It’s mid-August. Can someone please explain to me how the hell we ended up here? Wasn’t it just May? Didn’t it become socially acceptable to wear white again just, like, a week ago? It’s happening. It’s really happening. Another summer has come and gone (almost) and while many of us go about our business as usual during this time, there’s just something about the season that gives you that “relax and take it easy” mindset.
As we hang on to the last of our mellowed out mindset we love so much, it’s time to start thinking about what we want to accomplish during these next few weeks. Here are five things to consider:
Read a book you’ve been putting off
Stop saying you’ll start it tomorrow. Right now, in this moment, crack open that book you’ve been telling everyone you’re about to start and actually start! That way, when someone asks you when you return from the Labor Day holiday, “how was your weekend,” you can actually say, “It was great! I finished this fantastic book…” Diving into a good read is a perfect way to distract you from dwelling on the fact that those precious summer days are quickly fading.
Do something at work you’ve been meaning to do
Before the pace picks up again (because it’s been so slow, right?), use any extra time you may have to attempt a task or project you haven’t had an opportunity to. Whether it’s proposing a new idea during a weekly meeting, taking on an extra case, finally volunteering for that 15-hour surgery you’ve been wanting to do or signing up for the extended learning course you’ve passed on a million times, take advantage of this calm-before-the-storm moment and do something that will help further your experience and benefit your career in the long run.
Binge watch a series
Fall TV season is upon us which means every day, the people in your office will gather to talk about the latest episode of Scandal, The Affair, How to Get Away with Murder or The Blacklist. Do yourself a favor and plow through at least one show. One weekend. That’s all it takes to complete a successful binge. Think of it this way, fishing one new series means one less conversation you’ll have to sit on the sidelines for on Monday mornings.
Clean out your closet
If you’re anything like me, than you currently have each hanger in your closet holding at least three pieces of clothing. This means one thing. You have too many clothes and it’s time for a good, healthy purge. I get it. I have a hard time parting with my things too. Especially clothes. So it’s easy for the collection to build up. Do what my mom always tells me to do. Hold up each item, one bye one, and ask yourself, “have I worn this in the past year?” If the answer is no, it’s time to face reality and add it to the donation pile. Plus, you’re making more room for the new fall staples you’ll inevitably end up buying the minute the temperature dips below 80 degrees.
Set a goal to accomplish before the year ends
New Year’s resolutions are nothing but a faint memory to us as we approach the fourth quarter. So why not wipe your slate clean and define one thing you hope to achieve in the next four months. Something personal, that you do for yourself. Start the blog you’ve always talked about, write the first chapter of the novel you’ve been sitting on, run the half marathon you said you could never finish (I’m really doing this!), learn to play the instrument you said would be cool to know how to play. Whatever it is, do it for the simple reason that you really just want to. Come December, you’ll look back and be proud of what you accomplished in such a short time.
