When you think about your perfect Sunday, it could involve sleeping in, going out for brunch, and then binge watching Netflix. Unfortunately, most successful people can’t enjoy that luxury. Either we’re tied down to a completing a deadline, or we simply just can’t sit there and not be productive.
The thing is, you do need to enjoy some time away from the business. You can actually step away from work and still have a productive Sunday by doing the following six things. If you do, you’ll notice that you’ll be more productive, rejuvenated, and ready to tackle the work week when your alarm goes off on Monday morning.
1. Spend Some Time Alone
While you should definitely spend some quality time with friends and family, you also need to have some time to yourself. Why? Because being alone has several benefits. It gives you the opportunity to reflect, clear your mind, improve your creativity, do the things that you want to do, and meet new people. Spending time alone can also increase your productivity since you aren’t relying on other people to share the workload on a project.
If you really want to enjoy your solitude, unplug during your alone time so that you aren’t bothered by email, text messages, and Facebook notifications.
2. Pursue a Passion
We all need a hobby that is going to recharge our batteries and spark our passion. Whether it’s writing, repairing an old car, painting, or hiking, you should use your free time on days like Saturday or Sunday to do activities that you normally can’t during the work. Ideally, you should find a hobby that either lets you blow off some steam, gets the creative juices flowing, or refreshes you in some way, or is something that may be related or unrelated to your business.
For example, if you sell custom bicycles, then maybe you spend your Sunday afternoons going for bike ride with your family or participating in a race. I personally like to write and feel it makes me a better entrepreneur.
3. Get Some Exercise
The benefits of exercise have been discussed multiple times. While there’s no denying that we all need to be physically active, the busy work week may not leave us with too much to squeeze in a workout. You can always catch-up on your physical fitness on Sundays. Whether it’s kayaking, riding a bike, playing a game of basketball, or going to the gym, Sundays offer a great chance for you to get in a bit of exercise before you head back to the daily grind. I personally love a walk around the block with my wife, dog, and sometimes friends.
4. Socialize and Network at Community Events
While it’s important to have some solitude on Sundays, you also need to interact with other people. Local community events aren’t just a way to get the kids out of the house; they’re also perfect opportunities for you to network and meet new people.
Whether it’s at a local fair, a 5K, a fundraiser, or an art festival, there are plenty of influential community members at these events and you can take this chance to network with them, while you have the free time.
5. Do Some Maintenance
Maintenance can mean a lot of different things for people. It could literally mean cleaning up your office, home, or vehicle. It could mean personal grooming, like getting a haircut or manicure. Or, it could be cleaning out your inbox or scrolling through your social media accounts and connecting with the friends and family you’ve ignored during the week.
No matter what exactly maintenance means to you, Sundays provide people a chance to catch-up on all of the housekeeping items that may have been put off during the week because now you’ve put yourself in a position to be free from other distractions.
6. Plan Your Upcoming Week
Take the free time that you have on a Sunday to map out your entire week. Whether it’s planning meetings, phone calls, setting deadlines for tasks, or even personal items like your food menus, you can get a head start on your entire calendar in advance. By doing this you can make sure that you accomplish and focus on the most pressing matters. You will see more clearly at this time of the week than you will later -- when the whole force of your business is back into focus. For example, if you know that you must complete a deadline by Friday, but are worried about calling a client when he gets back from vacation in two weeks, you can prioritize which objective comes first.
Planning your week ahead of time will also save you throughout the week. Instead of worrying about what you’re going to eat and spending time looking for those items in your house, you can make a grocery list and get those items so you know exactly what you’re going to make and that you have all of the ingredients on-hand.