A way to measure success in post smartphone era weekends is to ask – how many times did you forget where your smartphone was?
I found myself forgetting about my phone for hours at a time on memorable weekends. So, I’ve begun starting weekends by leaving my phone in obscure places within the home (e.g. under the pillow). The more obscure the location, the less I check it, and the better the weekend.
I’ve asked myself what makes a good weekend for many years.
A few weeks back, I finally had an epiphany. I realized that my definition of a good weekend involves four actions in order or priority – rest, connect, learn something and building something.
Rest means getting to sleep in for one of the two days and watching a game of football/soccer whenever possible. Connect involves spending quality time with the framily – ideally with some time outdoors. But, a good weekend doesn’t feel complete until I feel I’ve learnt something and attempted to build something.
The best part about these four priorities is that I recognize they are a luxury. There are many on the planet who don’t get to take the weekend off.
So, these two days are a wonderful weekly reminder of the enormous amount of privilege in my life and, as a result, of how much I owe.
Maybe acknowledging our privilege with gratitude is what weekends are all about. We get to define what “good” is. And, in the process of doing so, we are reminded that there is so much to be grateful for.
A Learning a Day 