Working for the Weekend Doesn’t Have to Be a Thing!

Friday doesn’t have to be the only good day!

Have you ever been at work and heard someone say any of the following?

“I’m just working for the weekend”

“Thank God it’s FINALLY Friday!”

“This has been the longest week ever”

“Only reason I could get out of bed this morning is because it’s Friday”

These sayings are probably familiar to you if you are doing that whole Monday-Friday work life. You may have even uttered some of these yourself. Hell, I know I have. Just this morning actually.

As a society, this has become normal. Getting up before the sun rises, hitting a drive-thru for fancy coffee and 1,000 calorie breakfast sandwich, and then clocking in to work for 8 hours.

This routine has made the work weeks monotonous. If we aren’t careful, every single day becomes the same. They all blur together. Until that magical day at the end of the week comes and we know the weekend is right around the corner.

Think about that for a second — we are excited to have time off from work. For 2 days. And then starting Monday, we do the same thing all over again. We have created a rut for ourselves and we don’t see how toxic this can be.

Now, there are some people who go to work during the week and genuinely enjoy what they do. They don’t dread Monday and even though they look forward to Friday, they don’t only live for that day. So, what is the difference?

Those people have found a career that works for them. I know people that work 10+ hours a day and are some of the happiest people I know. They enjoy discussing their work outside of the workplace and take pride in what they do.

The trick is to find a job that you love and are proud of. One that you are excited about instead of one that you have to drag yourself to on a daily basis.

Finding a job you love and that gives you purpose might sound impossible. Might even sound scary. But don’t get discouraged, it is possible!

Study Your Life and Take Notes

This might sound weird, but hear me out. To figure out what you might enjoy doing in life, you need to study what you have already done! Write down what you liked and disliked about different jobs you have had. Write down activities you enjoy now. Take note of your passions. Be brutally honest with yourself. I am a huge fan of writing anything and everything down. I’m talking old-fashioned notebook and pen. There is just something about a clean piece of paper and pen that helps me get all my thoughts out into the universe.

Don’t Be Afraid to Re-Evaluate and Change

Something I see people do and that I have struggled with myself, is to change it up. Do something different! If you are interested in something, and you have the means to try it, then go for it! Don’t stick with the same job you have had for years just because it feels like the only logical and viable option. Change it up!

Maybe you already have a Bachelor’s Degree but weren’t able to find a job. Maybe you have always been great at writing but you were too afraid to pursue it. Take a look at the experiences you have under your belt and see if that can give you any insight.

For me, I got a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology/Behavior Analysis but I wanted to work with animal behavior instead of people. However, this wasn’t possible without going to graduate school. Back then, I wasn’t ready for more school. So, I took a job working at a pet boarding facility where I got into dog training and other aspects of the store.

Then I got to a point where I needed to make more money so I thought about what interested me at that time. I still wanted to help people and I was interested in law. Law school was out of the question but I was able to go back to college and get my Paralegal Certificate and I was able to work at a few law firms. Now, I am re-evaluating my life and skills, and realized that I have always loved writing. I used to be pretty good at it. So, as you might have guessed, I am now working on getting my writing business off the ground.

This is something I once told a friend that questioned me for going back to school to become a real estate agent (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I got my real estate license too. I like to try a lot of new things!):

“I will go back to school over and over again until I find the job that is perfect for me”

And it’s true. I have changed careers and switched it up quite a few times. I have had successes and a lot of times where I fell flat on my face. But I’m so grateful for being open to trying new things. I wouldn’t trade any of my experiences for anything. They are the reason I am where I am today.

Don’t Let Anyone Get in Your Way

Do you enjoy taking photos and editing them to perfection? Do you love getting your hands dirty from working on a car engine? Do you want to spend your days writing?

No matter what you enjoy, do not let ANYONE stop you from pursuing your dream job. You do not owe an explanation to anyone. Those people do not need to live your life; you do. From my own experience, I have found that people will say something discouraging because they aren’t doing what they want in their own life. They are miserable in their current situation so why should you be able to find happiness if they can’t? Don’t let them discourage you. They just haven’t realized their own potential. Hopefully they do someday!

It may seem like you are going to be stuck at the job you hate forever, but it doesn’t have to be that way! If you are honest with yourself and devote the time to figuring yourself out, you can go after any goals you may have. Don’t ever settle!

Do you feel stuck in the 9–5 work life? Have you figured out what you want to do in life and are now pursuing it? I would love to hear from you!