How IWT spends its lengthy weekend

A haunting statistic

Generally that feeling doesn’t finish once you graduate. For a lot of, life post-college means the same old 9-to-5 grind, the place all many people stay up for is the weekend. 

And for a lot of, even a weekend is a privilege. In 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics discovered that 27% of single job holders and 58% of multiple job holders labored on the weekends. 

Whereas lots of that may be attributed to the kind of job (meals service, retail, and so on.), additional reporting from the National Bureau of Economic Research discovered that Individuals are likely to work longer weeks and extra weekends typically than different developed nations.

Take into consideration that. Many U.S. job holders don’t even take a full weekend. 

This isn’t to tut-tut at anybody who works like this. Taking day off is a privilege. All of us have our personal monetary conditions, and typically it’s good to do it to be able to get by. Generally you simply like doing it. 

However at IWT, we needed to deconstruct the thought of “working for the weekend” and see if we may design a distinct sort of workweek, one that offers us extra focus once we are at work and extra relaxation outdoors of it.

How IWT spends its time without work

At IWT, we’ve been speaking about freedom for over 15 years, like starting a business that lets you set your individual schedule, landing a dream job that offers you autonomy and suppleness, and getting your finances in order so as to dwell life precisely that approach you need.

In some ways, the 4DWW is an extension of those values. 

All through the Problem, the staff has been asking ourselves, “What’s our Wealthy Life? What do we would like our very best day or week to seem like? And may a 4DWW assist us get there?” 

In different phrases, we’ve been embracing intentionality. That’s what the 4DWW Problem is about. We wish to see how we may be intentional about the way in which we work—and the way in which we relaxation.

That’s why I wish to share a few of the ways in which just a few IWT workers have been spending their time on their days off. 

One factor you’ll discover: We’re as intentional with our time without work as we’re with how we work. IWT workers are extremely pushed, in any case. We all know that once we wish to get one thing carried out, we have to actually take into account one of the best methods to go about it earlier than we even take the primary steps.

Even the methods we spend our weekends.

“The additional time to hang around collectively has been superb” 

“When you’re conversant in Chicago site visitors, you realize what a nightmare it’s to go wherever on a weekend. I exploit my further weekend day to run errands whereas most individuals are working. It makes getting across the metropolis simpler and it often means the grocery shops, and so on., are a lot much less crowded. 

“Coincidentally, my sister can also be off on Fridays now and we’ve been doing issues collectively, which has been lots of enjoyable. Procuring, pedicures, lunch. The additional time to hang around collectively has been superb. 

“I’m additionally at present recovering from surgical procedure and was capable of schedule my physician appointments on Fridays. That’s been extraordinarily useful as a result of I don’t have to fret about juggling my schedule to suit appointments in throughout work hours (that at all times stresses me out).”–Jessica Rossetti, Scholar Success Specialist

“My son and I’ve change into nearer than we ever had been”

“The 4DWW that we now have been testing out this summer season has been priceless to me.

“Since being identified with most cancers earlier this 12 months, and going by way of surgical procedure to have it eliminated, I’ve a completely new outlook on life. I understand that each minute counts and I attempt to spend as a lot of them as I can with my household.

“I exploit the additional time without work every week to spend with my son, one-on-one, simply the 2 of us. Because it is sort of a ‘bonus day,’ I by no means really feel responsible as if I’m utilizing up my PTO or shedding pay to spend the day on actions that to some appear frivolous. 

“The truth that I can spend a complete day with my son doing all the pieces from swimming, going to the films, procuring, or having one in every of our random ‘Left, Proper, Heart’ days has been one thing that I wouldn’t commerce for the world.  

“My son and I’ve change into nearer than we ever had been and realized a lot extra about one another than we ever would have with out as of late spent collectively.

“My further day is spent making reminiscences!”

–Rosanna Armbrust, Senior Scholar Success Specialist