Here’s the first of my 5 tips to help you take back your weekends… enjoy!
Would love to hear your thoughts – be sure to post them here, k?
Are you working this weekend?
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Sorry Tina, I do not think I was clear. My hubby has during the week off rarely weekends. We do not know what days until Fridays what days he has off for the following week. Its funny, my hubby is now waiting for an answer to this ongoing problem too. He keeps cking back to see. Lolol. Help? By the way he rarely listens to what other people say but with you its like “what does Tina say?” Lolol
I’m totally happy to help Debi but feel like i’m still unclear on your question… are you asking me how to take days off during the week with your husband, when you don’t know each week what his days off will be? Can you describe to me what your ideal week/days off would be if you had the choice?
Great advice! I just wish my clients would realize I don’t work on weekends!
You get to decide that Carole – not them. Here’s the thing – if you have been working weekends for your clients already they are going to be used to it. And if you decide to change and let them know that,… just know that they will resist it at first. They will keep sending you stuff on the weekends, or asking you to do something on the weekends so you will need to get really good at saying “no”. They might be a bit annoyed or upset by this at first because they are used to you being around then… so long as you stick to your guns they will either get used to it and respect it, or they might not and it could end the relationship (which imo is OK if you don’t want a client that expects you to work weekends anyhow.)
Besides, if you aren’t on your computer or checking email you shouldn’t see any work come in on the weekends anyhow and won’t be tempted or feel obligated to do it right?
So when are you going to officially stop working on weekends Carole? I’m giving you a loving nudge. 🙂
Tina, as usual you make so much sense. Basically your asking us to schedule our play time, family time, me time. I so enjoy your words of wisdom, keep them coming!
my pleasure. 🙂 So what are your play/family/me time hours then?
I don’t work Saturdays. I used to request work (as a subcontractor for a transcription company) so that I would have work to do on Saturdays, but I would dork around all day, wasting my time with my family and NOT getting much of anything accomplished. It took about two years for me to figure out that my brain just doesn’t want to work on Saturdays and then I just decided that I wasn’t being fair to anyone by doing that and cut back on the amount of work I was requesting. Because of the way I was working, I would often end up pulling an all-nighter on Sunday to get everything completed by my Monday morning deadlines, and then I would be pretty useless on Monday, too.
My world is so much happier knowing that I won’t work on Saturdays. 🙂 I love your tip about focusing on the times that you won’t work instead of just the times you will work. That “other side of the coin” perspective is a really great way to think about it.
love this Shannon – thanks for sharing. And so glad that you have officially claimed back your Saturdays vs. putting yourself in a position to work all night Sunday.
Hi Tina, This is great, but, I try to have same Day off as my husband. Here is my problem: His days off change from week to week and totally screws me up
because most of the time they are weekdays. I want to keep to wkends off and
we have talked about it and he says “Do what you need to do, no problem”
but then…..that guilt feeling sets in and I don’t work! Horrible trap of a
circle. Any ideas???? Really need help with this.
Debi
westcoastexecutive@gmail.com
all ideas welcome!!!!
Just to be clear Debi – are you saying that your husband works weekends, and when we does you work because you feel guilty if you don’t? Or are you saying that when he has a day off you are feeling guilty because you do need to work?
And re: your husband having rotating days off – could you setup your schedule so that you are working 4 days/week and that it’s OK if those days change from time to time so that you have days off together? Or you could look at it from a monthly perpsective and aim to have 2-3 days off together each month where you go do something really special together. So at least once a month you get that dedicated time together.
Awesome, Tina! Looking forward to reading the Manifesto! Here’s to taking back… and enjoying… weekends!!