How Highly Successful People Unwind at Home
Weekend Routines That Make Your Home More Relaxing
Productivity experts tend to agree: All work and no play makes for a pretty lousy week. What successful individuals have in common isn’t just a knack for business or great social skills. They’re highly effective because of their unique abilities to make the most of their time—all of the time.
Whether at the office or lounging around at home, today’s most productive people know how to lead a life of purpose. They designate time for all of their interests and passions, minimize the daily minutia, and plan ahead. On their calendar, a relaxing soak in the tub can be just as important as a business meeting. Amazing things can happen when your home life is as comfortable as possible!
Schedule Downtime
The key to many professionals’ success is scheduling. They’re careful with their time—especially their downtime. It’s all about paying attention to your priorities and maximizing your home’s best features. What’s the point of having your beautiful patio or a private courtyard if you aren’t finding time to enjoy it?
Highly effective people understand that getting a little R&R on the weekend will help them recharge for Monday. They stay flexible, but still make conscious decisions about what they want to do. According to productivity specialist Laura Vanderkam, it’s best to pick three or five events for your 60-hour weekend. Doing “nothing” isn’t an option.
Choose things that you’ll enjoy doing, and your weekend can feel productive and rejuvenating all at the same time. Play a round of golf with friends on Saturday and make a date for dinner and a movie that evening. Then use Sunday to catch up on some reading, gardening, or other hobby at home. You don’t need to account for every half hour like your weekdays. It’s actually better to give yourself some breathing room.
Minimize Chores
One of the biggest ways your home can start to lose its “cool” is when you have an ongoing list of chores. Many people find value in outsourcing. Pass off the things you like doing the least to free up time for more enjoyable activities. Sure, some individuals find tidying up to be its own sort of relaxing ritual. If that’s you—have at it! But if not, consider hiring someone else to help with your to-do list.
You don’t have to forego all of your household duties, but it certainly helps to minimize the time you spend on them. It’s easy to do if you spread it out. Consider adopting a new routine for all the tasks you don’t want to outsource. Instead of giving your precious weekend hours over to cleaning the house, break them into smaller tasks throughout the week.
It probably seems like you have less time on a Tuesday night than a Saturday. And that’s kind of the whole point. You can motivate yourself by limiting the time you spend on it. If dinner needs to come out of the oven in 15 minutes, that’s the perfect window to sweep the kitchen, scrub the bathroom, or finish any other odd job.
Plan Ahead
Being able to anticipate good things to come is a huge morale booster. There’s a reason why highly successful people always have another vacation on the horizon. Even if you aren’t ready to start planning your next trip, you can still get a lot of pleasure from scheduling something fun for the weekend.
This can be as simple as making a Friday night reservation to one of your favorite restaurants. Studies show that the lead-up to these events can be as rewarding as the experience itself. Some healthy anticipation helps stretch out the joy! That way, you’re not just benefiting from the time you spend with friends and family. Even looking forward to the event during the week is a surefire way to improve your mood—at work, and at home.
It’s also important to practice planning for the week ahead. A lot of professionals like to hammer out their schedule early on to get a clear vision for the weeks ahead. Some people use a little time on Sundays to organize. For others, it makes more sense to do that on Friday afternoons. Then they can unplug for the weekend, and really enjoy every minute of unwinding at home!
A few simple practices can help your home be a true oasis. Give yourself a routine that works with your passions and “sweet spots” to make the most of every day of the week. A little 15-minute break here and there or a nice 30-minute (or 60-hour) stretch of fun and relaxation can always happen when you plan for it.
