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Fireflies. Popsicles. Backyard barbeques. Oh, how I love summer—and it’s here.
The other day while I was doing my thang on the treadmill, I was thinking about setting goals for myself. And, I thought about how I would make the most of my summer. I don’t like to wait until January 1st to think about goal setting. Why should we?
So, I want to ask you a very important question: How are you going to make the most of your summer?
I asked this question on Twitter, and here are the responses that I got:
Are you going to stop working early to spend quality time with your children who are home from school? Are you going to set intense work goals, because you want your business to be rocking by the fall? Are you preparing to do a lot of craft shows? Are you going to finally commit to working on your craft or artistry every single day for at least one hour?
You need a plan.
Once you have a plan, you can take action on that plan and make it happen. Even if your goal is to not work any weekends during the summer so you can enjoy it more, you need to know that this is your goal before you can achieve it.
Don’t let the summer slip away. Don’t be one of those people who say, “I can’t believe 3 months have passed. I didn’t get anything done that I wanted to do.”
Take at least 20 minutes today to brainstorm what you’d like to do this summer. Think about personal and business goals—and then schedule to make it happen. If you really want to visit a friend who lives two hours away, call her and set a date. If you want to get 25 new items listed on Etsy, set a weekly goal that’ll help you accomplish this.
Wanna know how I’m going to make the most of my summer?
I’m going to work extra hard on my business during the day, and enjoy the evenings with my husband, dogs, friends, and family. I’m going to attend a wedding in New York that I’m sure will be magical and enjoy every second of it. I’m a hopeless romantic, so I love weddings. I’m going to be extremely picky about the things that I say, “yes” to—my go to response for everything extra will be “no.” I’m going to work on two new projects on a daily basis to ensure they reach lift off. I’m going to take off most weekends, travel to see my parents in Richmond, and take photographs every day.
Now, it’s your turn. If you didn’t respond to me on Twitter, let me know how you’re going to make the most of your summer in the comments below.
I’m moving on July 1st so I’ll be decorating my new place, especially the baby’s room! I’ll make sure I’m having some good times since it’s the first summer I don’t have to go to work everyday and I’ll be knitting and sewing baby stuff!
For me, this summer, it’s all about the baby and having a good time!
That’s so exciting! I hope the move is easy on you 🙂
Summer plans:
1.celebrate my son’s 13th birthday and hope I survive the teenage years:-/
2. Beach trip to the Carolina coast
3. Try not to sleep in too much: I work best in the morning!
4. Work on my photo- related jewelry ( mornings) while…
5. … My son works on reading skills and I will later help him with writing skills.
6. Take more photos!
7. Finish my e-book ( why is it taking me so long? Haha)
8. Get more clients to photograph, build portfolio.
9. Spend time with family – savoring the memories
10. Drink more green drinks .
* 11. Prepare to photograph a wedding on 9/10/11 !
Thanks for sharing all your plans Kendra! It sounds like you’re going to have a fun and busy summer. Will the wedding in September be the first that you photograph? If so, yay!!!! Congrats!
Oh, baby things going on here this summer too! I think a huge thing for me, because we’re adopting and the waiting game is such a huge part of it, will be not letting the waiting paralyze me from doing other things with my summer (or however long it takes).
I have been doing some furniture refinishing lately and I have a few more projects planned to get done this summer, including a nightstand and a dresser. I’ve also been thinking about tackling some more difficult sewing projects and expanding my skill set. I’ve had my eye on a bag pattern for awhile, but have been a little chicken about trying it!
And I’m going to get in the ocean this summer! I haven’t been in since I got stung by a jellyfish four years ago. It’s time! 🙂
Wow Kelsey–I tried to put myself in your shoes for minute and I don’t know how well I’d be concentrating if my husband and I were waiting for an adoption. That’s so exciting–I’m so happy for you. And, I wish you the best with the process.
I’m also trying to expand my sewing skill set–I haven’t been able to work on a couple of personal projects that I’d really like to complete, so I might add those things to my list 🙂
I lived at the beach for a summer and luckily never got stung by a jellyfish–I was in the water with a shark, though {for about 10 minutes} before realizing that there was a shark. I’m sure that happens more than we know–but knowing that there was a shark swimming maybe 20 or 30 feet away definitely scared the crap outta me.
