Shoes kicked off, your bags are tossed on the floor and you’ve slumped into the first chair in sight: it’s officially the weekend. But this one’s different – you’ve got work to do. If you plan it right, it’ll feel like the work is taking care of itself, leaving you to be the weekend warrior you always wanted to be. Here are seven easy tips to check every box on your to-do list and power through the weekend like a pro.

1. Use your Fridays: Sometimes being productive means looking at things differently. Take advantage of your Fridays by preparing for both the weekend and next Monday. Before you punch out, clean your desk and leave a reminder for things that need to be completed when you return. For the weekend, push yourself to start knocking out tasks early by getting them done on Friday instead.
2. Get up earlier: It’s simple: The earlier you wake up, the more time you have to work. You’ll be looking out for your future self by getting to work early, which will help to cap off tasks you won’t want to do once you get tired later in the day.
3. Plan: Impromptu tasks are the bane of efficiency. Before you take the to-do list plunge, make sure you know exactly what you’re doing and when. If you don’t, you may end up pouring your precious weekend time down the drain. Who would want to do that?
4. Have Downtime: Wedge some time out of your weekend schedule to do the things you want to do. Not only will this help you relax and enjoy the weekend, the time off will also help you recover and prepare for any other work that needs to get done. Try doing something on Sunday night to edge off those “Sunday Blues” and end your weekend on the happy note.
5. Keep the Chores Down: This may sound counter-intuitive, but if it’s possible, spread your chores throughout the week, rather than letting them pile up for the weekend. With all your chores done, you’ll have fewer thoughts eating away at the back of your mind – just what you need to take care of all your other weekend tasks!
6. Exercise: It’s rightfully a hot topic, that’s because of how important it is. If weekdays aren’t the most accommodating for a workout routine, use your weekend for it. Even though you only have two days, that’s two more days you can go to the gym that you can’t during the week!
7. Keep Your Head Up: Attitude comes before everything. If you aren’t in the mood to work, you either won’t or it won’t be your best stuff. Use the weekend as a reset button for your attitude to find the motivation you need to power through your end-of-the-week tasks.