Summer brings longer days, warm nights,
barbeques and backyard get-togethers, outdoor markets, and blooming
gardens. Some people have the benefit of
vacation time during the summer months or a more relaxed work environment.
However, for many, summer can be just as busy and demanding of time and energy
as the rest of the calendar year. Though your responsibilities may not lessen
with the coming of warmer weather it might be beneficial to take ten minutes to
think with purpose and intention about how you allot your time, attention, and
energy this summer. Your goals need not be overly complicated, and in fact, the
summer might be the ideal time to focus upon attainable goals. For example:
If you are in school this summer you might
focus upon thinking thoroughly about how you will approach a major assignment
as soon as it is assigned. Commit to
genuinely exploring and thinking critically about the topic as opposed to
completing it as quickly as possible (at the last minute!) just to get it done.
If you have children you might focus on
playing outside with them more or working outside while they play nearby. You might also consider fostering an interest
in the natural environment by picking one topic to explore together (even for
thirty minutes) and conduct research on—e.g. ant colonies, the influence of
different weather systems upon regional weather, invasive plant species.
If you are attempting to respond to
multiple demands and handle multiple projects at work, you might consider
carving out an hour or two to tackle a piece of work that facilitates all of
the others—e.g. Making a skeletal outline of your responsibilities,
prioritizing them, and then skimming through and sorting emails according to
your deadlines.
If you are grappling with issues in your
personal life that seem to be taking over your thoughts, you might consider
giving yourself permission to take a daily ‘vacation’ from the issue. This
vacation is merely an amount of time where you focus your thoughts upon
something else in your life—e.g. exercising for half an hour and tuning into
how your body feels with each of your movements, or look up You Tube videos of
a favourite comedian, or for an hour, listen to music closely and try to focus
upon hearing all of the lyrics or all of the instruments involved.
Whether your summer will be filled with
relaxation and leisure pursuits, hustling to fulfill multiple roles and meet
various expectations—or a combination of both—the summer of 2014 might provide
you with a wonderful chance to approach your life with a new sense of
intentionality, and hopefully, Bliss!
By Bliss Specialist Heather
