Using weekends to build your life, rather than escaping it.

Do you use your weekend to build up your life? Or do you use it to escape your reality?

I know I was, for a long time, using it as an escape..

I used to get so excited every Friday after work, it was the weekend and that meant I was stopping at the liquor store, calling up my besties and having all the drinks while sitting around, bitching about the week past, or about other people and things that annoyed us. Telling the same stories over and over again. Waking up the next day hungover and either drinking again or wasting the day being to sick to get much done and then rushing around Sunday like a chicken with my head cut off, filled with anxiety and pissed off about all the shit I had to do, only to do it all again week after week.

This lead to issues with health, weight gain, issues in my relationships and alot of mental health issues too. Drinking 2000 calories in a single sitting, eating greasy take out and missing workouts was terrible for both my mental and physical health. Being uphappy and frusterated in my own body was a big problem for me. I'd workout all week and see no progress because on the weekend I'd ruin it all. I wasn't going forward in life, I'd be unmotivated to do anything really. Miserable having to work on Monday and just generally unhappy with my life. Not making moves or working towards goals and getting pissed off when I didn't see progress in all areas of life. Kind of expecting shit to be handed to me. I had to check myself, what kind of entitlement to think I could sit around wasting my life and expect some how to just get all the things I wanted and for life to just hand me everything, without putting in the work. I can tell you I believe in manifestation but you cant manifest when you're in a shitty head space and if you not willing to take action. If any of this resonates with you or sounds familiar, read on.

Time is precious

After years of wasting my weekends in this endless downward spiral, I finally realized how much I could accomplish when using my time wisely. In a short time using my weekends wisely I have accomplished so much! Once you start, you gain momentum and the world really does open up for you when you're alert and putting in the work to further yourself. For most people you have two days off work a week. How can you use these two days to better your life? Creating a life you don't want to escape from. Building up your future. Think about the things you would like to acheive and think of the things you can do to get there.

Deciding to change it up can be shocking at first, to you and those around you. All of the sudden you're doing things different and not everyone is going to like this. But those who really care, even if they are upset to lose their drinking buddy will understand. After a few weeks this will all feel normal, your weekend routine is changed for the better and would start each week feeling rested, recharged and with a sense of pride as you did something for yourself.

So, what can you do to utilize your weekend?

Thinking about your goals and ambitions in life you can start by figuring out what it is your wanting for youself. Make a time line. When would you like to reach these goals and what will it take to get there? Be realistic, of course it would be amazing to lose 20 lbs over night and wake up with a million dollars in your bank, but realistically what's your time line? What can you do in these 48 hours of free time to get you there?

Here's a list of things that have been huge for me in my journey

• Prioritize sleep- Weekends used to mean late nights and shitty sleeps. Feeling more exhausted come Monday. Now, with going to bed at a reasonable hour and getting those 8 hours of rest, not only does Monday not suck so much but my weekend days are so much more productive.

• Have a schedule- I create a list in my notes on my phone each week of what I need to do each day. This includes weekends. If you're a busy mama like me, you know the weekends are still filled with things like kids sports and other commitments. Having a schedule helps me to be sure I am still getting things done that I had palnned.

• No Booze- Drinking hinders productivity and motivation. Cutting out the booze has done great things for me. No hangovers means no wasted days. Also as cutting out empty calories and bad decisions takes away that horrible hangxiety.

• Get up and move- Going for a walk and getting in morning exercise is not only great for your body but it puts your mind into a motivated state. Feeling accomplished bright and early sets you up for a successful day. Not to mention that you're going to hit your fitness goals by getting in great morning workouts during the days that are naturally less busy for you.

• Set aside an hour each day to put in work- (when you give up things that you were doing to escape form life before naturally your going to have more time on your hands anyways) if your working toward buildings your future be sure to set aside the time to do it. Become unavailable for a time. For me I use this time to wirte my blog, to create content on my instagram and to check in on goals.

• Sunday reset- Shower, get your house in order, get your laundry done, meal plan and prepare yourself for the week. But also sit down and write out your schedule for the week. As a busy mom I have to go through emails for the kids events, check my work schedule put all this into my planner and check my calendars. I also plan which days Im doing which workouts, plan which days I'll be posting what content and planning blog posts. Getting this all in order helps to manage chaos.

So whatever your goals may be, using the weekends to get closer to them will be huge. What can you do with 48 hours to get you further? Planning and putting in work will payoff. In no time you will have noticed a big shift in your world. Your life will become something you no longer need to escape from and instead your weekends will be sacred to you. Loving the free time and loving the journey because let's face it, when we start to see results we become addicted and want more. This is the momentum I mentioned before. I'm so grateful for my weekends now and for the progress I've made in life by utilizing my time. I hope these tips help!

Love,

Celeste