A colleague asked me, “How was your long weekend?”
“I feel like I need another day to recover,” I said. Then, after a moment, I added, “Just how I like it.”
She looked at me like I had two heads.
So I explained my philosophy on weekends and vacations:
If you feel like you need another day to recover from the weekend or a vacation, you have succeeded.
While rest and relaxation are fine — no shade to those who want or need it — I want my weekends to be jam-packed. I want to look back on my weekend and know I sucked the marrow from those days. I want to know I took full advantage of every moment and lived those days to the fullest.
I explained to my colleague that his past weekend — a three-day weekend — featured:
An extra inning Little League playoff game
My Eagle Scout project
The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Schubert Theater in New Haven
The Patriots game in Foxboro, MA
Two rounds of golf with friends
A golf lesson
Three bike rides — two outdoors
Family movie night
Meetings with six clients
I also finished reading a book and did a lot of writing — including a piece for a magazine.
It was not exactly the most restful or relaxing three days, but when I look back upon them, I feel like I lived them well and have a multitude of memories that will likely last a lifetime.
For me, this is supremely important. If I’m doing things I will likely remember long into the future, I’m making good choices about how I’m living my life.
Charlie said it best:
“You never really remember the time you spent on the couch.”
And he said it on Sunday afternoon, so yet another lasting memory from the weekend.
