Yes, it’s the middle of June! Summer is just getting started. You may decide to take this summer as a resting period or one of discovery. In this blog post, we will be discussing actionable steps you can take to build your summer plan. Even better if you use your little black book or your Notion (winks) to write all of this down.
Theme Months
One of the best things you can do is breaking down your goals. In our current book club reading, Mr. Tully explains that “big decision might actually be small choices” (39) and he is correct! Making your goal seem too big in your head is anxiety-inducing and you do not want this. You can start breaking your goals down into the “theme month” category. For example, one month you decide to research and learn about the best ways to take care of your health vs the next month is about beauty. See the difference?
It’s much better to give yourself time to focus on as much attention as your goal needs for an entire 30-31 days. You will build the habit this way.
Visualization
After you decide to go on your plan, you need someplace to write it down. A visualization is a key tool that you can use to understand where your path is going forward. It is also a great tool to get used to for your other goals.
I use a system of paper and digital products like my paper agenda, my phone calendar, and productivity tools like Notion & Todoist to organize this process. These visualization tools make actionable steps for you to take on a day-to-day basis.
My Todoist where I keep track daily of my goals
My Notion where I organize my goal of learning a language here
Take Stock
You need to take stock of what you are doing right now before you begin your plan. For example, if you are working a 6-day/week job and you want to be able to take a Saturday to do something, you might need to switch your work schedule. Are you willing to reduce your hours for your goal? These are things you want to think about along with time, money, and rest.
You can make big plans however, you need to take stock of your reality. Shifts will always be needed in your world once you decide to explore more. It may show up in long nights of studying another language, getting up early to go hiking, spending some money to learn a new skill, etc. Assess, plan and reflect.
Flexibility
The one thing people forget is to be flexible with their plans. Things can change within them. You may find yourself loving a goal so much for one month that you continue to build upon it through the next month. That’s perfectly okay too! Being flexible with your planning gives you more options to the choice or reflect on in the future.
Utilize the tools from this blog post, the past ones, and the current book club as a way to build your summer plans for the better. You have the power to develop a great one this summer and see it through!