I diligently diarized it this week, along with my half-day business training seminar on Saturday and my 10 hour lab-workroom session on Sunday to create new product samples for a new client.
The weekend.
It's a strange idea for someone who has been a self-employed entrepreneur for 28 years and who lives in Asia. Why did I need to diarize it? Cos last week it was not until Monday morning that I finally had some free hours to think about contributing to Engage the Weekend. 馃槅 馃ぃ Ooops. Missed it completely.
If I had to choose an image that says "weekend" it would be something like this:
Unhurried morning. Time to read. Fresh coffee. Leisure.
The reality is that most of Asia works 7 days a week, and as a solo mom that's double, and then some as a company owner. I was actually stumped by last weekend's question of describing a "typical" weekend cos we really don't have them in a regular kind of way. Last Saturday was spent doing product deliveries, shopping, driving Miss 16 around and planning-preparing for Sunday, which was a 16 hour, all-hands-on-deck, 2 people keying in bilingual tax data all day. 馃槅 Although I speak fluent Thai, my reading is crap, and so we had the epic bilingual spreadsheet Sunday to have everything ready for our accountant on Monday.
Then back to a regular busy week of running our business, and being a solo mom. This weekend is again full with entrepreneurial activity - a seminar and product development work to finetune recipes for organic vegan shampoo and body wash.
The strange thing? I feel less stressed and more in flow and relaxed than when I lived in Australia and actually had "weekends". Because there is self-determination and purpose, and there is a sense of choice and enjoyment in the things that fill the days.
And those "working" days are far easier and more balanced.
When I lived in Australia, people joked about it being "the land of the long weekend." And I used to think that was true - that Australlians were about leisure and life balance. Until I came to Asia. 馃槅 Where the New Year "weekend" has been known to run for a relaxing 9 days, the "lunch hour" can take 3 hours in the hot season, and where opening hours are elastic and related to the weather and the mood. Australian and American guests who visit seem hell bent on "relaxing" and cramming as much as possible into a short few days to make up for the dreary work weeks. The Europeans, South African & South American friends who visit are way more chill. We often laugh about the friends and tourists who visit, and the way they never really unplug properly and are always worried about being at leisure and tourist activities on time. Even when they're on holiday.
What I've come to understand is that "weeknd" is a mindset that is even better if it's spread out over more than just 2 days.
Yesterday - Thursday - Miss 16 was tired and school was light on for important content, and so she took a maternally-approved relaxing mental health day at home. Teacher was gine with it and no fake excuses were required. I was done with my meeting and appointment by midday, and gave myself an afternoon off to join her. Today - Friday - I was simply tired and unproductive, and so I didn't even try. I had some enjoyable hours in the middle of the day chatting with my mother in Australia, catching up the @HiveLift twitter account and playing with the cat.
Most of my entrepreneurial friends are like me - working when it needs to be done, taking down time when they feel to and can, and not being overly concerned which day of the week it actually is. I OFTEN have to ask, "What day is it today?"
Part of me has equated "weekend" with working for others, being part of someone else's machinery and requiring their permission to relax, unwind and enjoy leisure activities. Over the years I've pondered that and reduced it simply to having permission to rest & unplug.
I have learned, as my own boss, to be that permission giver.
Weekend is a mindset which nourishes us and enables us to regroup, top up, unwind, unplug and reboot. Like the chache on my phone and laptop, I've discovered everything works much faster and much more effectively when it's done more often.
And so yes - this week I made sure to diarize the weekend. 馃槅 To be mildly in sync with others for a few moments, and to enjoy reading and contributing to a great community which honours and celebrates regular rest, downtime and leisue. Cos I value those things even if it's rare to do them on Saturdays & Sundays.
But I might have a second weekend mid week, if work flows permit and if I feel like it. Just because I can.
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