Staying Balanced and Productive This Summer

You can see the sunshine from your windows and can hear the kids playing outside at a nearby park. You feel guilty that you’re spending the entire day inside, but you still have to work. So how can you stay productive during the summer? Balance. 

Creating balance can look different for everyone. Afterall, we all have different schedules, lifestyles, and habits. But the key is creating a new routine around your personal habits and goals. 

Here are my three tried-and-true strategies for creating balance and staying productive. 

1. Create a schedule. This will help you set boundaries between your work and personal life. The goal is to provide structure but for those who may find themselves getting stressed out about sticking to a schedule, remember that this can be as loose or as strict as you want it to be. If you’re 30 minutes behind schedule because the dog needed a longer walk than usual or your baby just did not want to go down for a nap, that’s okay! Learning to be flexible is part of the process. Pick back up when you can and rework your day around the new change.

When creating your schedule, remember to leave time for getting outside. Stop eating lunch at your desk, watching the world go by behind your screen! Head to the backyard or take a walk to the nearest coffee shop on your break to stretch your legs and give your eyes (and brain) a much-needed break. 

Scheduling doesn’t have to be super boring, either. Make this fun by buying a calendar or a planner to list out all your weekly commitments, chores and errands THEN fill in your work schedule around that. 

Here’s a pro tip: Sundays are usually the best time to plan. Plus, it will help alleviate some of those Sunday scaries! 

2.                    Take advantage of quiet time. Whether you are a night owl or an early bird, it’s a great idea to use any quiet time that you have throughout the day to organize your tasks, thoughts, and goals. If you are worried about household chores or errands you need to run during your workday, you will feel extremely rushed and unfocused. The best way to set balance here is to schedule these chores and errands as if they were a work task. But keep in mind that finding this balance means that you’ll have to separate what MUST be done versus something that can be done later. 

Plan your day out each morning or the night before to try to reduce stress and be more productive at home, without feeling overwhelmed or like you are constantly on the move. 

For example, if your kids go to bed at 8pm, use the time after to pick up the house. In the morning, your home will already be set for the day, and you’ll start off with a clean slate. Or, if you’re an early bird, use the time before the rest of the house wakes up or you need to start working to walk the dog, prepare snacks/lunches, or prepare for meetings in the peace and quiet. Or use this time for yourself and simply grab some coffee, sit outside, and enjoy the birds chirping until it’s time for you to head back in. 

3.                    Time blocking is key. When you dedicate a certain amount of time to tasks throughout the day, you will feel more focused and can avoid getting sidetracked. This can be done right in your planner or even on your phone’s calendar. 

Here is an example of a time blocked day: 

Block 1: Early morning

• Don’t check emails or social media.

• Wake up, stretch, brush your teeth, meditate, or exercise, and have breakfast with your family.

• Enjoy being a human BEING not a human DOING.

Block 2: Before work

Once you’re ready to begin your workday (if you’re working from home), get dressed and sit at a desk to trigger your brain that it is time to get to work! 

• Before checking your emails, set up your day by writing a to do list.

• Plan all your goals and the action items that will get you there, along with projects you have committed to dealing with that day or week.

• Put first things first: the biggest, the most urgent, the most important, and the most conducive tasks that will allow you to hit your top 1-3 goals.

Block 3: Get to work

But only work on that one big thing first! 

Block 4 Take a break #DoNothing

Block 5: Respond/check emails to define further urgency

Block 6: Lunch break 

Go outside! Grab a healthy lunch and feel the fresh air. 

• Extra points if you use this time to sharpen your tools with an online tutorial, great podcast or audio book, or a mentor meet up!

Block 7: It’s time to work on that second most important thing! 

• This is a sequence goal, which helps you to mee the goals that matter most to your professional growth, even if you don’t meet every goal every day. These sequence goals should be done in this block.

Block 8: Work on all other tasks 

Block 9: Take another Break (#DoNothing)

Block 10: Stuff the universe can take care of here 

This is the time to work on secondary goals of the week or what I like to call,  “stuff I would like the universe to take care of.” Here, work backwards from your goal or quota to figure out every unfinished task (e.g. phone calls, e-mail, paperwork, and errands you have to run) that you cannot complete immediately or tasks that you have not found the time to deal with – and then, deal.

• Check in and review the tasks at hand and write down what has to be done next and when!

• Send out any reminders needed for tomorrow’s schedule.

Start to phase out of the workday in this block by pausing between work and rest to exercise, listen to a podcast, or even take a short walk to clear your head. Signal to yourself that the working part of the day is DONE.

EVENING: Eat dinner (early).

By 10pm, turn off all electronics and set intentions to clear space for sleep.

Time blocking can seem tricky and maybe even a little tedious for a newbie. Here are some things that I tell my clients when it comes to time blocking that I learned from my very own coach, Keren Eldad: 

• Think about what you really want to accomplish by the end of each time block.

• Decide and then execute. Think: “I will achieve _____ by ____!”

• Be specific about your tasks.

A Harvard University study found setting specific goals increases motivation beyond simply telling yourself, “I’ll just do my best.” The study ultimately reported students who stuck to a goal-oriented plan, performed 30% better than those who didn’t. 

So, here’s to staying productive during the summer months and beyond! If there is anything you can take away from this, set in intention to pause, breathe, and get outside for a little time each day. 

Have an awesome summer, everyone! 

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Have you checked out the Pivot with Purpose podcast?! Join myself and Faith Broussard Cade, a mental health counselor, author, humanitarian, and creator of Fleur De Lis Speaks as we discuss some important teachings on introspection and gratitude, along with the importance of saying NO to protect your boundaries. You don’t want to miss this episode. Subscribe and listen now!