A Little Adventure: Plan Your Summer

You know what The Cars say in their song Magic: "Summer, it turns me upside down." 

Yep, I have to agree. No matter the stage of your In Progress life, you just have to love summer. Several years ago, I stumbled upon a podcast with Gretchen Rubin about designing your summer. At the time, I was teaching first grade and knew I wanted to get the most from my summer (a little rest and recharge). Contrary to popular belief, summer for educators is four to six weeks at best. That time could slip away in a snap. Gretchen's premise was if you designed your summer, you'd find you had accomplished more. Diligently I sat down and made a plan. At the end of that summer, I had to agree the summer plan had helped me do most of the things I had hoped. 

Since then, as soon as the brown from winter begins to turn green, I start to make a plan. A few weeks ago, when Gretchen discussed a summer design plan again, it did bring me pause. I couldn't help but wonder, "Do I need to take the time to design my summer now that my time isn't as constrained by work obligations?" After a bit of thought, I decided that no matter your season of life, your work constraints, or the flexibility in your schedule, designing your summer makes such a difference that it is worth the time. When I take the time to create my plan for the summer, I spend my summer days with greater intention. I make time for all the things I enjoy.

Here's what I knew I wanted to prioritize in my design:

1. My One Little Word: SHINE.
2. The goals I have set for this year. 
3. The weather! It's summer!!!!

In past summers, travel would have dominated my summer list, but now that I can travel anytime in a calendar year, I can set other priorities. I began by reviewing my goals for 2023, then set my priorities in alignment with this direction. Across this summer, I'll be searching for the magical 3 of each of these:

• authors I love
• favorite trails
• spaces that inspire poetry
• the best stop-and-jot ideas
• patios in our area

I want summer to flow softly; I don't want to be tied to work that feels heavy. Still, determining planned outcomes helps to give me direction to make the most of summer days. It's like knowing I am driving to the city, but I have the time to take any route to get there.

No matter where you are in your In Progress life, spend a little time designing your summer. Make it intricate, or keep it simple. It's all up to you. It's fun to sit down and dream a little. What do you want to make sure you have experienced, accomplished, or just enjoyed before summer ends? Go ahead and make a plan, then let summer turn you upside down.