For the Holidays
Long Weekend Life... How To Make It Pleasurable AND Productive! 0
It's always great to stretch out the weekend for an extra day or two. Long weekends can provide a much-needed breather amidst our busy schedules.
But how should you spend your long weekend?
If you're not sure how to make the most of the next few days, we've got some ideas from Business Insider. Here are 17 things successful people do before and over long weekends:
They plan their long weekend before it begins
Many successful people plan out their activities for the holiday weekend well in advance so that they are not drawn into the temptation of working, said Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage." They make reservations, book tee times, or schedule activities with their kids.
"They're strategic enough to have an action plan for the three-day weekend, but flexible enough to tackle any urgent work issues that may arise," Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," told Business Insider.
They prepare at work
"Most of what they do happens before they leave for a long weekend so that they are psychologically free to relax and enjoy it," Kerr says.
This includes saying proper goodbyes to colleagues, cleaning up their office, finishing any pressing tasks, and creating a clear plan of action for when they return to the office so they can hit the ground running.
They set technology guidelines
Successful people set email and phone rules for themselves and the people they work with, so that people understand when, if at all, they will be available to respond or pick up. Preventing client / boss abuse is as essential as preventing them feeling neglected!
They do a little bit of nothing
Don't feel bad about spending an afternoon (or two) watching television, reading a magazine, or visiting your favourite restaurant.
This makes you more productive when you actually do have to work.
They spend time with family and friends
During the week, it's hard to give focused attention to those you care about, but it's essential to have work-life balance.
"A three-day weekend lets you schedule this critical quality time," Taylor said.
They exercise
Successful people understand how important exercise is to their physical and mental health — so they don't get lazy and skip their workouts over holiday weekends. It's better to keep some things routine, than to risk never returning!
They volunteer
Many successful people find giving their time to worthy charitable groups or causes to be extremely rewarding.
It's hard to fit volunteering into the usual daily grind, but people who do tend to live longer. Try offer it once a month at your local outreach.
They meditate
Meditation is another activity most of us know we should be doing every day. The practice helps us deal with stress, boosts our immune system, increases our memory capabilities, and just makes us happier.
A three-day weekend might be the perfect chance to kickstart a regular meditation practice, or just try out the benefits.
They get outdoors and enjoy nature
A long weekend is the perfect time to get outside and breathe fresh air, especially after being relatively sequestered inside all week, Taylor explained.
It doesn't matter if it's January or July — take advantage of the great outdoors.
They plan 'staycations'
"Some successful people plan a mini vacation in their own backyard," Kerr said. "Staycations hold the appeal of still allowing for a complete mental break but without the added stress or planning involved in a trip somewhere away, wherein people run the risk of returning to work more exhausted than when they left." Added bonus: cheaper!
They relax without Netflix
Binge-watching is easy and relaxing, but don't forget to spend time on the hobbies that are more fulfilling as they will give you a greater sense of worth and pleasure.
"This is a great time to unwind with your favourite pastime or hobby, whether it's shopping, golfing, socialising, reading, painting, or something else," Taylor said.
They don't think about work
This is a big challenge for a lot of us — but the most successful people don't spend their free time pondering about that upcoming presentation or that missed deadline from the previous week.
Instead, they focus on enjoying whatever it is they're doing now.
They recharge
We all need to rest and recharge our batteries from time to time. Successful people use three-day weekends to do this.
They do make plans and stay active — but they also make sure to catch up on sleep and schedule some free time at the end of the weekend to unwind.
They sometimes switch days off
Some successful people will take a different day off instead, and go in to work on the vacation day when they have the office to themselves and can get more work done without being distracted, Kerr said.
"If you have the luxury of being able to do this it can be a double win — participating in personal activities when it's quieter and getting more work accomplished at the same time."
They think ahead
On the last night of long weekends, many successful people think about the week ahead and about key goals they need to accomplish, Taylor said. And they do this without stressing themselves out.
They protect their time
Successful people know that their time is precious. That goes double for any time you have to yourself.
So don't stumble into time-sucking pitfalls over your three day weekend.
Learn how to say no to plans that don't interest you. Kick procrastinating to the curb. It might be the weekend, but that doesn't mean you can't try out some time management strategies.
Life's too short to waste your time off.
- Georgina Roberts
6 Tips To Beat Back-To-Work Blues 0
When you're coming back from some time off and you have a shorter week to get everything done, it helps to start with some firm ideas instead of deep regrets and a hangover - so here are six things that successful people do first when they return from long weekend:
They get to work early
When it comes to some holidays, almost everyone has time off. So you won't be falling behind by showing up to work at your usual time, but coming in early is a good idea if you want to be as productive as possible after a holiday weekend (and if you have a boss like ours *coughcough* he'll be pleased to see you hit the ground running like Caster).
It mitigates the workload avalanche and gives you a head start without the distraction of Carol telling you how she cheated on her diet all weekend. Here's a thing Carol: your pants already told us that.
