How to Stay Productive During the Summer Months
Summertime calls for leisure and fun. It’s that time of year where the sunshine and heat draws us outside, whether to work or to just have fun. Summer weather makes it just too easy and convenient for us to shirk our goals, especially if those goals involve working from home.
We all live for summer because we want to spend as much time outdoors as possible. And consequently, more often than not, our time management skills suffer.
Believe it or not; summer is actually the best time of the year to pursue your goals. But, how do you manage to stay productive throughout the summer months?
Make plans. Small ones
Yes, that’s right. Make plans. Small ones. This doesn’t mean you just make plans for a holiday, although that’s important too. At the end of each week, sit down and jot down everything you want and need to accomplish throughout the following week. You can also download the Minute Journal app onto your phone or tablet and journal your daily and weekly plans.
2. Mornings are best for work
If you’re self-employed, you will know that mornings are the best time of day for work, especially during the summer months.
As hard as it is at times to rise early, it’s much better to do so at any time of the year. That is because your mind is most alert in the morning. The earlier you start work, the earlier you are able to finish, which leaves you more time during the day for fun and other leisurely activities. And morning is the coolest time of the day during the summer months, which makes it much more comfortable to work in.
3. Decide your schedule
This goes hand in hand with weekly and daily planning and goal-setting.
Decide on how many hours per day you are willing to work.
Decide on how many days and which days per week you plan on working, and block those off on your calendar.
Notify your clients of your schedule so they know what to expect from you.
4. Adhere to your schedule but don’t take on too much
Once you create your summer schedule and your clients know your availability between the end of May and early September, you must adhere to it and notify them of any holidays you’re planning on taking.
At the same time, be mindful of how much work you plan to take on. While you want to make sure you’re earning more than enough to just get by, you don’t want to toil away your summer with no fun. After all, it is summer. Everyone needs a well-deserved break to have some fun in the sun, including yourself.
Most of us don’t want to acknowledge the fact that summer is short and autumn comes faster than we realize.
If you want to make more money come the end of September, now is the best time to get started. If you are currently relying on a summer seasonal job in order to build your freelance writing or virtual assistant career, you probably realize that jobs are far more in abundance during the spring and summer months. This is why now is the best time to get started.
If you want something bad enough, you will work hard to achieve it regardless the season. And yes, it is absolutely possible to create a balance of work and fun throughout the summer months. It all depends on how you decide to organize your time.