Seasonal Goals

The school year is here! How in the world did that happen? Every summer seems to go faster than the one before it.

Sunrise. Sunset.

I remember at the beginning of the summer, the sun came up really early in the morning. It would be completely bright out at 6:00am. And the sun wouldn’t set until after 9:00pm. I knew it was the best gift in the world to have the long days.

Summer Bucket List

My goal this summer was to spend more time outside. That was it. Spend more time outside was the entire goal. Being outside meant I was walking, biking, reading, away from screens, at the pool, out with my dog - in short - doing something I enjoyed. I was brave and bought a season pass for me and my 10-year old son that required 3 trips to pay for itself. In the past, I didn’t trust myself to be able to do it, but I was going to make it work this summer and I did.

Summertime Blues

The way I deal with summer ending is to have something specific to look forward to in the fall. For me, the start of fall means college football season. I also attend a scrapbook retreat every October to spend time with friends, be creative, and recharge.

Changes

Now that my son is back to school and weeknight activities are beginning, it will make it more difficult to carve out time for myself. There are a lot of changes: schedule, temperature, mood, energy. This morning, I found it incredibly hard to get out of bed to go biking. It was overcast, cold and I know my outdoor biking days are numbered. In July, my son and I went on bike rides before I took him to day camp. The sunlight hours don’t make it possible during the school year. The mornings are going to be a challenge.

Seasonal Goals

The best way for me to deal with summertime sadness is to set goals for the fall. It is the start of a new season. Just like I had a specific summer goal, I will benefit from a fall goal.

Goal Setting

There were several reasons I chose more time outside to be a goal for the summer. Being outside means improved mental health, less screen time, space for creativity, time with family or my dog, and to set a good example for my son. If I can rattle off 6-7 motivators for a goal, I know it is a goal that is worthy of my best efforts.

This is it!

What is my seasonal goal for the fall? I have no idea. It came too fast. I just figured out I need to make a goal, at least one. A few ideas are to take a community education class, read more fiction, and take up coloring. Now that my mind is open to an idea of setting a goal, I think it will show itself this week. Just in time for opening kickoff!