When you’re a kid, summer vacation might be the most exciting time of the year. You work hard at school from September to June, and you are exhilarated at the thought of spending three months of leisure, doing your favorite activities and enjoying yourself.
But once you grow up, summer doesn’t always have the same allure. If you work, you might not be able to take a few months off to absorb the sunshine and relax. If you’re a parent, the idea of having the kids home 24/7 may seem less than desirable.
However, we can all embrace the magic that we feel as children by setting summer goals. Whether you have to work or not, summer brings longer days and beautiful weather. You usually have more opportunities to take vacations or hang out with friends.
Use this summer as a chance to get some of your priorities in check. You’ve almost made it halfway through the year. Reassess your life, take some time to enjoy yourself and tackle some items that need to be taken care of so that you can head into the final months of the year feeling rested, productive and motivated.
Why Should You Set Goals This Summer?
Summer is associated with freedom and ease. Therefore, you might wonder why you have to set summer goals at all. Can’t you take some time off?
Your summer goals don’t have to be hard work. In fact, if you’re already adept at setting goals, you might find that your routine feels odd when you stop bringing your attention to your objectives. On the other hand, if you’re the kind of person who never seems to accomplish your grand plans, you can use the summer as an entry point into a goal-setting habit that you can use for the rest of the year.
The goals that you set this summer don’t have to be about your career or job. You’ve worked hard, and you deserve a few months to enjoy yourself.
Therefore, consider setting goals that feel especially delicious this summer. If you don’t, you might work through the season and find yourself decked out in a wool sweater before you know what happened.
Summer goals can help you:
- Have more fun
- Work less and play more
- Accomplish those personal or feel-good tasks that you’ve been meaning to do
- Connect with friends and loved ones
- Reassess how far you’ve come since January
- Rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit so that you can finish the year off strong
- Plan for the future
- Stop procrastinating and take the first step toward a larger goal
Here is a list of 16 summer goals that you can implement this year.
1. Become One With Nature
Most people spend more time outdoors in the summer than during other seasons. In many areas, this season brings milder weather and more opportunities to get out into nature.
You might want to set a goal to connect with nature more often this summer. An easy way to do this is to take a task that you usually do inside and bring it outdoors. You might:
- Exercise outside
- Read a book in a hammock in your backyard
- Explore some parks in your community
- Do yard work
- Bring your laptop and an umbrella to the beach
You can also be more mindful about the time that you spend outside. Why not try doing a walking meditation in the forest, at the beach or at a local park? Walking meditation is especially useful for people who have trouble meditating while sitting still. It allows you to incorporate a sensory experience into your mindfulness.
To practice walking meditation, follow the steps below:
- Choose a space where you can take about 15 steps in one direction. You can walk back and forth in your backyard or along a longer trail. You might want to do this in an isolated area so that you’re not distracted by other people.
- Take 10 to 15 steps in one direction. You can also choose a spot on your path instead of counting steps. Breathe normally as you walk. You’re walking for a mind-body connection, not for a workout
- After you’ve taken those steps, stop and allow yourself to breathe. Take as long as you want.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until it feels comfortable. Now, you’re ready to walk for longer and connect your breath to your steps.
- Walk again, breathing in for about 3 to 4 steps and breathing out for about 3 to 4 steps. Your breathing should be relaxed and gentle. Adjust your pace as necessary.
- You can use a mantra to help you focus your breaths. As you inhale, you might say to yourself, “I am filled with the energy of nature.” As you exhale, you might say, “I release any tension or stress.”
- Become more aware of your body as you walk. Feel your feet gently coming into contact with the earth.
- As you continue to walk, notice other sensations in your body. Can you feel the breeze against your palms? Do you feel muscles in your back or abdomen contracting as you move? Is any part of your body uncomfortable?
- Think about the fact that your body is in constant flow as you keep pacing. Notice any emotions that you have. Do you enjoy the scenery? Do you have any pain? Do you hear any sounds? Try to engage all of your sensations. Notice the way that your mouth tastes and the scents that your nose is taking in.
Don’t try to change your emotions or sensations as you move. Simply become aware of them. Over time, you will find that you’re more focused, and your mind is clearer every time you practice walking meditation.
2. Try a New Hobby
Summer is a great time to allow yourself to do something that you love. If you have a hobby that you’ve neglected throughout the year, consider devoting some time to it.
You can start by doing something new for 10 minutes a day. It won’t feel like you have to clear your schedule to work on it. You’ll develop some momentum, and you might find that you crave doing the hobby every day. You can slowly add time to your 10 minutes until you have a 30-60 minute chunk of time to devote to an enjoyable activity.
Some ideas include:
- Learn to draw or paint by following YouTube tutorials
- Learn to knit or crochet
- Gardening
- Coloring
- Bird watching
- Rock collecting
- Geocaching
- Kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding
- Yoga
- Exploring your genealogy
- Creative writing
- Photography
- Learn how to use photo-editing software
If you are trying something new to pass the time, set a specific goal. If you don’t, you may find that you neglect this new habit before you have a chance to make it part of your life.
You might want to devote a certain amount of time to your new hobby each day. Alternatively, you might want to complete a certain number of tutorials each week or complete your project by a particular deadline.
3. Do a Challenge
You can find many summer challenges online, from healthy eating to exercise challenges. You can also create a challenge just for yourself.
Social media is a great way to hold yourself accountable for any challenge that you initiate. Some ideas are:
- Post a photo that represents summer every day
- Post an inspirational quote every day
- Read a certain number of books every month
- Draw something every day
- Play a game every day
4. Transform Your Yard
Whether you have kids or just like to entertain your friends, you can turn your backyard into a summer playground. Perhaps you can buy or build a new lawn game every month or weekend.
