Lots of people wish the week away waiting for the weekend. When the weekend finally rolls around they don’t have a plan to make it count and they face Monday morning feeling more drained and tired than they did the week before. Is it possible to spend your weekend in a way that actually charges you up instead of wearing you down? Is it possible to actually face Monday on FULL instead of empty?
I believe that it is! But before we look at how you do that, take a moment and think about your weekend. What things did you do that filled you up, energized you, that refreshed you? What did you do to grow? To give back? Now think about the things that were draining and sucked the passion out of your life. How much down time did you have? Do you feel like you spent the whole weekend on a bleacher or playing chauffeur?
You should make it a goal to do as many things as possible that fill your tank on the weekend and avoid the situations and people that suck the passion out of your life. That might sound a little over simplified, but sometimes we make things harder than what they need to be. We can’t always avoid things that drain us, but we don’t have to be a dump for people either. You need the weekend to recharge so you’ll be ready for the week ahead. So what can YOU do to limit those people and activities that are passion vampires? To start with you can set some boundaries.
Every Monday you are going to face a new set of challenges and you need to be fueled up and charged up for the week. So here are 3 areas I’ve learned from others to plan your weekend routines around:
1. Rest Your Body
You’ve been plowing through all week. It’s time to rest. Too many people I speak with feel guilty about resting. It’s not a sin to rest. God made us to require rest. He even created a rhythm of rest for us because He loves us. Give yourself permission to operate at a slower pace. Enjoy your morning coffee. Watch cartoons with your kids in bed (those times will be gone sooner than you think). Take a nap – unapologetically.
2. Recharge Your Emotions
Spend more time with the people who love you for who you are and not what you do or can do for them. Spend time doing an activity that you love. (You do have a hobby or two don’t you?) Spend an hour or two engaged in an activity that brings you joy and makes you feel alive. For me it has to be something outside in the woods or on a river. I always return from those activities feeling charged up and ready.
3. Reconnect Spiritually
God made you to connect with Him, to love Him and be loved by Him. He wants to be the center of your life. God also made you to connect with other people. Being a part of a local church is vital to getting you back to full. There you have a place to help you refocus on what’s important and what life is all about. You’ll be around the most positive people who will be there through thick and thin. It gives you a place to serve and be served. I can’t think of a better place to get perspective on whatever you are facing or going through than church. For some of you this is the missing ingredient in your weekend and a big reason you’re running on empty. So make it a priority every weekend!
How you can plan to incorporate these three areas into your weekend? You aren’t any good to anyone if you are running on fumes. You’ll never go far on empty. You don’t have to dream that the weekend will be refreshing, you can choose it and start Monday on full!
