Summer brings a change in routine for us all. For some, it’s a “lazy hazy” time. Some of us might be spending the summer with our children and/or taking extended family vacations. For others, we are very busy at work during this time of year as we have seasonal/contracting professions. Some CPA clients I have are quite busy in summer performing audits.
Regardless of how summer affects you, it’s important to take stock. Some steps to getting organized and get yourself set up for the second half of the year that you might consider:
- Know where you are right now.
- Identify where you want to go. Right now, it’s about six weeks or so until the children in our lives will be “back to school”: another transition time. For college students, it’s probably more like 4 weeks away.
- Check in with yourself regularly. Weekly is a good start.
- Follow up. What did you find in your check-in? What should you be doing more of? Less of?
- Adjust your expectations, if that’s needed. Usually, it is.
- Start again at number one!
I remember as a child that we went “back to school shopping” each year at the very beginning of August. That is when Sears & Roebuck had their annual sale and it was time for my sister and I to get outfitted for the inevitable. As a child, school still seemed very far away. It seemed odd to be shopping for closed toe shoes and corduroy pants when it was 90 degrees out. But before we knew it, the cool breezes were blowing and we were walking to the bus during the next “school year”. Little did I know, my mom and the stores had taken stock, identified their goals, and were setting us up for success!
As an adult and a parent, I realize now how life is truly like a roll of toilet paper. The closer to the end we get, the faster it goes! If you don’t want “too tight of a schedule” think of your life as a series of routines with important milestones identified. You CAN be flexible while achieving your goals.