Fridays are notoriously unproductive, but with a little focus and prioritizing, you can start your weekend stress-free and be ready for the week ahead.
Here are 6 things to do before you head out on Friday for a stress-free weekend
These are the six go-getters to end the work week:
1. Check off the ‘As’ on your to-do list
“The best way to make sure you’re all squared up before the weekend is to identify your priorities. When I write out my to-do list, I mark everything as A, B or C — in order of importance so I can clearly see what my top priority is and what will make me money.
Every day I start by tackling the A’s, like ‘close a deal with so-and-so,’ even though I might be more in the mood for a C, like ‘plant flowers in my garden.’ Close out as many A’s as possible before you head into the weekend, and you’ll be in top shape to keep moving ahead. ”
—Barbara Corcoran, founder of The Corcoran Group, podcast host of ”Business Unusual, ” and Shark on ”Shark Tank ”
2. Draft important emails to send on Monday
“Think of the weekend as a mini-vacation. If you were going on vacation, what would you finish first to make it as enjoyable as possible? I’m all about ‘thinking once’ so I’m not creating every single day. Instead of writing and sending emails piecemeal, I would rather write them all on Friday for the following week.
I like to complete any routine tasks so I know they are automatically going out and doing their thing the next week. That way, I don’t have to think about them over the weekend. The last thing I want to do on a Sunday night is worry about the email I need to send on Monday. This ensures a stress-free weekend.
This technique takes things off my plate that I would rather not spend a lot of time on. Instead, I can focus on the things I really enjoy doing and that will move my business forward. It frees up more mental energy to focus on the big ‘rocks’ of my business. ”
—Yuri Elkaim, founder and CEO of Healthpreneur, former professional athlete, and New York Times bestselling author; connect with Yuri on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube
3. Write next week’s to-do list
“The No. 1 task for me is having a solid action plan for the following week. I prioritize my schedule from most to least important. Then starting Monday morning, I focus on getting things done in that order. I have a brief review at the end of each day to look over my schedule and make any necessary adjustments.
The key is implementing this consistently until it becomes a normal routine. It took about three weeks to settle into the process. Now I get the important things done each week and have a much better handle on my time management. By doing this one task each week, I enjoy my weekends more too. ” And the weekend tends to be stress-free
—Guy Sheetrit, CEO of Over The Top SEO, which provides customized SEO marketing solutions for e-commerce, local, and Fortune 500 companies
4. Prepare next week’s calendar
“What gets scheduled gets done. I have a recurring meeting on my calendar every Friday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. through the end of the year. I plan for the following week and review four areas in my life: Health, personal, business and personal brand. That’s how I determine when I will exercise, what family member or friend I will have an in-depth conversation with, what I need to do to drive my business forward, and what keynote speeches I need to prepare for.
I don’t enjoy — or recommend — starting Monday by going to your email inbox and thinking, ‘Where should I start?’ I like to have peace of mind over the weekend, knowing that I have scheduled my key responsibilities in my personal and professional life. By doing so, I can maximize my productivity and perform at my best. ”
—Michel Falcon, entrepreneur and keynote speaker with expertise in customer experience, company culture, and employee engagement; has worked with brands such as McDonald’s Canada, Electronic Arts, and Lush Cosmetics; author of ”People-First Culture ”; connect with Michel on LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram
5. Complete all your ‘big goals’
“I am a huge believer in the power of setting goals. I set daily and weekly goals for myself, in addition to big monthly goals and even bigger yearly goals. This breaks down my commitments into smaller milestones that are easier to achieve. Before I head into the weekend, I make sure I achieved everything I set out to do for the week. If not, I spend a few hours over the weekend to accomplish everything.
The self-discipline we apply to our goals allows us to attract wealth and unlimited opportunities. Without it, our lives will be driven by our moods — and will be just as unpredictable. We might move mountains one day and find ourselves on the verge of giving up the next. If you don’t put in effort consistently, someone with more discipline might snatch opportunities from you. ”
—Andres Pira, real estate developer, founder and CEO of Blue Horizon Developments, and author of “Homeless to Billionaire: The 18 Principles of Wealth Attraction and Creating Unlimited Opportunity”; follow Andres on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
6. Complete your ‘top five’
“We only have a limited amount of time and energy in a day, so maximizing our productivity and effectiveness is vital. As the CEO of a growing company, each day is filled with distractions vying for my attention. Every Monday morning, I start the week with my self-care ritual: Drinking water, taking my CBD oil and working out. Then I set my top five targets for the week, including goals that are important but not urgent.
Each day of the week, I set my ‘top fives’ that will bring me closer to my five weekly goals. Then before I start my weekend, I ensure that I have completed those five goals. This system allows me to stay in flow and effectively grow the company. ”
Author: Will Kleidon,
