3-Step Plan for Stress-Free Productive Fridays
Friday is a wasted day for many people. You’re tired of the week, your mind is focused on the weekend, and most of your coworkers are probably discharged. This daily plan will help you get the most out of your Friday, but also help you relax and unwind on the weekend.
Rather than using Friday as a day to catch up on lost time at work or spend it looking at a computer screen, GrowthLab’s Saul Orwell decides to set aside time for three things he didn’t have until the end of the week: study, connection, and planning. On Friday morning, he engages in focused teaching — reading books, taking notes, and working on self-improvement. Then, around lunchtime, it takes Orwell a couple of hours to interact with people — lunchtime meetings, email, social media, and organized professional meetings. Most importantly, at about 3 pm, he turns his attention to planning for the next week . This does three things:
- You will be ready to get down to business on Monday morning.
- Your brain will unconsciously work on any problems you outline on Friday afternoon, perhaps leaving you fresh ideas on Monday morning.
- It provides a weekly closure.
Planning for the coming week makes it clear to yourself that you are done with the current week and that it is time to relax and rejuvenate. Not everyone will be able to adapt their Friday schedule to this method, but you can still probably carve out time for each key concept with a rigid schedule. See if you can start hands-on training on Friday morning, prepare a Friday lunch to interact with coworkers and other professionals, and take a few minutes to at least mentally plan your next week. You can read more about Orwell’s strategy at the link below.
How to “Relax” on Fridays (and still be insanely productive) | GrowthLab