I have recently discovered weekends.
I am a self-diagnosed workaholic who often works too many days a week and too many hours a day, but not for the reasons you might think. I work because I love what I do. I have for as long as I can remember and work is something that makes me happy. I consider myself lucky for this.
I remember feeling so pleased one time when a business colleague told me that he had never met anyone who worked as hard and long as he did–except for me. But after a while, I no longer took that as a complement. Work can become an obsession. A beautiful and strong work ethic can suddenly become a way to escape life and living and I can see now how it can slowly take over and change you as a person. I have realized this is not what I want for my life–and it’s not the example I want to set for the young people who work for my company. I want to work smarter, not longer.
Marianna Virtanen of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and colleagues found that people who log long hours are about 12% more likely to become heavy drinkers. It’s just the latest in a series of studies she’s conducted on the negative health effects of overwork. “We have shown associations with impaired sleep and depressive symptoms,” she writes, via email. Another study showed an association between long hours and Type 2 diabetes in low income workers. And other research has found a dramatic correlation between overwork and heart disease. (from Harvard Business Review)
A new study from Stanford shows that taking time off, especially on the weekends, actually helps productivity. In “How Successful People Spend Their Weekends,” Forbes states that the study found that productivity per hour declines sharply when the workweek exceeds 50 hours, and it drops off so much after 55 hours that there’s no point in working any more. People who work as much as 70 hours (or more) per week actually get the same amount done as people who work 55 hours. Those extra hours are wasted.
Fascinating. I believe this to be true.
Spencer Rascoff, co-founder of Hotwire.com and CEO of Zillow, fits most people’s definition of success. “I never go into the office on weekends,” Spencer says, “but I do check e-mail at night. My weekends are an important time to unplug from the day-to-day and get a chance to think more deeply about my company and my industry. Weekends are a great chance to reflect and be more introspective about bigger issues.”
I love this. This has become my new way of life. I take time now on the weekends for family, for cooking, for exercise, for mini weekend excursions to surrounding cities like Jacksonville or Savannah or Charleston. I sit out by the fire pit with a beer, I invite friends to come and stay at the beach with us, I run errands, and walk the dog. I also spend time thinking about the business and reflecting on the things that happened during the week. How can we be better next week, how can we work smarter, how can we give more, how can we be more organized, or more in tune with our clients’ needs. I write. A lot. I read. A lot. I catch up on sleep. I surf the internet and social media for wonderful tid-bits of news and I fill my head with learning. Weekends have become a critical part of my week and of my success. I am a fan and there is no going back.
Here are some tips from Forbes on how successful people spend their weekends. They are not for everyone but I loved reading the list and learning new ways to make my weekends count for the week ahead.
1. They Wake Up at the Same Time
2. They Designate Mornings as Me Time
3. They Schedule Micro-Adventures
4. They Disconnect
5. They Pursue a Passion
6. They Minimize Chores
7. They Exercise
8. They Reflect
9. They Spend Quality Time with Family
10. They Prepare for the Upcoming Week
Read the entire article here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2015/03/24/how-successful-people-spend-their-weekends/2/
