As Friday winds down and our glances and our attention wander to the view of the outside world, we begin to answer this question, “What are you doing this weekend?”

Have you ever thought about how we decide to spend our weekend time?

Let’s just discuss the actual “free hours”, not the hours we’ve set aside for chores or errands or even the family or social obligations, the graduation parties, the kid’s soccer game, the office after-work client entertainment. Let’s talk about what we truly choose to do, like:

• Watch a movie or videos at home.
• Play on a screen.
• Read a book, magazine or newspaper in print or on a screen.
• Attend a religious service or event.
• Attend a sporting event or watch one on a screen.
• Eat a meal or snack out.
• Attend a cultural event.
• Take part in an outdoor or indoor leisure activity.
• Exercise.
• Get together with friends or family.
• Travel.

Have you ever truly thought about how you finally landed on choosing which of your precious hours you spent doing what activity? An honest evaluation would reveal that you are often influenced subtly by marketing even when choosing leisure time pursuits.

Ask yourself these:

How did we decide on this restaurant?

What made me go to this website? How much time did I linger on the site?

How did I choose this movie?

What keeps me coming to this club/church/political organization’s activities and why do I avoid others?

When I choose something to read, how much does marketing, the opinions of others or even the choices of a book club influence me?

Marketing is ubiquitous, although it can be subtle. When you consider how you make personal choices in your life, you can also step back to consider how others make business decisions, choose professionals to help them as attorneys, physicians, psychologists, realtors and caterers.

Use your weekend to recharge. But maybe spend a few minutes thinking about how you make choices and how you are influenced.  It may give you insight as to how others make decisions to choose to do business with you.