Oh, the summer!
*Running from Texas-sized mosquitoes
*Taking the kids to the water park and wanting to run from the sun
*Taking the kids to the library for the reading program
*My friend is coming with her kids (3, 2, and 6 months) & with my 3 and 4 year olds)–Can you say WILD?!!
*Continue to write down and follow my steps for my biz
*Read. And read some more.
Hahahaha…”running from Texas-sized mosquitoes”
I plan on doing lots of reading this summer, too! Do you have any good book recommendations? I’m always looking for more and more 🙂 I’m kinda a book addict.
Weirdly, I need to make some goals related to NOT working. I need to be reminded to enjoy the “slow” pace of summer that I always hear about. Taking evenings and weekends off……eating lots of fresh produce…drinking some frosty cocktails…going to movies to escape the heat. Still working hard, but hopefully at a more human, sustainable pace.
This is so NOT weird and so key!
My goals this summer are all around family, relationships (both personal and professional) and my upcoming DIY/ self-guided web and design courses!
That’s not weird at all Stacy! I’m setting a goal about taking most weekends off. I know how hard it can be to step away from your business, because there is always something to do–but we all need the breaks. And, I truly believe are businesses are better for them 🙂
As you stated above, I’m committing to working on my business everyday & stop letting procrastination, perfectionism & fear hold me back.
Go Danielle! Go Danielle!
I’m cheering you on 🙂
I plan on beaching with the kids, or pooling in the backyard, eating lots of popsicles, teaching Mr. L how to ride is new bike, going to the Zoo, I’d love a little vacation to PEI somewhere in there, but don’t know if that is going to happen.
Funny thing is, I feel like I should have a newborn about now, because both my kids were born in the summer.. it feels weird that I’m not going into labor.. I don’t know if other moms feel that way??
I have no idea…I’m not a mom…
But, your summer sounds super fun!
my goal this summer are to play outside more! my friends and i plan to take up tennis (we will be horrible, but it will be fun), and i want to play badminton more often. since i work nights, i don’t get outside too often during the day, and i plan to change that.
on the business side of things, i want to add some graphic designing into my etsy shop, and i want to expand a bit by trying to break into stock photography. fingers crossed!
Sounds fun Kim! I love that you included personal and biz goals. I did that, too. I think it’s super important to think about what you want for your business–but not to leave out what you want for yourself.
Well technically it’s always summer for me in Panama hehehehe, but since we are so US centric around here I’m gonna play along to because I LOVEEEEEEE setting goals.
For this “summer” I have planned to:
1. make new illustrations to release in the fall.
2. work on a new line of brooches for my boutique.
3. revamp my personal brand/website.
4. go shopping with granny.
5. make time to play mario kars with david at least once a week. we love it!
I’m excited about the brooches. I’m gonna guess that I’ll be investing in one of those 🙂
Your fifth one made my laugh out loud–too funny! And, stuff like that is why I loooooove you!
celebrate life, warmth, outside eating and general frolicking with friends and family. my son is graduating from high school in another day and will be leaving the nest in a little over a month to fly free. a wee one is left behind who loves to read, celebrate being almost 8, paint and draw wild and free and garden big with her momma. i am allowing this summer to be of pure celebration and inspiration with time spent watching the stars and life passing slowly by. photography and journaling will be my focus for a few sweet moments each day.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing Merr. I love how you say that this summer is going to be pure celebration and inspiration with time spent watching the stars and life passing slowly by. That makes my heart sing and do a little dance 🙂
Everyone has such great goals! I have so many things I want to accomplish this summer!
First I plan to spend as much time during July and August as I can at my family cottage…while trying to not get to distracted by the lake so I still accomplish everything else! I’m thinking me, my laptop and a lawnchair by the water…Thank goodness for wireless internet!
I hope to participate in a few more quality craft shows throughout the summer.
I plan to drastically increase my inventory so I have the ability to participate in larger shows at Christmas and have the experience to be ready for larger shows for next summer.
And I want to learn a few new skills so I can take some of my jewelry making to the next level!
Sounds like a good time. I always think that it would be so nice to be able to live at the beach for a month or two each summer–but my husband’s job is definitely not conducive to that. I really LOVE where I live. I just wish it was a little closer to the beach 🙂
I hope that your craft shows go really well 🙂