Rethink Your Weekend

Is your weekend just another set of days, or is it a launching pad for the week ahead? Whether it’s a traditional Saturday-Sunday or another combination, your weekend is an ideal time for reflection and renewal.

If your weekdays are packed with meetings and deadlines, the weekend offers a different pace and possibility even if you still have to do some work, run errands or cart kids around to their activities.

For the past 20 years, I’ve dedicated weekends to grading my students’ work at Metro State, yet I still savor these days differently—often with a playlist or a cooking show buzzing in the background.

Reflect on Your Achievements Wrap up your week by reflecting on the past five days:

What did you accomplish?
Who did you connect with?
What lessons did you learn?

This reflection can be as simple as jotting down a few notes in a journal or using a digital app. It’s about recognizing the ground covered and preparing to step into the weekend with a sense of completion.

Reset for Renewal Before Monday rolls around again, reset your intentions:

What needs a tweak in your routine?
What activities will recharge your energy?

Make your weekend enriching:

Designate it as ‘Selfcare Saturday’ with a long nature walk or a quiet morning with a book. Try out a new exercise class. Plan a favorite meal to share with friends.
Or call it ‘Scenic Saturday’ and explore local sights—whether it’s a new art exhibit or a local festival. Be a tourist in your own town – my son Joe and I did that last weekend when I visited him in Detroit.
Fill your home with weekend souvenirs. Fresh flowers on Saturday will last well into the week ahead. Coasters or matchbooks from a fun restaurant. Print a few of your digital photos for tangible reminders of all your fun.

Take Action This Weekend Don’t just let the weekend pass; actively shape it. Write down three things that will define your downtime. Let these days energize you for a productive week ahead.

So this weekend, don’t just pass the time; seize it! Let it be the two days that propel you into a successful and balanced new week.

Two Links Du Jour:

Take the visitor’s approach to exploring your own city – You don’t need to be a tourist to appreciate where you live. Vox

11 Weekly Journal Prompts for an Effective Weekend Reset Filling The Jars – Decluttering + Intentional Living for the Overwhelmed Overthinker