Are you guilty of weekend sabotage?

April 25, 2011

If your working week is Monday to Friday then the weekend is a precious period. These two nights and two days each week are so often seen as an excuse for over-eating, over-indulging and generally over-doing things.

And while it is important to enjoy some chill-out time during your precious days away from the office, it’s also vital that you keep things in perspective.

A weekend accounts for more than a third of your time, if you add up the hours between 5pm on Friday and going to bed on Sunday night. And that’s quite a considerable amount of time when you total it over the length of an average life. 

While it is tempting to work hard during the week to make progress towards your goals, to then forget about them at the weekend is not the recipe for a successful and happy life.

The weight loss example

Sticking to a healthy eating plan during the weekdays only to reward yourself with too many weekend treats – and therefore calories – can set your weight loss and healthier living plan back by up to a third. 

The sports challenge

Many people who train for an event, such as a 10k, find that the routine of work and weekday life helps them to focus on a running schedule. But come the weekend, late nights, booze and over-eating can all too easily sabotage your week’s training. 

The career changer

The working week, especially if you are keen to change jobs, can help you to focus on study and forthcoming exams if you have decided that this is the new career-changing plan for you. But come the weekend, it’s easy to find excuses to forget about your studies and take your eye off the goal. 

Make better use of your time 

If you think about it, if a weekend accounts for more than a third of your time, then too many excuses not to stick with your goals during this period can be like taking three steps backwards every weekend.

In the long-term, if you stick to your goals, training and study throughout the weekdays, then you will of course, make progress. But you could be making even faster progress if you also make good use of some of your weekend, too.

It’s all about balance – and most people should be able to find a way to enjoy their weekends, take some rest and relaxation, and focus on their goals, too.

If you would like further advice about progressing your life, work or sporting goals or you just need to chat over how to move faster and with greater momentum towards your goals please give Nexus Coaching a call. We’ll be happy to discuss your goals and the ways to best achieve them.