By Lea Bullen -
It is a natural human tendency to use changes in seasons as indicators that it is a time to reflect on achievements of the passing season and to set goals for the beginning season.
Some people get depressed as the seasons change, while others develop hope for a better season to come. You can choose to be among the latter group. As you begin your next summer, set some goals that are important to you.
Matching Summer Perspiration with Inspiration
Take stock of your desires – What is it that you want to do to get what you want and need at this moment? Do you wish you could be closer to others? Do you want to know more about something? Do you want more adventure? You can make these things happen this summer.
You might have been putting in a lot of overtime all winter and spring and are ready for some family time and adventure.
Do you feel like something is missing from your life? You’ve probably already started making resolutions.
Be honest with yourself about what you want – One of the best ways to do this is to create a list of long-term goals. From this list, you can create short-term goals for the summer that will take you closer to these long-term goals. It will require a great deal of self-awareness. You can subdivide your list into personal and career goals.
Your personal goals could include such things as handling your temper better with your kids or getting more regular exercise.
However, you shouldn’t limit yourself to general concepts. Specific goal such as hiking up your favorite mountain or visiting a specific country are good short-term goals.
Your professional goals could include becoming an expert on a specific topic or getting your monthly reports done a day early.
You may have more ambitious goals too. You might want to ask for a raise after completing your next big project.
Whether you’re on vacation or working most of the summer, your short-term professional goals can be things to enhance your career or to get better at working with specific employees.
Keep your family updated on your schedule and goals for the summer – Unless your goals are all individualistic, you need to explain them to your family and give them a vision for why they’re important. Getting family support will enhance your attempt at an inspired summer.
Don’t forget your closest friends in your planning. In many cases you will have similar goals that are much more rewarding when achieved together.
Spend as much time as possible around those who inspire you. These people will make your goals more attainable and rewarding.
Go wherever you want to go – Sometimes you’ll feel that you have to go around the world to see something just because you’ve never done it, while other times you’ll feel that you have been everywhere but spent little quality time in your own home. The important thing is that you do something you like that is different than what you normally do.
Perhaps you’ve just wanted time at home to begin work on the book you’ve always wanted to write. Or, maybe you want to go somewhere inspirational to get your mind running on ideas for that book.
Make sure you have at least three clear short-term goals – When you’ve completed these, you should feel you’ve had an inspired summer.
Make copies of your list and post them around the house where you’ll see them regularly.
Putting together the inspired summer you want is merely a matter of assessing, discussing, and following up with what you want to do this summer. So get started on your most inspired summer of all time.
Lea is a certified life coach and conscious living advocate. She enjoys helping others reach their potential and achieve true happiness. Start paving your path to happiness with a free copy of the Redesign Your Life eBook atLeadingEdgeAdvocate.com. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
