. A Successful Summer

It is snowing outside right now which makes it an ironically perfect time to talk about summer, because summer (and all its precious opportunities) is less than eight weeks away!

1)  Written Plan. A successful summer always start with a written plan.  Do you know when the kids will be out of school, when the swimming lessons start, what summer school possibilities there are, when your family will be taking days off for a vacation, and when the grandchildren are coming to visit?  And, do you know when school starts again?

Very soon, do yourself a favor and get out the June, July, and August calendars and begin marking them up.

2)  Add Launch and Land Times. After you have an initial idea of when and what, it is time to add “launch” and “land” time periods to your calendar to avoid last-minute pressures and stress (which are going to happen anyway, but with this process we can minimize them).  Plan an hour’s “launch and land” EACH for a one-day activity, a day’s “launch and land” EACH for a week’s worth of vacation, and a day or two of “land” at the end of summer to allow for the transition back to school time schedules.

Mark these time periods on your calendar as though they were appointments.  Actually, they are appointments, but just with yourself.  This gives you permission to take time to pack, to unload the frig of lettuce that will slime, milk that smell, and leftovers that will self-destruct during your vacation.  It allows you time to have a day to wash, answer emails, and pay the bills when you come home after a week’s absence.

3)  To Do Lists. Make up a separate initial “to do list” for EACH upcoming summertime event upon which to make written notes as ideas come to you.  These should be stored someplace convenient for continual updating.  This keeps your head free to focus on other needs and your ideas save until you can address them.

I was glad for the snow today because I have a dozen inside activities which need my attention, but I can feel summer peeking around the corner.  Time to gain control before we get run over and another summer is come and gone without doing, sharing, and feeling as we would want!

Find more helpful ideas in the House of Order Handbook.