The time between the Summer Solstice and the Fourth of July is always one of delicious anticipation, dreams filled with summer plans, gatherings, family visits or impending travel. While it is technically summer, it somehow feels as though we have all the time in the world to get to the point of rest and relaxation without having to think about school schedules, extra curricular activities, or even (gulp) the holidays. Something happens as that last firecracker rains its final sparks upon our heads, the echoes of the pops and cracks still ringing in our ears. Time speeds up, and summer’s end feels imminent. Our local stores begin to stock the shelves with notebooks, crayons, backpacks, and pens “BACK TO SCHOOL SALE!” screams at us from every entrance. The remnants of the flag cake haven’t even gone stale, and we are thrown once again back into the fray of the life we were so excited to remove ourselves from, if even for a week or two.
Dreams of a slower pace, helped in no small part to the stagnant humidity of the eastern seaboard, or the triple digit temperatures of the west, verdant land shimmering underneath the midday sun over the plains, seem to be just that – dreams – met with the reality that life still moves at a breakneck pace – only for a couple of months that pace is exacerbated by kids being home, extended family piling into our guest rooms and laying on our sofas. And those goals we had as summer was fast approaching? Train for that 5K, make a healthy summer food plan, mind the number of drinks we have at any gathering? Who has time for all of that now?
What if I told you that you could grab some of that time back for yourself, design the summer of your dreams, even as you open up the email with the tuition bill for your daughter’s fall college semester? Here at Human Better EDU, our life coaches can work with you to design the rest of your summer, along with your ideal re-entry to fall.
Our path to getting you to design your life to look the way you want it to look, instead of frantically volleying away the balls in the air coming straight towards your face, is relatively simple. Just a few steps to get you living with intention instead of in reaction for the second half of your summer.
WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS?
What does your dream summer look like? Here at Human Better EDU we like to look at your dreams in twelve areas of life, getting really specific with each area. We will focus in the short term on two or three, but writing your dreams for all twelve areas can help the overall picture feel more manageable.
WHAT ACTIONS CAN YOU TAKE TODAY TO MOVE YOU CLOSER TO YOUR DREAM?
We are all about action here, because as you take action – something as small as drinking ten glasses of water a day when treated as an important commitment, can change the trajectory of your entire day. Stacking small, doable habits that help you to feel forward momentum can pull you out of the tornado of summer activities. You don’t have to make large, sweeping changes, or even give anything up if it isn’t realistic.
HOW WILL YOU STAY ACCOUNTABLE TO YOURSELF?
Those small actions you want to take – the commitment to drink more water, or walk an extra fifteen minutes, or read that book by the author that inspires you – how are you making sure you are following through? We will help you find the incentives that help you to stay committed, while also finding the grace to laugh at yourself when you aren’t perfect (news flash, none of us are!)
When you are able to get some clarity on what you actually want, along with setting up the steps to help get you there, you will begin to see how keeping your commitments to yourself makes you feel proud, and can affect not only the areas of your life you are focusing on, but the others as well. Your insistence on making the small steps a priority in your life might inspire someone else to join you! You can even incorporate a friend or family member to help keep you accountable – make a game of it!
