Does working on weekends means i’m a workaholic or does it actually serve me?
Under what circumstances is it OK to work on weekends?
It’s Sunday evening, and I’m writing an article.
Nobody is forcing me to do this.
I don’t have a boss, and even my clients are not demanding me to be available on the weekends.
I’m not working to generate extra income or because my to-do list is exploding (it is, but it’s not the reason).
I used to have discussion about this with my ex;
She said i was a workaholic.
Maybe i was.
Maybe i still am in some way, but that’s not why i work on weekends.
So – Why do I work on weekends?
And why should you?
1. If you love what you do, it’s not “work”
“Work” is a term related to “human labor”, like working in the field or on an assembly line.
When you express your gift and build your own business around it, it’s not your “work” anymore – It’s your mission, and acting on your mission on any day of the week, including the weekend, is what you are here to do.
I’m called so strongly to act on my mission, to express my gifts, and to share them with others, that most other things pale in comparison. It’s the thing that fulfills and satisfies me the most.
It isn’t “work” !
2. “Weekends” are for employees doing “day jobs”, not for entrepreneurs.
Employees work during the week, and rest on the weekend.
The whole concept of work during the week and rest during the weekend is related to biblical, religious, and historical reasons.
Employees don’t have a choice. They have to be at work at normal business hours, and their days off are the same as everyone else’s – Saturday and Sunday.
The phrase “Thank god it’s Friday” or TGIF is used by dreary employees, who do a job that isn’t aligned with their soul.
As an entrepreneur, I set my schedule as I wish. I nap every afternoon; I sometimes take mornings or afternoons off to spend time with a lover or a friend ; I occasionally take a few days off.
Thus, a weekend is like any other day.
As a side note, I do recommend taking a whole day or two off, every week or two, without doing anything related to your business.
The thing is – you have the choice.
3. Weekends are a great time to create, to write, to do what you really want to do but often don’t find the time with all the daily responsibilities, tasks and chores.
I don’t do any administrative, logistical, boring work on the weekend (OK… I try not to…).
My favorite thing to do during the weekend is to write, as I’m doing now.
As you are not required to be available for clients, employees, and colleagues, you can clear your mind and let your creative juices flow.
4. Weekends are a great time to brainstorm, to come up with new ideas for your business.
The distraction-free time allows me to dream, to visualize, to invent.
Use this time to dream. Dream big !
5. When you don’t need to work – you do your best work
On the weekend I don’t “need” to work. I don’t feel guilty if I haven’t done what i planned. Weekends are extra time. Whatever you manage to do during the weekend is a bonus.
Thus, I often create my best work (As in writing) during the weekend.
6. Do the thing that your soul yearns for.
Dancing is one of my most important practices.
One of the reasons I chose to stay in Amsterdam was the ecstatic dance events.
I dance at least twice a week – Tuesday evenings and Sunday mornings – and hardly ever miss a dance session.
A few weeks ago i was supposed to go dancing on Sunday morning, as usual.
I was ready to go.
But the previous day I started writing an article that I was deeply inspired about. Ideas, sentences, expressions and half paragraphs were swarming in my mind, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else but writing them down.
So I stayed home, skipped the dance session, and wrote one of my best pieces ever.
I still feel tremendous fulfillment and satisfaction from having written it.
It also received great feedback on social media and from my mailing list subscribers (Read more: It’s not about you – So start sharing your gift).
7. Weekends are a great time to catch up on your reading, study, and watch or listen to personal development programs.
I often spent 5-10 hours during the weekend doing that.
Your continuous studies and growth gives you the tools and the confidence to bring increasing value to your clients, and thus to constantly raise your rates.
8. Be available to VIP clients or to favorite clients.
When I used to hold body-work sessions, I often held sessions on the weekend for clients who didn’t have time to see me during the week.
One of the core practices of building a profitable coaching business, or any other type of 1-to-1 service, is creating different tiers of clients, from the readers of your free newsletter, through the entry package/service clients, all the way up to the very few VIP clients.
One of the bonuses you can offer these clients is being available for them outside of normal business hours, including evenings and weekends.
You could also charge extra during the weekend.
9. Get an edge over the competition
If you are working in a competitive field (who doesn’t?), working on the weekends might give you an extra edge over your competitors.
Personally, I don’t believe in “competition”.
There are enough clients for everyone, and if there are too many professionals offering a similar service to yours, offer a new service, or offer a service to your competitors.
10. Work to clear your schedule for a different day of R&R.
If you do choose to do “traditional work” kind of “work” during the weekend, it allows you to have a different day of rest during the week.
If I’m about to go on a vacation, travel, or spend a day at the spa, I allow myself to do administrative work during the weekend.
Conclusion
You don’t need to work on weekends, but if you do, you can derive great value for yourself and others.It’s now 9:30pm on the following Sunday.
I spent a few hours over this and the previous Sunday to write this article.
I can’t imagine having done anything else.
I hope it serves you.
How about you?
What is the best work you did on a weekend?