They scrutinise their to-do lists
Productive people know that long, unwieldy to-do lists are essentially useless because they make you want to day drink and play Tetris. There's no better time to start cutting items from your list than the day you get back from long weekend because now that you've spent time away from your desk, you have tangible proof that those tasks you're always putting off aren't holding up your ceiling.
They double check their schedules
Don't forget to double check your schedule. Remember, you'll likely be dealing with a shortened work week. Don't try to cram too many items onto your weekly schedule, or you might wind up burning yourself out. Also, you probably forgot all the promises you made on Friday afternoon when you were trying to flee the office. Now would be a good time to reconcile those.
They check in with people
Even though everyone was having a good ol' Braai Day, it's still a good idea to touch base with co-workers, bosses, and clients to make sure you are on top of things.
"Taking the time to connect with one or two clients lets them know they're top of mind with you and that you're back if they need anything," says Cleaning Hub director Matthew Smith. "It's a simple touch point that makes everyone refocus and feel better."
What's more, if the long weekend ate up a Monday like this one did, schedule in some time for your team and direct reports to meet up, even if it's just for a few minutes to make sure everyone's on the same page now that you're all back in the office.
They organise their inbox
Beware of spending too much time responding to the emails you missed over the weekend. It's easy to get sucked into the vortex of responding to every email without considering whether it's the best use of your time on the first day back, especially those ones from Nigerian princes offering you a share of their fortune. But don't confuse email activity with productive work - be strategic and only respond to emails that are time sensitive.
They focus on work
It's important to be able to shut off your work brain over long weekends to reboot and avoid burnout, but it's equally important to snap back into productivity when you return to the office. Successful people are able to make the switch and avoid any unproductive post-long weekend FML thoughts that just send you into a downward spiral of grief. Pull your panties up. Smile. And get sh*t done.
It would be lekker to be your own boss, right? Why not consider selling products that everyone needs... click on our jobs tab and see the opportunities for distributors. Great products. Amazing prices. Easy to sell. Make moola.
- Georgina Roberts
5 Easy Ways To Save Your Money Without Starving 0
You don't want to be caught, broke and sad, come the holiday season at the end of the year. The truth is that it starts now. If you can save a little bit of cash each month to stash, by the time November rolls around you'll have a nest egg for the festive season to spend on Bali or Ballito, depending on how frugal you have been (or how much you like eating).
We're going to give you five simple ways to save a few hundred bucks each month, and before you know it you'll be able to book those plane tickets... and not starve.
1. Check your contracts
Those swine will never offer it, but if you phone your insurance company and threaten them lightly they'll probably give you a discount. If they don't, shop around. Just by asking my company to check my premium I shaved R200 off my insurance every month! Also check your cellphone packages and data contracts. Fibre is more and more available and works out to be much cheaper than those constant data bundles.
2. Shop around
Before spending money on more expensive items like heaters or furniture, do a simple shop around online to compare prices. Remember that online shops are often cheaper even with delivery costs, as they don't necessarily have the rental overheads of a physical store.
But also consider second-hand options on your social media groups - with people moving and up- or down-sizing they are often selling perfectly good stuff that you can pick up for a fraction of the price.
Alternatively, wait for sales.
3. Buy in bulk
No one really enters a stokvel these days, though if you actually like your neighbours or family this could be a great option. But at the very least you should consider taking advantage of bulk specials on groceries, and remember that buying a 5kg instead of a 1kg always works out cheaper because you aren't repeatedly paying for packaging!
4. Ask for a discount
Urgh, we hate this one too, until I was in a client's shop one day and someone casually asked for a discount at the till. He gave them 10% off immediately, and told me that he gives it to anyone who asks. Why don't you just drop your prices by ten percent, I asked, and he replied with a smile "Because most people don't ask for the discount."
Be that guy, especially if you are a regular customer. At the very least they'll discuss options to save you money, because everyone wants to keep clients happy and do great business.
5. Shop with us!
Cleaning supplies are an inevitability of life - you cannot avoid them. But you can save on them! With us you save money by not buying fancy packaging and fancy shop rentals, not to mention our various bulk specials. The saving on toilet paper alone instead of buying at your local grocery store works out to a saving of R83.74...
(R113.99 for 18 rolls from the local supermarket, as opposed to our R220.23 for 48 rolls)
Enough of those savings, and Bali will be closer than you imagine!
- Georgina Roberts
The Best New Christmas Traditions! 0
Christmas is more than just opening a pile of well-wrapped presents under the tree, but the holiday season can sneak up on the most well-prepared families. Those few weeks really do pass by in one big, festive blur. Before you spend another year just going through the motions, why not start a few family traditions you can always revisit, time and again?- Georgina Roberts
6 Rules For Ultimate Holiday Relaxation 0
These days, with work hours increasing year on year, it can be hard to actually get time off from work, let alone manage to relax when you’ve finally managed to take a holiday! Indeed, recent statistics from the Institute of Leadership & Management reports that 3 in 5 people don’t leave their work behind when they’re on leave… you’d think no one wanted time off!- Georgina Roberts
