Today is a holiday for those of us in the US — Labor Day. As a kid, I used to have mixed feelings about Labor Day: on one hand, the weekend itself was always one of the most enjoyable of the summer but it’s also the last one of the summer. Even as an adult, I still see it as the last day of vacation despite the fact that I’m excited about the fall season, which is becoming my favorite season (I love all the activities in the fall, the temperature and I’m excited about all the events I have planned).
So back to Labor Day, it’s great day for a lot of activities including:
- Getting one last vacation in before school starts.
- Having a barbecue with friends and relatives.
- Getting married.
- Moving into school.
- Doing last minute school shopping.
- Watching one of the best events of the year, The Jerry Lewis Telethon.
Considering that it’s a national holiday, it’s been quite the day for news. Some of today’s breaking stories include:
- Hurricane Gustav made landfall and was significantly less powerful than expected.
- The Republican National Convention canceled most events for the day out of respect for those affected by the hurricane.
- After rumors began to spread that Vice Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin might be a grandmother, the family announced that she will one be within four months.
- Obama and McCain are still tied in the polls, their bounces apparently cancelled each other out.
So how can one make the most of a long weekend? Here are some tips:
- Use it to catch up on rest and relaxation. If you’ve been burning the midnight oil for a long time, then there’s nothing wrong with taking a day or two for the three r’s: rest, relaxation and recovery.
- Use it to catch up on tasks. Yes, the extra day when most other people aren’t working is a great day to catch up on paperwork, mundane to do items, etc….
- Use it to learn. Read a book, watch a video, listen to an audio book or even attend a seminar.
- Use it to plan. A new month started today so take an hour to set some goals for the next thirty days.
- Use it to organize. Spend some time putting things in order to make your life easier such as organizing your workstation.
No matter how you choose to spend the day, my only request is that you have a good day (and that goes especially for those of you who don’t have the day off).
James Feudo owns the Boston Web Design Agency JVF Solutions and loves blogging about personal development and communication in his spare time.