Today’s big idea is my best tip for ensuring that you actually DO all the summery things that you love the most, so that you don’t roll up to September with that nagging feeling that you didn’t have the summer that you wanted. And that is to make a summer bucket list. Except I don’t love that term, so let’s call it something else. Let’s call it Goals for a Glorious Summer.
I’m not saying you need to get Type A and over-achiever-y about summer. But there are only 13 weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day. If you don’t have some basic idea of what you want to do, people you want to see, and experiences you want to have, odds are good that you won’t get to them.
Listen to the Podcast Here
That’s where making a list of Goals for a Glorious Summer comes in
This really doesn’t need to be any more complicated than a good old fashioned list that you put somewhere where you and the people you might be doing these things with can see them on a daily basis. Tack it up on the fridge, write it on the white board in your kitchen, or put it somewhere that makes the most sense for you and your people.
Making a list of Goals for a Glorious Summer is a great exercise to do with your family–to ask what everyone wants to make sure that you do during the summer, and then write it all down so that it all gets captured. Think of your favorite summer spots and activities; things you’ve done before that you want to do again; as well as things you haven’t done yet that you really want to try. When something feels really important, put a star next to it. You don’t have to think of every single thing this first time out, you can certainly add as you think of more.
Why take the time to actually write these things down and hang them up where you can see them?
Here’s the deal. If you don’t write down your goals for a glorious summer, you’ll forget what they are. And that means, you probably won’t do them.
Making a list of the things you want to do during the summer will help you a) remember them, so that when you find yourself with a free day or weekend, you won’t have to wonder what you should do and b) help inspire you to actually do them. If you look at that list in July and see 20 things you still haven’t done, it will light a fire under your butt, I promise you!
Of course, this isn’t about simply ticking things off a list. It’s just about putting some forethought into what kind of a summer you want to have. Which makes it a lot more likely that your vision will come to pass.
Some of the things on our Goals for a Glorious Summer are:
going to the drive-in, swimming once a week, going camping, having dinner on the beach, going on a picnic, visiting our Connecticut relatives, and making sure we go to all three of our favorite ice cream spots at least once.
Daily Tiny Assignment
Your tiny assignment is to, right now or as soon as you can, write down your goals for a glorious summer. This is just a start. Maybe you can talk about what the other people in your life want to do tonight at dinner, and you can add those to the list, too. We’re still at the very beginning of summer, so now is the perfect time! Come September, you’ll be so glad you did.
I posted our Summer Bucket List — it’s so not fancy, you’ll see — on Instagram, where I’m @katehanleyauthor. I’d love to see yours!! Post yours too and tag me.
And be sure to come back tomorrow when I’m talking to Katy Bowman, author of the brand new book Grow Wild, about how to get kids outside and moving more.
