5 Steps to Your Ideal Summer
And just like that, it’s May, and the kiddos are down to one month of school left! And if it’s anything like our households, May can feel just as crazy and busy as December. Last-minute school projects, finals, field trips, etc. It’s like the schools forgot they have the kids for 10 months out of the year and decided to try and cram everything into May lol. And if you’re not careful, this busyness can lead right into summer. Then before you know it, it’s time for school again, and you’re left wondering where the summer went and why you didn’t do any of the things you wanted to do.
So your ideal summer needs to start now. If you start thinking about the things you want to do this summer after school gets out and it’s June, you might be a little too late. We encourage you to take some time now to start thinking about it. And start with yourself first. Ask yourself the following questions. Then sit down with your family and ask them. From there, you can start to create the summer of your dreams.
What’s the summer vibe you’re longing for? Do you want a relaxing summer? A carefree summer? Or do you want a more adventurous summer? Ask yourself and your family what you are craving right now. And be brutally honest, even if it feels impossible to actually have that kind of summer because of busy schedules. You can have the summer you want even if it’s only small pockets of time when you actually get it. Those can still add up to a pretty dreamy summer.
What can you remove from your schedule that’s not an absolute necessity or is actually something you’re dreading? If it’s not going to help you have the summer you’re longing for, say no. Full stop. Complete sentence. No. You don’t owe anyone any kind of explanation. Just politely say, “No, thank you.”
Make a list of all of the activities you’d like to do this summer. Now that you’ve removed the unnecessary and have created more space and time in your calendar, what are the big and small activities that you’d like to see happen to make your summer exactly what you want it to be? Is it a beach day or going to the lake? Maybe it’s a picnic in the backyard. Or maybe there’s a dream summer vacation you’ve been wanting to take. Now’s as good a time as any.
Try to leave some space. If you now feel like you’ve got a list a mile long and not enough time during the summer, try to narrow down your list to the most important items to allow your summer to still have some free space. Days that you can be spontaneous. Or days that you’re able to do nothing but relax and soak up the sunshine. Don’t overpack your schedule because, in the end, trying to have your ideal summer shouldn’t feel stressful. Go back to the vibe you’re trying to have. If it fits in with that theme, do it. If it doesn’t, maybe it goes on the back burner for another time.
Who do you want to spend your time with? We all have people in our lives that make things better and that make things worse. Choose as much as possible to spend your time this summer with those who are going to add to your happy summer memories. Spending time with friends and family can be so uplifting. Get your kids together with other kids. They can help keep each other entertained while you get a chance to talk to and laugh with your friends. Some of our favorite summer memories here at The Union are because of the people we spent time with.
We hope you’re already dreaming of all the possibilities for this summer. With a little bit of thought and pre-planning, you can be well on your way to the summer of your dreams.
