How does it seem that some people are so much more productive than others? You can boil it down to one thing they are more productive. What makes someone a productive person? Let’s dive into some attributes that set a productive person’s weekend apart.
1) Get up early
Productive people realize that time is one of the most valuable assets of the human life and that time is a limited asset. We can always make more money, but we cannot make more time.
It’s important to get up early to realize that asset. Sleep is important, but sleeping in is not. As such, getting up early and starting your day off right is an essential component to a productive person’s life. Even parents with young children oftentimes make this a priority since it’s the only time they have to themselves before the kids are up.
2) Proactively prioritize to have a productive weekend
Without trying to be too reductionistic, you can categorize people into two groups– proactive or reactive. One of the most important attributes of a productive person is being proactive. This proclivity to proactivity doesn’t stop on the weekend. Being proactive does not stop on the weekend.
A proactive person has already planned out each of his or her events for the weekend with some room for flexibility while a reactive person will allow his or her weekend to happen to them. I spoke recently to a highly respected individual in the Fintech space that color codes his calendar to make sure that he is planning and prioritizing his time effectively.
3) Get the most of their mornings
Efficiency with your morning activities is key. What are the chores that you need to get done? Can you group your chores and errands in such a way that it saves you time so you can focus on other things?
Without effectively contemplating and strategizing your morning the result can be seen in wasted mornings and lack of activity. I like what Dante said, “He who know most grieves most for wasted time.”
4) Disconnect
Disconnecting does not mean sitting and binging in front of a Netflix show for 8 hours. It means time away where you can think and contemplate and disconnect from your busy life.
Disconnecting can be difficult for a productive person because he or she is always trying to do more, but it is very important to rest on the weekend. Rest can allow you to be more productive then if you’re constantly going and depriving yourself of sleep.
5) Spend quality time with loved ones
A productive person knows that having the priorities in the correct place is of utmost importance to their productivity. That is why it’s crucial to maximize time with friends and loved ones. These relationships are what give a productive person a clear mind to be able to execute so efficiently throughout the week.
6) Are good to their body
Exercising and diet is crucial to a productive weekend. Exercising can relieve stress and will allow you to clear your mind from the work activities.
Your diet defines many things in your life, but one of those is your energy level. I like to think of the saying, “Garbage In, Garbage Out”. Feeding yourself poorly results in less energy and less ability to do things that are important. I would recommend Joseph Chukwube’s Pick the Brain article on diet and productivity.
7) Plan out the next week
Planning and prioritizing your weekend well doesn’t stop at the weekend, it carries into planning and prioritizing for your next week. A productive person is always planning and executing, so it’s helpful to take stock of your next week and plan and prioritize.
I use Google calendar religiously to keep my week in order, but there are hundreds of tools that can help you plan out your week.
8) Get some rest
Sleep is a necessary component to be productive. The Sleep Foundation states that “Sleep is a vital indicator of overall health and well-being. We spend up to one-third of our lives asleep, and the overall state of our “sleep health” remains an essential question throughout our lifespan.” It recommends that you need 7-9 hours from the ages of 18-64 and 7-8 hours ages 65+. Another rest hack you can try is going to bed and getting up at the same time every day to help your body get into a rhythm.
I’d love to hear what you think. What is one productivity weekend hack that has worked for you?