It’s no big secret, most people don’t enjoy working on Friday afternoons. There’s no time to really dig deep into another project, and you’re really just trying to find ways to pass the time.
Here are a few reasons why you should rethink your Friday afternoons and then a few ways to turn them into some of your most productive time of the week.
Keeps you from reacting based on other’s demands because you’re going into the next week with a plan. You can better judge your schedule when responding to other people’s requests.
It gives you a perfect opportunity to review your goals. And this is a big one. You’re 42% more likely to accomplish your goals if you write them down. Although it doesn’t specify if the participants wrote them once or often, it’s a lot easier to write down the big goals and review the smaller steps weekly.
Other people are still at work too, passing the time till closing time. Which means they’re probably at their desk or on their phones, making it a perfect time to get responses quickly.
It gives you time to tie up loose ends that may give you a big sense of accomplishment if finished.
Here’s exactly how to have a fun, relaxed, AND productive afternoon to get you in the perfect mood for the weekend.
Plan a fun weekend OR confirm pre-made plans
Have something to look forward to
Have the peace of mind of knowing next week is about to get scheduled
Final check-in on weekend plans with friends
Print out any material (tickets) needed for the weekend
Spend a few minutes reviewing your goals
Review the past week’s goals and note which you did accomplish
Make sure to make room to finish goals next week.
If it can be done in 2 minutes or less, do it now.
For the others, ask yourself why you didn’t get around to them. If they stay on your goals list for 2-3 times, ask yourself if you truly care about this goal right now.
You can go into the upcoming week knowing how busy it will be and your weekly goals can match that
*See our Clarity Worksheet for a step-by-step guide to goal setting.
Plan the upcoming week
Now that you know what your goals are, start planning the meetings you need to for the upcoming week.
Make room in your planner for the important things like completing your goals, exercise, meal planning/prepping, and other things you value.
You can spend time doodling in your planner to fill in the next week. Stickers, washi tape, and fun pens make this that much more fun. How’s that for productive? Self-care, planning, creativity, and a little brightness for the next week.
It’s fairly simple if you think about it. Reviewing your goals weekly, planning the upcoming week, and prioritizing what matters to you isn’t rocket science. Putting it into action can sometimes feel like it though. Hopefully, using this time to wrap things up AND get ahead will be enough of an incentive for you to try it.
When do you plan the week? Sunday nights? Monday mornings? How does it work for you?
Three other quick things to help you leave for the weekend on a good note.
Clear out inbox, step up times for next week to respond to emails more than 2 minutes
Clean your office/desktop
Send out a “thank you” email to an employee, friend, or customer
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