How do I set achievable summer goals?
I’m one of those people who finds this time of year extremely energizing and inspiring. The bright mornings and long evenings, the sudden abundance of sunlight after months in the dark, the spirited birdsong, the frenzied squirrel activity, the new flowers and vegetables that appear every time I step in the garden.
When it’s hot out, I like to take long walks round my neighborhood in the mornings and evenings. Like many other people, I find my walks are an excellent time to let my ideas percolate, and I’m often surprised by the little breakthroughs that come to me by the time I’m back home.
All of this can add up to a time of creative fertility and spaciousness, if we’re lucky. But I also think most of us are familiar with the strange tricks that time can play in the months between May and September. One moment you’re scheming about the article you’re going to revise and resubmit, the book proposal you’re going to send off, the conference panel you’re going to organize…and then the next moment it’s August 15th and you’ve got to start prepping for the fall.
Making Achievable Summer Goals
This can be a great time to both dream big about our intentions for the summer and also get real with ourselves about what is actually possible. Try setting aside half an hour to do the following:
Make a list of everything you’d like to accomplish this summer. Big or small, likely or a little implausible, get it all down. If there’s a deadline, write that down, too. Extra credit if you have a rough sense of how long the task will take.
Go through the list and underline the non-negotiable things, and then put a little star next to the things that you’d really like to do.
Now, look the calendar. What commitments do you have? Are you traveling? Hosting visitors? Will you be on childcare duty? Are you teaching a summer class? And when do you really have to start thinking about the fall semester (I recommend pushing this date as late as you possibly can)?
Once you’ve blocked off all the commitments—also known as times when you really can’t expect yourself to be working—look at what you have left. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just a few weeks, perhaps a month or six weeks if you’re lucky. It may be a random smattering of days sprinkled here and there throughout the summer.
Spend a few minutes considering your ideal work day or writing routine, within these parameters you’ve just set for yourself in step 4. How many hours a day or week will be realistic? Would you like to get up early to make the most of the cooler weather, before picking the kids up from daycare? Are you excited to lean into your night-owl tendencies during the summer? Use this information to get even clearer about the time you’ll have to work with.
Revisit your list of goals. Given what you now know about the time available, think hard about what’s possible. Create a shorter list that feels aligned with this reality. Focus on the underlined items, but also give special priority to the ones with the little stars. And keep the longer list, it might come in handy next summer.
Bonus: if you’re someone that thrives with structure, try assigning your own deadline for each goal, to help the summer feel less like an amorphous expanse.
Get started on your list! I strongly recommend also setting some check-in dates throughout the summer (perhaps weekly or twice a month), when you can assess your progress and make any tweaks that may be required.
Happy Writing!
Feature image credit: Ostap Senyuk on Unsplash
