Hello Summer
Message From Debbie
July 5, 2023
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Hello Summer: Message From Debbie
I hope you’re enjoying a great summer so far! The sun is out in full force, and a lot of us are starting to venture out more and go on those vacations we began planning during the chilly days of late fall and winter. While all of this is a lot of fun (and a much-needed break for teachers and students), it can also be hard for many of us to find a groove. Summer months hit a little bit different for a lot of working professionals.
From September to late May, it seems like most of us are locked into a common schedule. When the kids go to school, it’s easier to settle into a rhythm and find the flow of work. We have a focused, set time to either go into the office or settle into our home offices and get stuff done. There are always distractions and disruptions, but those things are more easily navigated during the non-summer months.
From June to August, though, a lot of that normalcy goes out the window. Like…literally out the window. We look outside and see what we’re missing, and we often want to be out there doing other things. There’s SO much going on during summertime. Whether it’s beaches, lakes, mountains, theme parks, water parks, pools, or happy hours on patios and porches, we all seem to want something more from summer. And that’s completely normal.
Some of us have kids who are out of school, and that makes things even more complicated. If they’re in summer school or day camps, that’s great – they’re active and happy, and we have time to focus on work for a while. But if they’re at home, they’re usually running outside (and back inside) and asking for snacks every hour. But you know what? That’s normal, too. And we should be able to respond to and embrace real life, even when the timing is not very convenient. Kids grow up fast, and those days won’t be around forever. For me, spending time with my new granddaughter outside in our pool is what I look forward to each weekend.
The key to all of this is finding a balance between our professional lives and our personal lives as the summer rolls on. We all need to have the grace to accept our own situations, understand the situations of our colleagues, and go with whatever flow we can find in these crazy, hazy days. This isn’t to say that we should neglect our work. Our clients and colleagues are still counting on us, and our meetings and emails and deliverables all still matter.
But it’s also important to recognize that summer is a great time to reset ourselves and allow for a little more flexibility. It’s okay to step back and take a breather every now and then – to enjoy spending time with kids and pets and friends and family. Our professional work is absolutely a priority, but our personal lives are what we’re working for. If we must step away from our desks to get the kids popsicles, that’s life. If we need to take time off to go on a family vacation or log off a bit early every now and then to catch up with friends at the pool, we should be able to do that without feeling guilty about it.
Labor Day will be here before we know it, and things will start getting back to “normal” soon enough. For now, though, hang in there, do the best you can, and give yourself permission to enjoy the longest days of the year. (But don’t forget to send that email!).
Enjoy your summer and be safe.
From September to late May, it seems like most of us are locked into a common schedule. When the kids go to school, it’s easier to settle into a rhythm and find the flow of work. We have a focused, set time to either go into the office or settle into our home offices and get stuff done. There are always distractions and disruptions, but those things are more easily navigated during the non-summer months.
From June to August, though, a lot of that normalcy goes out the window. Like…literally out the window. We look outside and see what we’re missing, and we often want to be out there doing other things. There’s SO much going on during summertime. Whether it’s beaches, lakes, mountains, theme parks, water parks, pools, or happy hours on patios and porches, we all seem to want something more from summer. And that’s completely normal.
Some of us have kids who are out of school, and that makes things even more complicated. If they’re in summer school or day camps, that’s great – they’re active and happy, and we have time to focus on work for a while. But if they’re at home, they’re usually running outside (and back inside) and asking for snacks every hour. But you know what? That’s normal, too. And we should be able to respond to and embrace real life, even when the timing is not very convenient. Kids grow up fast, and those days won’t be around forever. For me, spending time with my new granddaughter outside in our pool is what I look forward to each weekend.
The key to all of this is finding a balance between our professional lives and our personal lives as the summer rolls on. We all need to have the grace to accept our own situations, understand the situations of our colleagues, and go with whatever flow we can find in these crazy, hazy days. This isn’t to say that we should neglect our work. Our clients and colleagues are still counting on us, and our meetings and emails and deliverables all still matter.
But it’s also important to recognize that summer is a great time to reset ourselves and allow for a little more flexibility. It’s okay to step back and take a breather every now and then – to enjoy spending time with kids and pets and friends and family. Our professional work is absolutely a priority, but our personal lives are what we’re working for. If we must step away from our desks to get the kids popsicles, that’s life. If we need to take time off to go on a family vacation or log off a bit early every now and then to catch up with friends at the pool, we should be able to do that without feeling guilty about it.
Labor Day will be here before we know it, and things will start getting back to “normal” soon enough. For now, though, hang in there, do the best you can, and give yourself permission to enjoy the longest days of the year. (But don’t forget to send that email!).
Enjoy your summer and be safe.
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