Set seasonal goals – start with summer!
1. Meditate Outdoors. One of the great things about summer is that you can take your energy renewal and meditation routine outside. Try walking meditation — go out for a walk and cultivate mindfulness by placing all of your awareness on walking. Imagine that you’re kissing the earth with your feet with each step. You can also try Tai chi in the park, or yoga at the beach.
2. Make a New Friend. Regardless of your age, it’s important to socialize. Having positive connections with others raises your emotional energy. Summer is a good time to make friends—either meet new people or turn an acquaintance into a friend—since there are so many activities for people to participate in together. Invite someone to join you for a bike ride, a hike, or a game of tennis or glass of wine.
3. Try a New Hobby. Spending a few minutes focused on a hobby is a perfect way to recover your mental energy. There are many perfect summer month hobbies. One suggestion is photography. A great way to improve your photography skills is by tackling a project, such as taking a photo of something that represents the season every day throughout the summer.
- Pool floats
- Summer plants and flowers
- Jumping into the water
Another hobby you can try is coloring. Get yourself a box of colored pencils, some coloring books for adults and head on outside to sit under a tree and color your heart out. Then, share your masterpiece on social media.
4. Stay Hydrated. When you’re out in the summer heat to maintain your physical energy you have to make sure that you stay hydrated especially in hot climates! Carry a water bottle with you—preferably one made of glass– and eat fruits that are high in water content, like watermelon. Drinking coconut water is also a terrific idea.
5. Read a Book. Reading something positive is a great recovery break and summer is for reading while lying on a beach towel. I certainly don’t intend to interfere with this time-honored tradition. I do recommend reading an actual book verses an electronic device. The energy of a tactile book is powerful. Check out the Magic of Thinking Big, especially chapter 2.
6. Tackle a Personal Development Goal. Be a better person by the time fall comes around by tackling a personal development goal and elevating your spiritual energy this summer.
Here are some ideas for you to consider:
- Be more aware of self and others
- Stop taking things personally
- Connect your goals with your purpose
7. Learn to Do Push-Ups. Doing push-ups has many benefits, not the least of which is increasing your physical body energy and having strong, toned, attractive arms.
Push-ups are a compound exercise, which call upon multiple muscle groups. This means your heart has to work hard to pump blood to all that muscle tissue, so it’s also getting a workout. Doing push-ups also improves your posture, it helps you to prevent lower-back injuries, and it strengthens your core. Even holding plank position is an excellent exercise and summer goal.
8. Enjoy Simple Summer Pleasures. Increase your resilience by making a long list of simple summer pleasures to engage in this summer. Your list can include walking barefoot on the grass, filling vases with brightly colored geraniums and placing them around the house, eating strawberry popsicles, and lounging in a hammock. Then, each day of the summer, engage in at least one of these activities even it’s just visualizing doing it.
9. Travel. One way to make this a memorable summer is by going somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. So, take out your travel bucket list, choose a destination, and plan your vacation. Then, when you get back, regale your friends with tales of foreign lands, exotic foods, and mysterious folks. It could also be a fun future exercise and a great energy break for us to each plan our vacation, research it and share the details on a call: smells, tastes, feelings of the experience as if we were there.
10. Learn a New Skill. This summer increase your mental energy, set aside one-hour-a-day to learn a new skill. I’m excelling at this goal as the business is expanding. Here are three ideas:
- Learn how to use GIMP or some other graphics editor for image retouching and editing.
- Learn how to use a good presentation-making tool like MS PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote, or Canva.
- Learn how to cleanse your house properly and quickly; perhaps a little decluttering is in order.
11. Have a Laugh a Day. Make this a joyful summer lifting your energy by setting the goal to laugh every day of the summer. Laughing has a myriad of physical and mental heath benefits. Plus, it just feels good to laugh.
12. Make Your Home Green. This summer, do your part to save the planet by taking one step to green your home, cleanse your body. Some easy ideas are: recycle, buy a houseplant, get a reusable water bottle, leak-proof your home, use water wisely, and use non-toxic cleaners.
13. Try a New Sport. One of the great things about summer is that you get to increase your physical energy spending lots of time in nature and the great outdoors. There are lots of sports you can participate in. This summer set the goal of trying a sport you’ve never tried before.
14. Swim in A Natural Body of Water. This summer, make sure to swim in a natural body of water, whether it’s the ocean, a lake, or a river. Not only is swimming great way to increase your physical energy, but contact with natural water stimulates the immune system. In addition, some people compare floating in a lake or in the ocean when the water is calm to a meditative experience.
15. Play Mini-Golf. For many, playing a round of miniature golf is a summer tradition. I have to admit this is one of my favorite re-energizing activities.
16. Plant Something. Feel immediately reconnected to the earth and enhance your spiritual energy this summer by planting and growing something. I’ve been watching the succulents I planted grow the past few months and I’m excited to tackle something new maybe an herb box.