We are tackling March mental hack number 4 today: Freedom Fridays.
Ready for the truth? It’s one you’re not going to like, but you know it’s true. If you are all about living with a purpose, getting your stuff done, and serving others . . .
Friday isn’t a free day.
Now I’m not saying you take Fridays off or that you don’t show up. I’m not saying you slack off and don’t do your part vs. everyone else. That’s not what I’m saying at all. What I am saying is that most people have the mindset that Friday is “the day we clean up so we can go enjoy our weekend.” If you are living 7 days a week, not just 2. You have to live and enjoy Fridays too!
Let’s walk through this for a second.
Have you ever worked in an office where very little work gets done on Friday? People come in late or they come in early and leave early. Friday is all about checking boxes, cleaning out the inbox, moving work off of your plate to someone else’s, and hurrying off to the weekend for lots of people, am I right?
The point is that just like we talked about having the proper mindset about Monday, the same holds true for Friday. We treat Friday like we are already sliding into the weekend. If that’s truly the case, then why work at all on Friday? I’m not being a jerk, I’m seriously asking you to look at what we are doing with our time.
If Friday exists in your schedule as a day to get work done, then get work done. Time is your most valuable asset. Don’t waste it! Serve at the highest level each and every day.
I call Friday, Fierce Friday because I am fiercely focused on getting as much done as I can. That doesn’t mean I work until 7 pm, it just means I don’t take the “it’s Friday I’m ready for the weekend” mindset. I focus on getting work done because Friday is a workday for me. Friday evening I have a “reward” period where I reward myself for hitting my targets. But I don’t celebrate or allow myself the reward until I maximize my Friday.
Because here’s the reality, we love Fridays, I love Fridays (mostly because I love sports and enjoy watching my kids and my university play), but I can’t waste a day of my life if I don’t have a day to waste. And not truly working and giving it all I’ve got on a Friday, just feels like a wasted day. A day that had potential, but that I just didn’t maximize.
If you go workout at the gym, are you going to be there 5 minutes and then leave? Are you going to show up, get on a machine and say, “Nah, I think I’m just going to do 2 or 3 reps and I’m going home?” No way. You’re a high achiever! A high achiever says, “I’m here, I’m going to push and do it all!” It’s the same for Fridays. You are up, you are working, you are right there, maximize it!
What do you think about Fridays? Are they workdays for you or are they “I’m ready for the weekend” days? What do you want them to be? Decide and commit.
Be Legendary!