Friday night, date night! What a great way to end the week.  

Or so I thought. 

At first thought, it completely made sense. After the hustle and bustle of the work week, what better way to kick off the weekend than going out for an enjoyable evening with your significant other?  

I thought it would be a perfect way to connect and talk about our week. 

What I didn’t account for was the exhaustion.  

By Friday night my energy is depleted. I relax, wind down and start feeling tired around 8pm. Also, over-exhaustion has always left me a little cranky. I think it does for everyone.  

So, as you can probably guess, this great idea didn’t go so well.  

At first, I was flat-out confused. My husband and I rarely argue. Yet, on these date nights, we kept getting into disagreements. Misunderstandings and over-reactions seemed more commonplace during these date nights. It seemed so unusual, and I couldn’t figure it out. 

Then, after a few weeks, it finally dawned on me - maybe our exhaustion was getting in the way of us enjoying each other’s company. Two people who are tired and a little short-tempered - why would I think that would make a fun evening? 

So, I suggested moving date night to Saturday night to see if we fared better. We did. 

Well rested and relaxed we entered Saturday night with an energy that was far different than Friday night. We still connected and talked about our week, but we did so in a light-hearted manner. It was a much more enjoyable experience. 

All it took was one small change in scheduling.  

This situation made me think about the many challenges I have experienced in work and in life. How many of these so-called problems could have been fixed by simply changing or tweaking one small component? 

Trying to fit in a gym workout is a challenge many of us experience. I often would go after work, but more recently I found that I would simply run out time. So, I decided to move the workout to early morning. I convinced my husband to join me (and to make me more accountable to get out of bed), and the workouts always seemed to get done. There were no excuses.  

Scheduling work around the time when you’re most productive is also important. I personally work best in the morning. So, when possible, I’ve always scheduled my most intensive work at that time. 

Another challenge can be the productivity of a team. Sometimes people just don’t gel together. Perhaps adjusting who is on each team or letting people decide who they will work with on certain projects may improve outcomes. 

When problems arise, we often think we need to make dramatic changes. Yet, small changes can often make a big difference.  

As a challenge this week, consider a challenge you’re experiencing at work or in life. What small change can you make to make an improvement?  

You might not get it right the first time but don’t give up. Keep making those adjustments. You’ll eventually get there, and it may take less effort than you imagine. 

Best wishes, Lauren 

P.s. If you need help forming a creative solution to a work-related challenge you are experiencing, book a free session. We are here to help.