How to Stay Motivated During The Hot Summer Months
Do you ever feel like Summertime is the most difficult time of year to stay motivated? Between the kids being out of school, the weather heating up, and the seemingly automatic “vacation mode” that sets in, it can be challenging to keep your pace with professional, family, or fitness goals!
Routine
Getting into a routine can be one of the best ways to boost your summer productivity and motivation. If the season brings changes to your family situation, such as kids being home, relatives visiting, etc., then your routine might need to be adjusted to fit the “new normal.” Or, if the projects or client landscape seem to shift at work during the summer months, take a look at your existing day-to-day work routine and find ways to switch it up to better accommodate the circumstances and better accomplish what needs to get done.
Once you hone in on the right routine, stick to it as much as you can. The ability to be flexible is an important one, but getting into a groove with a daily or weekly schedule and routine can really help you keep the momentum you need to zoom through the summer season.
Goals
Take some time to review some of your short- and long-term goals. Don’t have any at the moment? Now’s a great time to create some awesome goals to work towards!
Long-term goals help you keep “the big picture” in mind and inspire you to keep moving forward and reaching for what you really want in life. I love the idea of making a list of dreams, goals, or things you want to achieve in 5 years, then in 3 years, then in 1 year. Starting with the longer term and breaking it down to a 1-year timeframe really puts things in perspective!
Short-term goals definitely play a part in making your longer-term dreams come true, but they can also be completely unique and separate from your long-term plans, too. Short-term goals can be simple things like weekly or monthly fitness and nutrition targets or daily work objectives.
Identifying your goals and reviewing them often is a great way to keep your eye on the prize and to keep the desire to chase your dreams alive and well.
Indulge
Give yourself permission to indulge in some of the joys of Summer! It’s important to keep a healthy balance of work vs play, focus vs fun, and pressing forward vs chilling out. Too much of one or the other can throw your momentum off and lead to a summer full of stress!
Remember to take time for yourself. Rest, rejuvenate, and replenish your energy so that you can continue to tackle the days and weeks ahead with enthusiasm. Put yourself into the times when you have to work hard and focus hard so that you can enjoy some free time and recreation later! As you intentionally pursue both ends of the summer spectrum, you’ll be at your best… and when you’re at your best, you’ll feel inspired, motivated, and jazzed to keep moving forward.
Summertime
Before you know it, these long warm days will blow away with a cool Fall breeze and you’ll be wishing Summer would last longer. Take advantage of the time you have in this summer to get into a healthy, productive routine, identify and review your goals, and indulge in some of the best parts of the season!
Leave a Reply