The question of how successful people spend their weekends has haunted entrepreneurs for millennia. The assumption is that they continue to work straight through, of course. No one can reap the rewards of business with two days off a week. Can they?
That, young entrepreneur, is where you’re wrong. The majority of successful people realize how vital downtime is. According to Forbes, productivity per hour declines after 50 hours or more of working in a week. Experts suspect working over 55 hours simply isn’t worth your while. That’s proof there’s a fine line between productivity and output. As such, working through your weekends is effectively working to no avail.
So, that’s what you shouldn’t do. But, if they don’t work during these stolen days, what do they get up to? Keep reading to find out.
Wake up at the regular time
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that not working at weekends means having a lie in. You would be hard pressed to find entrepreneurs who are still in bed by ten on a Saturday. By messing up your sleep-wake pattern, you set yourself back for when Monday rolls around. You also waste this all-important downtime. Instead, get up at the same time as you would during the week. This will be especially worthwhile if the rest of the family sleep in. Those early hours of Saturday and Sunday could become the only solo time you get all week. Learn to meditate. Read a book. Whatever you do, make it peaceful.
Spend uninterrupted time with the family
Spending uninterrupted time with your family is the best benefit of free weekends. When you run a business, it’s easy to neglect the people you love. You started your business for them, after all. But, you spend your weekdays with associates and colleagues. These are people you have no choice but to be around. Your family choose to love you, and spending just two short days with them can fill your well. Make sure, though, that this quality time really is uninterrupted. If you answer emails every half an hour, your family will soon lose patience. Instead, set an out of work email message. If you struggle with not checking up on everything, trust a 24 hour IT management company like Single Point Global with weekend monitoring. With that peace of mind, it may even be worth switching off your phone altogether. That way, you can make the most of every moment.
Pursue passions
It’s also worth pursuing passions during your weekends. Us entrepreneurs are passionate people, and most of us would like to get stuck into more than just our chosen field. Lucky for you, following unrelated passions can unblock fantastic ideas. If you started sailing, for example, you might find that your next big business idea comes while you’re out on the water. All because you focused on something else you love. If you pursue passions you can do with your family, your weekends will never cause you to worry again.