The powerful reality about Thursdays: Here are my insights.

“Thank God it’s Friday,” the saying goes, signaling the arrival of the weekend, a time to take a break and relax with family and friends. Interestingly, this phrase is also the franchise brand name TGIF of an American food and beverage company. Thank God is Friday is clearly linked to the American and Western culture wherby after Friday we stop working and we focus on family, religion and the self.

Since the onset of Covid, Thursdays have taken on a new significance for me and probably for millions of other people. It marks the approaching end of the week, coinciding with the completion of most of my important work and calls by Wednesday evening. By the time Thursday arrives, I find that I don’t need to make additional phone calls or engage in extensive email follow-ups. Thursday has become a day when I can finally detach from constant interactions with the world. I can start sensing the joy of Thursday on Wednesday night when I put my kids to bed, as I know, that not too many people will be looking for me on Thursday. I also realize that when you stop answering your phone when is not needed, people stop calling you and stop engaging you.

While the notion of self isolation may sound negative, it’s the realization that I don’t need nor want continuous social engagement particularly those than don’t improve my life and my wellbeing. This realization stems from a deliberate practice of not answering every call nor email, minimizing scheduled calls for the end of the week, and, most importantly, using “NO” as my default response to any proposal, whether professional or social. Also remember that a no response is a response. So learn to use silence to your advantage and Go Sicilian. Sicilian culture places great importance on the nuances of communication, with thoughtful pauses being an integral part of the conversational dance. Adopting elements of this cultural approach can offer valuable insights into enhancing negotiation effectiveness. Please visit my previous article on Vocal that speak about the power of silence: https://vocal.media/motivation/learn-to-go-sicilian-the-strategic-power-of-silence-in-negotiations

Essentially, Thursday marks the beginning of a period of silence — a day when I limit my interactions with others and where phone is switched off before dinner. It forces me to make my Monday, Tuesday and Wednsday ultra productive and focused. When I do that, I’ve noticed that during Thursdays and Fridays, I produce higher-quality work, experience greater happiness, and maintain a focused and present mindset with the people around me. Thursday and Friday are essentially days just for me and for my family where I can take stock of what I have accomplished in the first half of the week and how to use the reminder to better myself.

Conclusions: This realization is bittersweet as we all need to learn to be more selective with our social transactions. It is also counterintuitive as we learn that longevity comes from spending quality time with people. Well I am saying excactly the same thing. Be selective on wh you spend time with and avoid the spending time with people just becuase you are trying pleasing others. While thriving in community and being social animals is part of happy living, it’s crucial not to dilute our social and work practices excessively just for the heck of pleasing others.

My advice is to start detoxing from constant interactions with people starting on Thursday. Let Thursday and Friday be the days dedicated to investing in yourself and spending more time in nature. Remember, you are the most important asset, and safeguarding your time and mental fitness is paramount at all costs.