Summer Avoidance to Summer Commitment

Feeling a little off kilter this summer? Is your routine out of whack? Are you struggling to find your Mojo? You’re not the only one to feel this way. Today’s story is a little long but I think it is worth the time to read it all.

Many factors play into this “Summer Syndrome”:

·         Longer days and warmer weather

·         Parties, picnics, and the call of the wild

·         A big shift in the daily routine

·         A sudden increase or decrease in free time

Our Avoider part, fed by our “Exhausted Victim”, wants to take the summer off and just chill out.
Our Ambitious part wants to do everything on the To-Do List and then some.
Our Overwhelm part wants to finally figure out a structure or system that will make life easier.
Our Healthy part wants to change the way we are living from every foundational direction – food, exercise, sleep, reading, meditation, etc.

We think we have more time during the summer, and for some of us, we actually do. I’m in a profession where many of my clients say, “I’m going to take it easy this summer, enjoy my family, and practice a more balanced, healthy pace to life.” BRAVO! They might spread out their coaching sessions or take a break until September, which gives me more free time to work on MY stuff!

Other clients are committing to developing NEW goals and habits over the summer so they’ll have better routines and completed projects by this fall.

I, for one, have been inspired to live by the second example. I was struggling with “shoulds” a few months ago, so I came up with a list of possible intentions for the summer; read, get healthy, organize and purge 14 years’ worth of papers and files in my office. I decided to focus on 2 things – my office and my health. So far, I’m doing a pretty stellar job. So much so, that I have only put out two newsletters since April. I won’t beat myself up about it though, I am very proud of myself for all the other things I’ve been doing and I’ve added a third goal of listening to my un-read books on Audible. I can access them from my phone and listen while I walk!

THE BACKSTORY

We built an addition to the house 6 years ago that was designed to be my office. It was beautiful! But about 3 years ago we switched and made it the dining room to accommodate our growing family gatherings during holidays and parties. That required swapping all the furniture, books, décor, etc. We rushed to set up the dining room in time for Thanksgiving dinner, but my office remained a jumbled mess.

My Avoider part really kicked in and for two years I worked from my out-of-home office. When COVID hit, I didn’t renew my lease, requiring me to make room for even more piles of “stuff”.

I moved into my nice neat dining room and continued to avoid the office mess.

Do you ever get to a point where you can’t stand looking at something anymore? The guilt, the shame, the “shoulds” just make it worse. I got that feeling every time I went near my office. I got the same feeling when I looked at how tight my clothes were getting!

So, there I was in May, committing to finally purge and organize my office, a mess that was 14 years in the making. I created a plan to actually go through everything I had and eliminate at least half of the papers I was holding on to. I don’t need notes from 2011 board meetings, or handouts that teach me how to use Twitter for my business (from 2010!), and I don’t need the books that I no longer find interesting. Less is more!

The funny thing about commitments – they make it easier and easier to take action, which helps you accomplish your goals. The more progress I made, the more committed I was to the project. “A few hours a week” became a few hours a day. Week after week I celebrated every empty file folder and every bag that I put in the recycling bin. I’ve shared my struggles, my vision, and finally my results with friends and clients.

Fast forward to late July and I have whittled away at the seemingly impossible mounds and created a room that excites and inspires me! There is more to do and I’m committed to stick to it to the end.

Now about that health goal… I began walking in May, slowly and painfully at first (bad hip), and have logged over 65 miles since then. My hip feels great, my clothes fit a little better, and I’ve proven to myself that I not only HAVE the time to do this, I want to MAKE the time to do this.

I’ve also completed two books on Audible so far; “Atomic Habits,” by James Clear, and “Big Magic,” by Elizabeth Gilbert. Next, I will finish a few books I already started; “What Happened to You,” by Oprah Winfrey and Dr Bruce Perry, and “Crucial Conversations,” by Patterson et al.

The food issue took a little while longer to embrace, but I’m down 5 pounds and feeling very confident. One of my clients inspired me so much that I joined her in a “Kitchen Is Closed after 7:30 pm” rule.  I’m about 80% consistent, which is a LOT better than 0% consistent!

I’ve shared my story and now it’s your turn. What ONE important thing will you commit to during this last month of summer?

Next time I’ll share some of my favorite tips from “Atomic Habits” and tell you about my “Walk Around Ireland.” Until then, have a joyful day.