Summer Time, excellent! (and valuable tips to make your summer feel like you're making it awesome)
Did you catch my attempt at a Wayne's World reference? lol! The official start of summer (according to Mother Nature) starts on Sunday, but I am guessing that you have already been up to some summertime fun :)
Summer Time
The Summer Solstice represents peak daylight and a shift toward shorter days, which I feel is ironic since summer is really just getting started and the days seem to still stretch endlessly ahead. And there is so much more growth and abundance ahead. So if you are feeling like you have had your peak moment in life, take a cue from Mother Nature and remember that there is so much to look forward to, even when things try to tell you differently.
“let us live like flowers
wild and beautiful
and drenched in sun”
How are you planning on enjoying summer? Do you like to enjoy the lazy hazy days of summer and then cram in all the fun at the end or do you plan adventures throughout? After a year of not really feeling like we could plan much of anything, it is feeling really weird to feel like we can go places again. Are you feeling the same?
In an attempt to not let summer totally float away and to live up to my summer mantra, I've already crossed off a couple things on both my personal bucket list and the one I have for the family to kickstart the fun. Did you forget to download yours? Grab your free printable summer bucket list below.
Using the bucket lists, I can use that as a guide to help me feel like I'm keeping track of the most meaningful things I want to do to make it a memorable few months. I'm also working on rethinking my daily calendar as mini-bucket lists by using time blocks. This used to intimidate me, but I figured out a way to sort of trick my mind to embrace it by giving it an element of fun!
Need to take something off your plate?
Time Blocking
I posted on Instagram about an article I read that talked about the benefits of time blocking and something clicked about finally trying it! I mean like you, I’m always trying to cram in one more thing, even if it’s not high on the productivity scale. There is always something I wanted to look up, check on, start on or finally finish.
After some quick research on Pinterest, I realized that time blocking is just putting your to-do list on a calendar, thereby kicking procrastinating to the curb.
To get started, do a quick brain dump of the immediate and pressing things you need to get done across all areas of your life (a good brain dump is a huge help in itself- name it to tame it)
Include daily self-preservation (aka self-care) things that you need to include as well like reading, exercising, hobby you enjoy.
Then at the end of each day, plan out what of those activities/tasks you will plan on doing the next day and in what bucket. You don’t need to plan it out with an amount of time for each task (my biggest hang up), just by each bucket. Keep in mind your goals and highest priorities.
These are the buckets that work for me-
☀️ Morning Block
💻 AM Work Block
🥗 Lunch
💻 PM Work Block
🌙 Evening Block
In the morning, start working your plan! Do your best to stick to the tasks you planned for each bucket but honoring your mental, physical and time capacity.
As you utilize this method, you will-
Get better at planning more realistically
Be more efficient because you’re not multitasking
Get out of reactive mode, because you are working from a plan for each section of the day
Feel like you are keeping promises to yourself
Tell me about your tips for managing your to-do list and planning in time to enjoy yourself. I'd love to hear how this works for you and what's on your summer and daily bucket lists!
Share with a friend
Know a friend who could use a tip like this? Share this post or tag them in a comment on one of my Instagram posts and help them feel inspired to live a life that lights them up!
*post may contain affiliate links
Stephanie Rose is a mom, wife, business owner and a forever student in finding ways to know herself better. She acts as guide for your own journey, sharing insights, tools and practices to help you remember your magic and live a life that lights you up. Sign up for her newsletter and check out her free resources.
Related entries
Feeling like your schedule is overwhelming you and draining the life out of you? Noticing the dynamics of what is pushed onto your plate versus what you pull in is key in moving toward living a life that lights you up. Read to discover the power of time autonomy and how to build it into your life.