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- 📈 What I Learned From Ruining My Weekend
📈 What I Learned From Ruining My Weekend
Stop avoiding work
Will McTighe
October 12, 2025
Read time: 3 minutes
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Last weekend, I spent Saturday trying to relax.
I was trying to watch a Netflix show but the whole time I just felt agitated.
I had the Q3 LinkedIn algorithm report whizzing around my head. Maybe an hour or two of work. Not a lot.
But it's the weekend, right? I'm supposed to relax.
Sunday morning, I try to relax again. Still agitated. Still thinking about it.
Finally, at 11am on Sunday, I just say screw it and start working on it.
A couple hours later, I'm done and I feel immediately better.
I spent six times the amount of time worrying about this work than actually doing it.
The Problem With “Should”
We've been taught that rest follows a schedule.
Weekends are for family time. Weekdays are for work.
You should relax on Saturday. You should be productive on Tuesday.
And if you feel like working on Saturday? Well, that's a problem. That means you have poor boundaries. That means you're a workaholic.
But sometimes the energy you spend avoiding work is way more exhausting than just doing the work.
I spent 12 hours with this thing whizzing around in my mind.
The mental loops. The guilt about not relaxing properly. The anxiety about the unfinished task.
All of that cost me more energy than the two hours it took to get it done.
Make Your Own Rules
Society's rule: Work Monday-Friday. Rest Saturday-Sunday.
If you're doing your own thing: Do what you need to do when you need to do it.
Yes, spend time with your family. Yes, prioritize recovery.
But do it when you actually need it. Not when the calendar tells you to.
Because forced rest when your brain is spinning isn't rest at all.
The Bottom Line
Relax when you need to relax.
But if something's sitting heavy in your mind, just do it.
The weekend will still be there. Your family will still be there.
And then you can actually be present for them.
See you next time,
Will
P.S. Two things:
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