and if I get an extra hour or two spare I am normally found at my PC.
Regards
Rob
Robert
Thanks for the comment
You have a difficult balancing act there to manage so the best of luck as giving each aspect of your life the time it needs can be very difficult.
I worked away from home a lot when my kids were young as a project manager on major builds for food companies and I remember driving home on a Tuesday evening from Chester to be at my daughters birthday party as she’d asked me to be there! I was back on site by 8am next morning, but it was worth it for the look on her face!
I wish you the best and am sure it will work out for you
DaveT
Hi Dave
You really touched on a problem most of us with a job and a new business have. I am lucky to be relatively flexible in my day job. That allows me some time to enjoy daylight hours walking my dog on the beach or playing with my horse. Then I catch up with work and the IM business at night and on weekends.
Not to forget if course is your social life. Friends are important, but I struggle to find the time ti see them.
I just see the time management problem as one more reason to make a success of IM and quit my day job eventually – the sooner the better.
Thanks for a really good post .
Cheers
Gaby
Gaby
Thanks for the comment and life balancing is an art in itself and the best of luck in managing yours.
I do try and spend as much time as possible with family and friends plus making a success of my new on-line business.
I enjoy walking my dogs, but only in the local par and around the streets, I do envy your chance to walk on a beach with yours!
DaveT
Hi Dave,
Hope you are well.
Interesting blog post here about the ability to know when you should work and when you should relax. I definitely agree that there needs to be a very clear division between the two and speak of this through my own experience although I know not everyone will feel the same.
I used to work a full time job and as soon as I got home I got to work on my web business each and every night maybe spending just an hour with my family at meal time and maybe a half hour before they went to bed and I would work until the early hours.
The thing I found most interesting was when I was almost at risk of losing my family and I stopped to take check of how my internet business had taken over the life that I had and did the opposite of what I was working towards almost costing me dearly.
I have for the last 6 months just spent an hour in the morning before everyone wakes up and 2 hours in the evening when everyone else is in bed so that all the ‘awake’ time is spent with the family. I have found that knowing I have just 4 hours a day, I get the same if not more done than I did having worked 6-7 hours each day at it and I get time with my family which was why I started an online business in the first place.
On another note, I love the header on this website, great work.
And finally, stick with John’s training and keep in contact regularly to pick his incredible brain about where you are at with your business. He is an awesome teacher and helped me to focus on the things that needed doing rather than all the things I thought should be done. You will find some success, it just takes time.
Keep up the great work and I’ll be back often to keep tabs on your blog!
All the best,
Steve
Steve
Thanks for the comment
I think spending quality time is the most important both with the family and with your on-line business and I’m glad you’ve found a healthy balance between the two.
And thanks about the header and don’t worry, I’ve wasted too much time and money in the past and am very happy to be following John’s programme now and am very hopeful of getting a positive reaction from it!
DaveT