The following is a guest post about how to stay motivated and organized during the summer from regular contributor, Kristin at The Gold Project.
Summer is definitely the time for relaxation and sun, but it can also be a time when you struggle to get anything accomplished. How can you stay indoors and focused when the sun is shining and the pool is calling your name? There are definitely some ways that I stay motivated and I wanted to share them with you today.
Make a Daily To Do List
It should come as no surprise that I make to do lists daily, even in the summer. I always have my planner with me and I am always marking things down that need to get done. Even when I am home during the summer months (I am a school teacher), my planner stays on my desk opened at all times. When I get up in the morning, I will look through my daily to do list while I am having my coffee. I get my mind together and ready to tackle everything I have listed down for the day. The simple act of marking things off of my list gives me such satisfaction. Can anyone else relate?
Keep a Routine
Even in the summer, I try to keep a general routine. I try to get up at the same time every morning. I will do the same things after my morning coffee. And, the afternoons are pretty much scheduled because both of my kids are in extracurricular activities. So, we have to make sure we eat, get ready, and head out of the door at the right time.
I like having a schedule and routine. It keeps me focused and helps my kids out as well.
Don’t Stay Up Too Late
This is the area that can really get out of hand if we let it. Even though there isn’t a set time for us to get up, we don’t need to sleep the day away. My husband still has to get up and go to work by 8:00 am too. So, we try to keep pretty consistent with bedtimes. Baths are taken and we are in bed at around the same time as we would be during the school year.
Don’t Overload Your Day
Yes, a daily to do list is important. But, don’t make the list so long that you feel like a failure before you even begin. I like to narrow my list down to the top 5 things that I want to accomplish that day. Anything beyond those five things are a bonus. But, if I don’t get to the extras, then it isn’t a big deal. Those extra tasks can always get moved to the next day, especially if they are not vital ones.
Allow Yourself Time to Relax
It might come as a shock that I have relaxing on a list of ways to stay motivated, but it is very important. If you don’t give yourself time to rest from anything, you will get burnt out. My husband is a coach and he is really big on this idea. He always pushes rest and time away for his athletes. So, allow yourself time to go to the pool, read, take a nap, or to do something that brings you joy.
For me, this usually involves watching some YouTube videos or even taking a nap. Naps are things I don’t get a lot of during the school year.
How do you stay motivated and focused during the summer months?
My name is Kristin and I am a middle school career education teacher by day and a mommy/wife/blogger by night. I am married to my high school sweetheart and we have two loving children. We recently made a life-changing move to Arkansas, so our new house is always under construction. I get excitement out of finding new creative, functional, and cute ways to organize things! I also enjoy writing and documenting life as it happens. So, I put these loves together and created The Gold Project. With the help of my husband, I am attempting to turn our house into a home. So, check out this special place of mine and take this journey with me!
Sabrina Mix says
Great tips!
This post should be renamed to: How To Stay Motivated and Organized During Your Life.
These are endless tips.
xoxo