By Sunny Simon
Summer has arrived in the Coachella Valley. Those of us who haven’t closed up shop and headed to the beach, set sails for an ocean cruise or rented a chalet high in the mountains, are planted on the desert floor dealing with consistent triple digits. This day-after-day season of blazing hot sun and blowing air conditioners is in infancy. We have a long way to go before the climate changes inviting us to open our windows, sip coffee on our patios and throw a steak on the grill at five o’clock.
This year I have decided to take advantage of the sizzling summer sun driving me indoors by indulging in a strategic hibernation. It is both refreshing and productive to pull back from the business of season. I’ll indulge in some rethinking and realigning my goals, in addition to doing a clean sweep of some of areas in my life where physical and emotional clutter tie me down. Interested in joining me on this venture? Please read on.
Let’s begin with a flash-back. Make time to review and appreciate what you have accomplished between New Year’s Day and mid-June. Consider the good, the bad and any lingering situations. Next make a clean sweep. Extend a mental high-five for your achievements, note the lessons learned from the missteps and devise a plan to deal with any unresolved issues along with a way to avoid the problem in the future.
Okay, at this point we’ve wiped the slate clean, let’s move on to reset mode. Perhaps you did not make the adequate progress on a goal. Understand that change takes time. Take another swing at it by breaking it down into baby steps. Try opting for assistance and load up on tips. My favorite “go to” for advice is a book by executive coach M.J. Ryan entitled: “This Year I Will.” Try employing technology to keep you moving forward by enlisting some recommended apps. Check out SMART GOALS PRO, OPTIMIZE ME or give HABIT LIST a whirl.
Finally, relish the summer by spending more time on indoor activities you enjoy. I’ve updated my “to read” shelf on Goodreads balancing it with some popular best sellers, a few beach reads touted to be as cool and fun as an icy Mojito, and sprinkled in some recommendations from the leadership and success genres.
You’ll also find me chilling at the movies in front of a big screen watching summer blockbusters armed with a tub of popcorn on my lap. Perhaps I’ll see you there!
Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching and the author of the blog, www.lifeonthesunnyside.net
