7 Ways to Finish Your Week

Going home for the weekend!

Are you ready to leave?  Are you done for the week?

Better yet, are you able to leave your work at work?

How you finish up your week can determine whether or not you are able to enjoy your weekend.  It can also impact your return to work on Monday.

So, is there anything you need to do before you leave?

What Do You Need to Finish?

Before you go sprinting out the door on Friday afternoon, take a moment to consider what you need to get done first.

Taking care of business before you leave your business, can allow you to relax and enjoy your time off.

Here are “7 Ways to Finish Your Week” so you can enjoy your weekend…

1. Finish a Task – Too often on Fridays, we end up leaving tasks half done.  We’ll “leave” them until Monday.  This may get us out of work sooner, but it causes us to stress about the unfinished work during our time off.  It also takes more time when we return because we have to pick up where we left off.
2. Connect With Someone – Friday afternoons can be a great time to connect with someone that you have been meaning to catch up with.  Resist the urge to call them (unless they are remote), and go see them in person.  Five minutes connecting in person can make all the difference.
3. Plan For Next Week – Don’t run off into the weekend without looking forward to next week.  Take a few minutes to check your calendar and task list to prepare for Monday and beyond.  You might just prevent yourself from coming back to a crisis.
4. Clean Up – Friday afternoon can be a low energy time.  You may not be in the mood to crunch those numbers.  Instead, use the time to clean up your workspace and recover from the chaos of the week.  When you return on Monday, you will return to a clean desk.
5. Stay Until You Are Done –  Resist the urge to bolt immediately after lunch on Friday.  (What is with Half Day Friday, anyway?)  Stay until your work is done.  The extra time to get your work done will pay off all weekend, as you will not be stressing about unfinished work.
6. Don’t Bring It Home – My rule is, “Unless you are going to work on it over the weekend, then leave it at work.”  That briefcase or bag in the front hall is just going to be a source of guilt all weekend.  And chances are… you won’t touch it.
7. Turn It Off –   Turn off your work email over the weekend. Unless your job requires you to be on call, you don’t need to be checking email.  If something’s on fire, they shouldn’t be sending you an email anyway.

Close Up and Go

Finish your work, so you can leave it behind.

A few extra minutes can make the difference between a peaceful weekend and a bumpy return to work on Monday.

Have a great Friday and enjoy your weekend!

How do you finish your week?  What do you need to do before leaving on Friday?

Photo credit by jayneandd

Related posts:

What’s With Half Day Friday?

If Something’s On Fire, Don’t Send Me An Email

No Meeting Friday!