Long Weekend Ahead? Make the Most of It

Maybe you plan to enjoy one of the upcoming three-day holiday weekends or have scheduled your own time off soon. What you do with those valuable long weekends matters.

Successful people know how to make the most of this time off and often behave in the same way, choosing similar priorities and activities. Here are some commonalities I recently shared with Business Insider:

They don’t overbook

With the breakneck pace of business all week long, many successful people do plan — but sometimes those plans include a little bit of nothing. The workweek is about deadlines and meetings, so successful people enjoy having a block of time, or a day, to be uncommitted and unscheduled.

They devote time to loved ones

Work and daily life demands can make it hard to give a lot of attention to friends and family. A three-day weekend lets you schedule this critical quality time.

A key here is truly disconnecting and giving people your full attention. That means resisting the temptation to check your phone constantly –– particularly for any work messages –– and staying in the moment.

They go outside

A long weekend is the perfect time to get outside and breathe fresh air, especially after being relatively sequestered inside all week. It doesn’t matter if it’s January or July — take advantage of the great outdoors.

Studies show a long list of benefits to connecting with nature, including improving short-term memory, de-stressing and eliminating fatigue. So, get out there!

They make it meaningful

It can be tempting to lay down on the couch and binge-watch Netflix or go the other extreme and do a deep clean of your house. That’s ok, but make sure you’re also budgeting some time for activities that give you joy. Unwind with your favorite pastime or hobby, whether it’s shopping, golfing, socializing, reading, painting, or something else.

They look ahead

On the last night of long weekends, many successful people think about the week ahead and about key goals they need to accomplish. And they do this without stressing themselves out. How do you manage that exactly? One strategy is to write down a to-do list, including action items that will help you achieve your objectives. With a clear plan in place, you will confident you know what needs to be done and how you will do it.

You’ve earned the extra time off, so make sure you get the most out of it.