Tips For Planning A Great Summer (And Making The Most of Your Time)

Summer is in the air. For many of us, the start of summer brings up feelings of excitement. The summer season comes with so many opportunities for fun. I’ve been feeling inspired, and I have a lot of things I want to accomplish this summer. If you are someone who likes to set goals and plan, you might also feel inspired going into the summer. But you might also wonder how you can make the most of your summer and achieve your summer goals.

The best way to set yourself up for success in achieving your goals this summer is to make a plan. This post will give you tips on how you can plan your summer to have the best summer possible.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Set Intentions For The Summer

Figure out the overarching themes you want your summer to encompass. Getting clear on your intentions will help you determine specific goals that are aligned with your main focus.

Summer Intention Examples:

Mindfulness. Spend more time living in the present moment.

Connection. Spend quality time with your loved ones.

Creativity. Spend time tapping into your creative hobbies and passions.

These are just examples to give you some inspiration. Your intentions can be anything that feels meaningful to you and don’t have to resemble these at all.

Make a List of Activities/Determine Your Summer Goals

Sit down with a notebook or your computer (or whatever is your preferred goal-setting method) and brainstorm everything you want to achieve this summer.

Do you have activities you’ve been wanting to do and/or hobbies you’ve been wanting to pick up? There is no better time to start than the present! Make a list of everything you’ve been wanting to accomplish, from professional goals to fun outings with friends. You will use this list in the next step to plan out your summer. Plus you can draw from this list for inspiration when you have some free time.

Photo by Evgenia Basyrova: https://www.pexels.com/photo/watermelon-on-plate-by-swimming-pool-4995094/

Make a Plan for Your Summer Goals

Look at the list of summer activities/outings/hobbies/goals/etc. that you just created. 

Use your calendar to plan out time for each of those objectives. This is going to look different depending on what your summer goals are.

For example, if you want to spend more time cooking, you can dedicate one night per week to trying out a new recipe. If you want to spend more time in nature, you can choose one day of the week to participate in something outdoors.

Make Daily/Weekly Schedules

I’m going to take this a step further and make weekly and daily schedules for myself, adding in all of the activities I want to try out. I know I have a tendency to dream big when it comes to goals and then not make time for all of them. This method is my attempt to make sure I create time to do the things that are important to me. I recommend trying this scheduling method out, especially if you are also someone who struggles to make time for yourself. This is not meant to be a rigid schedule, and I do not recommend overloading yourself with so many activities that you end up feeling overwhelmed. Try to just focus on scheduling a few activities at a time. This is just to give you a flexible guideline that will help you make the most of your time and have a better chance of achieving your goals. 

Practice Mindfulness

If you feel like summer goes by too fast, try to combat that experience by practicing mindfulness and staying in the present moment as much as possible. Staying present will help you get the most out of the fun activities you are planning. If you are new to the concept of practicing mindfulness, looking up guided mindfulness meditation is a good place to start. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a also good book to check out if you want to learn more about living in the present.

Remember that using your senses is a simple and effective way to practice mindfulness. Make an effort to focus on little details around you, like colors, sounds, and smells. 

Photo by Engin Akyurt: https://www.pexels.com/photo/beige-straw-hat-book-sunglasses-and-drink-beside-pool-3019008/

Spend Time Outside

Summer and spending time outside go hand-in-hand. There are also many benefits to spending time outside, including getting a natural mood boost. You can get outside by planning an excursion and going on a hike or taking a trip to the beach. Or you can keep it more lowkey and spend time in your backyard or a local park. 

Making Plans With Friends/Family

Spending time with loved ones is another activity that fits in naturally with the summer season. Whether it is a family vacation (or staycation) or day trips with friends, finding opportunities for connection is a great way to spend your summer and make meaningful memories.

I would also suggest checking out apps like Meetup and/or finding local groups in your area to meet new people and participate in events that you might not usually attend. 

Summer Activity Ideas:

Take Time To Relax

Prioritize self-care and relaxation this summer and see how much looking after yourself can improve your energy levels and mental health. I’m personally still learning the balance between making plans with others and taking some alone time to recharge. That balance will look different for everyone. Depending on what your life looks like, summer may not mean that 100% of your time is free time. Even if you have other things going on in your life, like a job, taking care of a family, or summer school, I still highly encourage you to carve out time to relax. Making an effort to prioritize self-care really does make you feel so much better, which positively impacts the other aspects of your life.

Photo by Erik Scheel: https://www.pexels.com/photo/read-under-a-tree-signage-hanging-on-branch-tree-234118/

How To Determine Your Summer Goals

I think I am a somewhat naturally goal-oriented person. At any given time, there is a running list of things I want to achieve in the back of my mind that I can draw from whenever I want to set specific goals. With the change of the season, I’ve been finding my brain wandering and brainstorming ideas for this summer.

If this is not the case for you, and you find it difficult to come up with goals, here are some suggestions to help inspire you.

Create A Goal-Setting Environment

Set up your environment to get yourself in the mindset to plan your summer. I plan to take time to sit in my backyard on a sunny day with my journal and get specific with my summer plans. I recommend you do something similar. Find a nice spot outside to sit and reflect. Or sit inside by a window, so you can get some natural sunlight. Some other suggestions are to put on a fun summer playlist and light a summer-scented candle. Anything that gets you in the summer mood will help you better visualize what you want the next few months to look like.

Get In Touch With Your Inner Child

Summer always brings up childhood memories of summer vacation. Even though most adults (with some exceptions) don’t get three months of summer break to completely unplug from their responsibilities, I think everyone can still tap into the nostalgic aspects of summer by taking an opportunity to connect with their inner child. Think of things you enjoyed doing when you were little. Activities like painting, coloring, going to the beach, going to the park, reading a fun book, spending time with friends, going out for ice cream, or staying up late watching movies are some ideas that come to mind that can help you get in touch with your inner child this summer. Thinking about how you enjoyed spending your summers as a child can help you determine what activities you want to focus your time on. 

Spending time journaling and reflecting is a helpful way to get some clarity about what you want to achieve in your life and can help you determine your goals. Use my free journal prompts for inspiration to help you plan a great summer!

I hope this helps you make a plan as we head into summer. I would love to hear what your summer goals are! Let me know down below!