Every year I feel completely overrun & totally exhausted by the time summer is over. My summer is always filled with fun things – adventures, travels, camping, visits with friends. But, I usually end up completely over-scheduled & feeling like I’ve been run over by a truck by the time September rolls around.

Part of cultivating a good life is not over-scheduling yourself or your family.

Summer is the season of active, Yang energy. It’s the season of going & doing. We’re busy. We want to play. We want to be outside. We want to do everything we can. The inclination is to pack in as much fun & travel as possible.

But, for most of us, that energy level is really difficult to sustain. The constant going & doing really depletes your energy. I usually end up feeling completely frayed & like I’m barely holding it together as I limp into fall.

This year, instead of falling victim to the constant Yang-energy demands of summer, let’s take some precautions, plan ahead & protect our energy, so we don’t end up so run down by the summer’s end.

Here’s some valuable questions that will help you look closely at what your priorities are this summer. Answering these Qs before summer gets rolling will help you make sure everything you schedule in the coming months aligns with your priorities.

1. What is your ideal vision of your summer? What does it look like? How busy are you?

2. What do you envision yourself doing to relax? What would you do if you had a day to do nothing?

3. What are your priorities this summer?

4. Make a list of the top 5 values you want your summer activities to meet.

After you’ve answered these questions, get out your summer calendar & review everything already on your calendar.

For each activity already scheduled ask yourself: does this activity meet the criteria you outlined in the Qs above? Just thinking about the activity, do you feel energized? Or does it drain you? How are you (and your family) being served by this activity?

If anything you already have in your calendar is out of alignment with your summer priorities, if thinking about then already makes you feel drained … cancel it!!

It’s only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important. 

Moving forward into summer, here’s some tips when new invitations come up:

Don’t respond right away. Let people know you need to check your calendar & get back to them.

Take some time, review your calendar & assess what you already have scheduled.

When deciding on new plans, ask yourself the questions in the first two sections above.

Make sure you only agree to activities that meet your summer priorities.

Grab your free
SUMMER SOLSTICE DOWNLOAD

Includes:
5 Ways to Celebrate the Summer Solstice,
and journal Qs for powerful self-reflection.