Maybe you were a badass this week and you’re wondering how you can have a productive weekend that’s just as badass. Maybe you ticked every single thing off your To-Do list, got your hair done, meditated every day, and repainted the living room. I bet your email inbox is at zero, too.
But maybe, like me, you’re panicking that it’s Friday and somehow there are even more things on your list than there were when you started. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?
The tasks, they multiply. They are fucking rabbits.
Every woman I’ve talked to this week feels like she can’t catch her breath.
We can’t make the world less ridiculous, but we CAN help you navigate it with calm, purposeful savvy. It is, in fact, possible to have weekends that are BOTH productive and restorative.
There are two parts to this process, and both are equally important. Are you ready?
How To Have A Productive Weekend That’s Also Restful & Fun
- Pick one icky task and commit to getting it DONE.
- And pick one delicious thing and commit to enjoying the HELL out of it.
That’s it. That’s the whole formula, and it’s incredibly powerful. But if you want more detailed instructions, keep reading.
First, about that hard thing
Relief lies on the other side of it, dearheart. Imagine the sweetness of that relief, and let it pull you forward. Here’s how:
Pick ONE hard thing you’ll get done. JUST ONE. No, not two. No, not one and a half. No, not seven things disguised under one larger category. One single task that will take no more than 45 minutes to do.
You’ll know which thing to pick because it’s the one that you really don’t want to do but also can’t stop thinking about because it worries you so much that it’s undone.
Things like:
- the one crucial email
- Updating your stop-loss orders
- Paying this month’s bills
- Cleaning out the fridge or that one awful cupboard (but not the whole kitchen! very important!).
- Building that thing you bought for your kid two weeks ago that’s been sitting in its box, mocking you
Ok, so here’s you do it: first, you block out 90 minutes on your schedule. Because we all know that if you pick a 45-minute task, it’ll take 90 by the time you include getting coffee, finding the right file/cord/trowel/nail gun, and going to the bathroom in the middle and getting distracted and eventually remembering and finding your way back.
Ok, so now that you’ve picked your hard thing and picked a time to do it, there’s one more little detail: make a note, right now, of what you need in order to do this hard thing.
- Tools
- A tiara
- A soundtrack
- Your password
Write it down.
One last thing. What’s the treat you will give yourself when you do it? It might be a new magazine, or a frothy latte drink, or a 30-minute nap. Write that down too– it’s separate from the delicious thing we’re going to talk about next. Yes, I know that’s scandalous. Please do it anyway.
Second, it’s time to pick the delicious thing!
You will be tempted to skip this part. DON’T. This is the whole POINT of weekends. Remember? Day of rest, and all that? Joy? Anybody?
Pick a delicious thing you’ll do this weekend. Yes, even if you have to go to a wedding and weed the garden and plough through a pile of email and go to four soccer games, the hardware store, and twelve birthday parties.
No matter what, find 90 minutes in your weekend in which to do this delicious thing. It may have to be late at night, after everyone has gone to bed, but that is okay.
Block out those 90 minutes in bright red ink. (If you need to hint that the red denotes that it’s period blood, to scare people away, that’s okay with me too. Not that I would ever suggest such a thing.)
The trick to enjoying your weekend isn’t picking an activity that is so gloriously magnificent. Sometimes those big activities end up being kind of exhausting. Nah, the key is giving yourself PERMISSION to fully immerse yourself in it.
With full immersion permission, all sorts of things can be surprisingly enjoyable– walking, resting, sitting quietly, even folding laundry or cleaning. Of course, massages aren’t terrible either. This is my personal theory on why Americans like Disneyland so much: it’s the only time and place where they feel fully allowed (even compelled! because every second is worth hundreds of dollars!) to be fully present and enjoy it.
That’s it, loves. Pick one hard thing, and get it done. And pick one delicious thing, and enjoy the hell out of it. And come tell me on Instagram what you did!
much love,
Katherine
