Get-organized-for-summer

A big thank you to everyone who posted questions about getting organized for the summer! It was fun to read your questions and hear about your summer challenges. I’ll be answering some of the specific questions soon, but wanted to start the blog series with some general posts about getting organized for summer. These initial posts will be applicable to anyone with a summer schedule change or conflicting priorities during the summer. Which is a lot of us, I think!

From reading your questions, and from my own personal experience working at home during the summer, one of the biggest challenges about summer is conflicting priorities. On the one hand, we want summer to be a carefree, spontaneous, open-schedule time of year similar to the summers of our childhood. But on the other hand, we have stuff to get done! Shouldn’t we put all that summer free-time to good use? Then you add in fun stuff you want to do like vacations, camps, and other things to keep the kids entertained, and suddenly it’s hard to know which end is up!

So before we get too far into planning for the summer, the first step is to become clear about your own priorities. What do you want out of the summer? That’s what we’re going to be talking about first. Today, I’d like to ask you this question:

Quote-when are you at your best copy

Now you may be wondering what this has to do with getting organized for summer. And I think, quite a bit. See, if you’re a mom of kids who will be home for the summer, or if you’re in charge of keeping things running smoothly at your home and you want the summer to run smoothly, it’s really important that you are running smoothly. You set the tone for your whole family, so it’s a great idea to understand what makes you tick and to know when you are at your best.

Have you ever thought about that before—when are you at your best? I have. In fact, I’ve been thinking about it quite a lot lately. Some things have changed in my schedule over the past few months, and in the process, some of the things that help me feel my best and be at my best, have fallen by the wayside. And this can easily happen in the summer, too, without some forethought and planning.

So now is a great time for me to reconnect with what makes me tick. And I’d like to invite you to join me in the process. Simply start by answering the question:  When are you at your best? Then, jot down anything and everything that comes to mind. Here’s my list, in no particular order:

I am at my best when…

  • I am well rested.
  • I have something fun to look forward to.
  • I am working on an important or inspiring project or goal.
  • I am healthy.
  • I exercise at least three times per week.
  • I feel fit and feel good about my body. (This one is especially important for me in the summer, by the way.)
  • I feel good about what I’m wearing.
  • I spend time outside.
  • I have some quiet time and alone time each and every day.
  • I have space to think and let my mind wander.
  • My house is organized, clean and clutter-free.
  • I feel in control of my to-do list.
  • My to-do list has fun stuff on it!
  • My family is healthy and happy.
  • I have time to spend with the people I love.
  • I am spending my time with fun, positive and supportive people.

How about you? When are you at your best? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Or if you’d like to brainstorm this privately, simply capture your thoughts on a piece of paper. We’ll be using these thoughts soon for the next step in our summer planning process. So make sure to really give this some thought. And thanks so much for sharing your thoughts in the comments. I love hearing from you.

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