Summer is in full swing. My daughter is out of school, and there seems to be no such thing as a weekend around here these days. From her perspective, it’s all weekend, all the time.
Even if you don’t have kids, the longer days, warmer weather and co-workers planning vacations can be distracting and even make you feel like you’re missing out on the luxury of summer if you need to keep working at a highly productive pace.
It would be a shame after working so hard that when you come up for breath, you notice that the chilly, rainy fall weather has already set in, and you hadn’t taken the time to enjoy any summertime sun.
You can both stay productive and enjoy the summer. These are not mutually exclusive concepts. I’ll share a few ways that I manage to do both.
[bctt tweet=”Enjoy summer and still stay productive at work. Here’s how. #productivity” username=”leighespy”]
Tips to Stay Productive During Summer:
Work in the early mornings.
Longer summer days allow me to wake earlier and get productive earlier in the day. I take advantage of this by setting my alarm earlier in the summertime. I rise early and since the sun is up earlier, I feel more alert and productive earlier in the day.
Getting started earlier allows me to accomplish more earlier in the day. Because I’ve started early and gotten a lot done, I don’t feel the need to work late. I’m able to spend time with family in the late afternoons / evenings. Or have dinner with friends on a patio to enjoy the warm summer evening.
Create a list the night before.
When I wake early, I don’t want to lose time by trying to remember what it was I needed to prioritize. I create a list the night before so that I can make my coffee and then check my list and get right to it. I’m able to dive right in and get productive right away.
Work remotely.
Instead of taking time off for family travel when there are work goals and deliverables that still need to be met, make it a working vacation if possible and if this sounds remotely enjoyable to you. Some of you may be moaning at this suggestion, but I actually enjoy it. I have skipped family beach trips due to work, settling for phone calls from the family telling me just how much fun they were having. I don’t begrudge anyone a trip to the beach. But I also really enjoy my work and have been just as happy working remotely during the day from my family’s vacation spot, and spending evenings with the family enjoying stories of their daytime adventures.
I realize this may not be an option for everyone. But if you can, I suggest you give it a try. You might be surprised how much you like it. The ability to continue working while traveling allows you to stay focused on meeting milestones and addressing tasks, as opposed to returning from vacation to a pile of overwhelming and overdue work to tackle.
Work outside.
With the warm, beautiful days, I sometimes move my work outside. I can improve focus with the change in scenery, and I still enjoy the beautiful summer weather. Changing your surroundings can promote creativity and new ideas, and moving away from the desk and phone can reduce interruptions, too. I’ve found that breakthroughs can come when I’m working in a different location. Why not find a place that allows you to both work and enjoy the weather?
This can be easier if you’re very connected via email, mobile, and IM. If not, make sure your boss and co-workers know where you are so they don’t assume you are slacking, and can find you if they need you.
Take a walk to enjoy the weather and allow ideas to surface.
Stepping away from my desk gives me a chance to reflect on ideas and come up with creative approaches. Taking a short walk outside gives me a chance to step away from the work, refresh, and perhaps get a different perspective on things. This has resulted in greater productivity because I come up with more effective or efficient ways to do things or have completely new ideas.
I’m a productivity geek and have had success with these strategies. I’d love to hear your thoughts or other suggestions you may have.
And if you found this helpful, please share!
