What is one work-related task you prefer to do during the weekends or evenings and why?
The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
A. Send and Respond to Emails
Most of my day at the office is spent in meetings, on calls and unblocking issues for the team. I don't get real, execution-based work done until nighttime, which I reserve for hacking out projects and cranking through emails. Leaving the office by 5 p.m. ensures that I get home with enough time to see my family and still have the rest of the night to crank out execution work.
- Matt Ehrlichman, Porch
A. Update My Contacts
In the evening, after I've completed all of my meetings for the day, I pull out all the business cards and contacts I've collected throughout the day and record them. I add them to my contact list, send out invites on LinkedIn and integrate them into my network. My relationships are very important, so taking the time to review and record my most recent contacts is a nice way to end the day.
- David Ehrenberg, Early Growth Financial Services
A. Create My To-Do List
Each evening, I create my daily to-do list for the next day, and on the weekends, I create a weekly to-do list for the following week. This allows me to focus solely on what needs to be done without being distracted by business.
- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
A. Write Blog Posts
I prefer to do my blogging and writing on the nights and weekends when there are fewer distractions and fewer people who need my time. I find that I can think and articulate better than I can in the middle of a busy day.
- Adam Lieb, Duxter
A. Organize
From scattered post it notes to merchandise items, the state of my desk gradually goes down hill as the week continues. I like to spend the weekend or one evening a week organizing my desk and categorizing my weekly to do list. Being at the office alone and allowing myself the time to regroup has become a staple in my schedule that I look forward to during the chaos of the week.
- Kim Kaupe, ZinePak
A. Program
I only find it possible to write good code in large chunks of uninterrupted time, such as in seven to 10-hour shifts. I am really not sure how others can concentrate enough during office hours to complete complicated projects. Writing on this schedule can negatively impact my "office hour" schedule, but for me, there is no other way.
- Brendon Schenecker, Travel Vegas
A. Focus on Creative Work
Learning and creativity is best facilitated away from your desk -- when's the last time you had a great idea while looking at your computer screen? Saving creative tasks for home also allows for focus on in-person customer and team interactions. You want those to be on location, in-person as often as possible.
- Andrew Fayad, eLearning Mind
A. Get Ahead of My Team
I need to get ahead of my team to be able to do good resource planning, and that only happens on evenings or weekends. That is when I review all of our company tasks in Asana, check to see the progress that is being made, what is being held up and work to drive our teams toward the goal. I never get this done during regular hours, so I normally do it Sunday night or very early in the morning.
- Andrew Angus, Switch Video
A. Think About Long-Term Goals
It can be tough to turn off your phone and step outside of the business during the day, but because evenings and weekends are "off-time" for most people, it's the perfect time for me to put on my big-picture cap and think about long-term goals.
- Phil Dumontet, DASHED
A. Send Company-Wide Updates
I really need to get out of the office and be away from the daily hustle in order to send thoughtful company updates to my staff. If I try to send them while at work, I tend to be shorter, less encouraging and too focused on petty problems that don't tie into the larger company narrative.
- Seth Talbott, AtomOrbit
A. Work on Writing
I like to write in the evenings and on weekends. I find that writing takes a level of intense concentration that is rarely feasible during the work week when I am focused on collaborating with others to coordinate and integrate workflow.
- Chris Cancialosi, GothamCulture
A. Track Metrics
Tracking key metrics for the organization can be time-consuming. Between reviewing web traffic, social media metrics, revenue and expenses and other internal success metrics, it can take time to update documents. I prefer to leave this work for the weekends because it gives me the time to review the company holistically and without the pressure of other to-do items during the week.
- Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.
A. Set Purposeful Goals
We all know the feeling: Monday takes off with meetings, surprise opportunities and new challenges. Before you know it, it's Friday. I like to use weekends to review progress and set purposeful company and personal goals for the upcoming week. Use goals to connect your to-do list to the reason why you're on the path you've chosen. Your work will take on new meaning and build on momentum.
- Matt Hunckler, Verge