Saving your weekends and getting to do the things you’ve always wanted starts long before the clock strikes midnight on Friday.
As software engineers — whether working remotely or in-person — we need to be mindful of how we spend our time, especially on Fridays. It’s easy to get distracted: a failing build, a known bug that’ll take time to fix, being on-call over the weekend, or waiting on a team that’s already clocked out. All these little things tempt us to think we have the whole weekend to deal with work, which leads us to binge Netflix or scroll Instagram instead.
And that’s where the trouble begins.
It might seem like no big deal to push a 3-4 hour task to the weekend. But before you know it, Sunday night rolls around and the weekend has vanished in a puff of smoke.
Friday Is the Key
If you’re a party person — you’re likely planning a great evening out. Remember, parties usually start late and go on for a while. Take advantage of the time after work on Friday to knock out quick chores like laundry or vacuuming. These are 10-minute tasks if you’ve already sorted your clothes and don’t live in a massive apartment. Throw the clothes in the washer, let the dryer wait until you’re back home.
If your Friday night is free and life’s been a bit rough — there’s still room for improvement. The best thing you can do is meal prep for the weekend. Trust me, it’ll save you from the dreaded “what should I make for lunch on Saturday?” spiral.
If you’re the outdoorsy type — you probably have your weekend plans sorted already. Don’t skip the meal prep anyway, and make sure to get your Friday tasks done before you head out.
“This Sounds Stressful”
I know what some of you are thinking: “Dude, I want a relaxed working environment where I stop working after 2 PM. This sounds pretty stressful.”
I completely get it. But trust me — following these small habits