Taking Your Advice
When we realize our goals aren’t serving us — we can write new ones!
I don’t see this as a failure or copout. Or some inability to achieve perfection (I mean, it’s not like goals can truly be right or wrong or “perfect” anyway, right?).
But the vague summer ennui I was feeling — well, I feel like that was an inner voice worth listening to. And then you all added your own thoughts + support, which only solidified my thinking.
I am not going to try to start any big new projects this quintile. I am going to work hard to structure my time so that I can be efficient on the days I do work, and enjoy some REAL time off when we are on vacation: 4 days in Chicago (coming up!), 4 days in Philadelphia, and 2 weeks off/away in Vancouver and Alaska. And, I am going to take all 3 mommy 1:1 days and enjoy them.
All of this time away will require planning.
Luckily, I am pretty good at that 🙂
I am not planning on airing reruns, but there may be some shorter episodes and more batch recording.
I am also giving myself permission to order more products to review and try — I find this keeps me excited to share new tips, finds, and often opens my mind to new ways of planning beyond what is actually on the pages.
And finally, I am giving myself permission just not to strive so much over the summer when it comes to work. Growth is good and I want to share my planning techniques + insights with more people, but now just does not feel like the right time to push. This is actually my first summer in quite some time I haven’t had large GME-related projects hanging over my head and I want to enjoy that freedom!
I anticipate in the fall, things will be different. And hopefully having some more efficient rhythms in place from the summer will be helpful.
NEW Q3 (SUMMER) GOALS: Keeping It Simple
Enjoy travel time with family ( + friends, in the case of our long trip!)
1:1 days with each kid
Read a lot of great books; see some summer movies
Continue training plan
Organize: bathroom / bedroom / go through clothes (mine, and then the kids’ prior to start of school) <– this is manageable and hits priority areas.
Turn in estate planning “homework” (it’s one document, I should be able to handle this)
Lead Digital Detox (materials prepped already – workbook looks great!)
Plan ahead for pod-related work so that I can have truly free time during travel + weekends
12 Comments
Looks great, Sarah!! Nice job. 🙂 Now can you do mine? lol. I feel “floundery” too over here but have not achieved this new clarity that you fortunately have! 😉
And mine, please!
Seriously, great job trimming down. I need to create a summer vision or philosophy.
I love this Sarah, well done for leaning in to the fun and granting yourself the grace to adjust goals. Such an important thing for you to do, and also share openly! I wrote a note on my blog year about things to remember about summer, and I have a note to reread it every June (our summer break doesn’t start until the end of July).
Love the quintile adjustment! I freelance and my husband WFH so with the kids out of school I’m the default chauffeur etc. we aren’t going screen-free but made some big adjustments as we were still sort of in our lockdown mode of excessive screen time ha. They are 10 and 12 but the adjustment will take time so I know I’ll need to be available to redirect them at times. I made sure not to take on new clients or big projects, which is huge for me because I sometimes take on too much. But it makes me excited that I’ll have time for some more crafts and reading as I model the screen time behaviors I want them to have.
What is that nice monthy notebook? I shouldn’t ask because I always end up reverting to digital anyways…
That’s super smart to course correct early on. I made my big summer Notion list back in May when teaching wrapped up and told myself my goal is to get 80% ticked off the list. It’s a big list and nothing is weighted but I feel like ticking off a percentage every day is good progress.
I thought my July time away (with kiddo in camp) would be writing heavy (like a retreat) but everything is due in before then so I’m giving myself permission to read and think. It’ll be hot, I’ll probably want to do some touristy wandering, and I don’t want to beat myself up if I don’t get tons of words on the page.
So I’ve revised my time away goals to include reading a book on writing I’ve had on my shelf for ages, doing some outlining, reading some recently published articles. I am going to put my out of office on though so no one pesters me.
It’s an Erin Condren.
Yes it is 🙂 This one: https://www.erincondren.com/monthly-planner-petiteplanner-18-month
Ennui, what a word! I haven’t heard it for years, but it describes how I’m feeling about life in general since the pandemic. I haven’t redound my stride. Thank you for the is thoughtful post, it has given me real food for thought.
Ennui was the word in Wordle a few weeks ago and I had never heard of it. Happy to see it used in real life.
Sounds good! It only makes sense to revise your goals if things aren’t working. I know, it’s so hard to balance everything. It sounds like you have a good plan, and I like how “read a lot of great books” is on your goal list!
This has inspired me to step back from my ambitious goals for the next couple of weeks. I have been trying to finish a project right as my kids transition to their summer routine, which is not helping me be my best self in any capacity. So I’m stepping back until I actually have childcare; delaying my progress by a few days is not going to matter long-term, but being an open, relaxed, not-exhausted parent will.
Also – today I gave my kindergarten graduate his first “big kid” notebook, an EC Handwriting and Story Journal. He loved it and has already started writing his first entry! So proud.
Love the new headshot!!!