A Day In the Life: Getting Things Done Part IV: Weekends
Posted on April 22, 2010 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Productivity
A friend of mine said that my daily schedule must be very empty for me to accomplish all that I do. “You have a simple life, right? That’s why you have so much time.”
While I do try to simplify my life, that doesn’t mean it’s empty. And my productivity is as much dependent on simplicity as it is on organization and routines.
This week I have shared my daily schedule, and today I will share my weekend routine so that my friend can understand the differences.
Weekends
General Principles
In order to maintain my productivity levels on weekends, I have to know a few things. First, I have to know if there is anywhere out of the ordinary I need to be, like piano recitals or Girl Scout trips. Second, I have to figure out what I would like to accomplish. Without thinking it through, I will do aimless things the entire weekend.
I also get up early on weekends. A different friend of mine told me how her husband likes to sleep in on weekends, and in order not to wake him, she really doesn’t do much before noon on weekends. That leaves very little time for them to get out and do things together, or to work on things that need to be done. By maintaining my usual wake up time, I find that I have at least two hours before the rest of the family gets up of uninterrupted time to write or read.
Saturday
Saturday morning the alarm goes off at the usual time, 6:15. I fetch my own coffee (Kona for the weekend) and will drink the first cup looking out into the backyard. Next I will attend to the animal needs and take the second cup up to my office.
Saturday mornings are one of my big writing times. It is designated for working on the novel, but I’ll be honest and tell you that lately I’ve spent the time catching up on writing blog posts. 
At 9:30 I get ready for the day, using the clothes I laid out the night before. At 10:00 I leave for a regular women’s group meeting and I will get home around 12:30.
The afternoon is generally spent in doing things that rejuvenate me. This could be gardening, crafting, or something I normally don’t do during the week. Dinner is usually a crockpot or grill affair, and that frees up even more time.
After dinner, as I mentioned before, is family game time.
Sunday
Sunday follows much the pattern of Saturday, except that the women’s group is replaced with attending church. After church we may go out to lunch as a family, or just putter around at home. I try to do at least one other spiritual activity on Sunday, and I aim to not be on the computer at all until Sunday evening. (Although this is rarely the case).
Sunday afternoon is usually the time we will do something as a family: the art museum, the beach, or hiking.
Sunday evening I do a more complex dinner and we will eat in our formal dining room or on the deck. The evening is filled with activities to get me on track for the week: looking at my schedule, figuring out when I would like to do things, and adjusting the load.
Over the last four articles I have presented my weekly schedule and routines. Tomorrow I will share the underlying concepts that make it so productive.
Photo by Vince Alongi
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