When Did Weekends Stop Being Fun?
Is it me? Is it my age? Or maybe karma's finally catching up with me. All I know is, before the working world became so damned networked and we all got smartphones, I used to have fun on the weekends.
You know, the wife and I would wake up on a Saturday, head out for breakfast, maybe bum around the shops for an hour or two or take a drive somewhere. Saturday night would be date night and Sunday would be hangover day. I don't know about you, but for me, that was fun. The hangover, not so much, but it was usually worth it.
These days, when I'm not blogging, writing, social networking, or otherwise working, I'm trying to catch up on a long list of stuff that needs to be done around the house or the garden. It's a 10 acre property, so it's a really long list. If I'm lucky, I get to go for a run with my dog or chop up some firewood or something useful but outdoorsy, which I admit, is sort of fun. But not the same kind of fun I used to have.
I'm not complaining, mind you. Just wondering when and why it happened and if I'm the only one. For me, I think it comes down to five factors:
- Age. I hate to admit it, but maybe I'm slowing down a bit -- nah!
- Technology. As I've said before, "The lure of social media and communications gadgets loom like an ever-growing mountain of unmet expectations." It sort of tugs at you, doesn't it?
- Self-employed. I started my own consulting firm seven years ago, plus I blog, I write -- I guess it always feels like there's more I should be doing. So much for work - life balance.
- Work at home. Oh yeah, I work at home, so boundaries have gotten muddy.
- Money. On my own, I've got to do a lot more stuff to make ends meet than when I was an executive.
So now, here's the big question: what does it mean? Are we giving up simple human pleasures to become slaves to our work, our careers, our social networks, and our gadgets? Or is it just me? Let us know: Are your weekends less fun than they used to be? Tell us stories; we want to hear stories.