Summer Self-Care

This summer things haven’t slowed down. I’m happy about it, but I can smell the suntan lotion and hear the seagulls, taste a cool cocktail as the sun gets low in the sky. Being busy is more draining when you feel the pull of summer. In the first few years of my business, I took three weeks off in August. My kids were small and things tended to slow down, so why not. Over the years I’ve learned to hold that time religiously because every single year, I come back with so much creative energy.

I know most people can’t take that much time, but it is important to restore yourself. Here are a few of my favorite time management tools to create space for fun and recreation:

• Schedule fun and friend time first. Put these on your calendar and plan work around them. If you let things happen spontaneously (especially with kids in the mix), it won’t happen
• Plan by quarter. Decide what you want to accomplish three months at a time, and only do those things.  Put the rest on a list for next quarter. And please, keep the list short in summer
• Close each week by looking at the major things you got done, ask why each is important, what further progress would look like, and what are the immediate next steps. Put those on the list for Monday

Time management isn’t just about getting more done, it’s about feeling satisfied with your efforts.

That’s it.  Short and sweet.  Have fun!