Some DIY backyard games that are easy to construct include:
- Giant Jenga – Cut and sand 2 x 4s so that you can stack them into a life-sized Jenga game.
- Cornhole – Cut holes into large pieces of plywood and stand them up so that they lie on an angle; try to toss beanbags into the holes.
- Glow-in-the-dark bowling – Put glow sticks in disposable water bottles, and use them as bowling pins.
- Giant Kerplunk – Use chicken wire, dowels, and plastic balls to replicate this game.
- Car wash – Drill holes in PVC pipes and connect them to a hose so that your kids can ride their bikes or tricycles underneath.
If one of your summer goals was to spend more time outdoors, making your yard more fun will help you accomplish it.
5. Make a New Friend
It’s not always easy to make friends once you’re grown up and have a routine. Take the summer to engage with people who you haven’t gotten to know.
You could invite a friend from work to lunch once a week. Maybe you can throw a monthly barbecue so that you can get to know your neighbors. Join a meetup group.
If you enjoy spending time outdoors, you could invite a new friend to join you on a hike, paddling excursion or bike ride. You won’t have to worry about awkward conversation if you’re busy with a physical activity, and you might make a connection for life.
6. Drink More Water
The average working American doesn’t drink enough water. Some people don’t have time to get water at work. Others don’t like the taste of the water that’s available and aren’t interested in paying for their preferred brand of bottled water.
If you spend time in the heat, you’ll need even more water to stay hydrated during the summer. In fact, dehydration causes many health troubles and mood issues.
If you don’t drink enough water, you might:
- Have headaches
- Be in a cranky mood
- Feel fatigued
- Have less endurance
- Experience a sluggish metabolism
- Deal with constipation
- Feel mentally foggy
Although most people think that they should drink 6 to 8 glasses of water per day, the ideal amount differs from person to person. Summer is a great time to experiment with your water intake.
Take advantage of seasonal fruits to enhance the flavor of your water. You can add grapefruit, oranges, watermelon or herbs to your water for a delicious treat that’s low in sugar and helps you swig more healthy liquid.
7. Practice Self-Care
Most people lead a busy lifestyle, prioritizing work and service to others and neglecting their self-care. This summer, set a goal to engage in a simple pleasure every day.
Self-care has become a buzzword. It means a lot of different things to a lot of people. However, you can start to take care of yourself by delighting in something simple and enjoyable every day. Doing this gives you a chance to focus on what feels good.
Once you start a self-care practice, you’ll likely get the momentum going and take on more meaningful activities that boost your health, wellness, and morale as the year goes on.
Some ideas for simple summer self-care activities include:
- Lying in the sun for 10 minutes
- Taking a bubble bath
- Picking flowers
- Eating popsicles
- Writing in a journal
- Picnic outside
- Unplug from technology
- Play in a sprinkler
- Make a summer playlist
- Watch a sunset
- Go star-gazing
8. Tackle Your Travel Bucket List
Do you have some places on your travel bucket list? What if you worked toward them this summer?
If you don’t have the time or money to accomplish these goals right now, don’t fret. You can set a goal to get closer to actualizing this dream.
Work backward from your goal. What do you need to put in place in order to accomplish it? You likely have to save some money, do some research and request some time off. Once you know what your travel goal entails, you can set a deadline. Perhaps it will become next summer’s goal.
You don’t have to wait to hit the road, though. Consider taking some weekend trips to nearby locations to satisfy your travel bug.
A great summer goal would be to check out one new city that’s one or two hours away every month. You could also set a goal to visit one tourist attraction in your town that you’ve never experienced.
9. Finish a Project
Do you have a project (or several) that you’ve been putting off? Summer is a great time to tie up loose ends. If you don’t want to start something new, make it a goal to finish everything that you’ve already initiated.
This is a great time to look at your Pinterest board and decide what’s really doable. You can also designate an area in your house in which to place your half-finished projects. As you complete them, the space that has been storing them will clear up, giving you another reward—a clutter-free room.
10. Hold a Yard Sale
Speaking of clutter, you can get rid of it if you set a goal to hold a yard sale at the end of the summer. Start by choosing a date. Create an event on your social media calendar so that you don’t back out of it.
Then, designate a closet, garage or room in your home where you can organize the items that you’ll be selling. Move methodically through each room in the house, collecting items that you no longer use. Don’t forget to open every cabinet and drawer.
If you aren’t sure whether you want to get rid of something, place it in the designated yard sale area. If you don’t pick up the item by the time the yard sale comes around, you probably don’t use it enough to keep it. Sell it!
Some short-term goals that you can add into your yard-sale prep include:
- Finding out whether you need a permit to hold a sale
- Gathering shoe boxes to contain small or miscellaneous items
- Lining up someone to pick up the junk that you don’t sell
- Pricing items
- Selling high-ticket items on Craigslist or eBay
- Creating ads for the local newspaper or yard sale websites
- Making signs
Holding a yard sale gives you a chance to set another goal: use the money to do something rewarding. Maybe now you can afford that vacation.
11. Laugh More
Do you feel like you don’t have enough humor in your life? This summer is your chance to change that.
Instead of focusing on more mundane health goals, like lowering your cholesterol or shedding a few pounds, consider the fact that laughter is medicine.
Some of the benefits of laughter include:
- Strengthening your immune system
- Improving your mood
- Relieving pain
- Protecting you from stress
- Improving blood flow and vascular function
- Burning calories
Laughter may even help you live longer.
Here are some tips for working more laughter into your life:
- Commit to finding the joy in the small things
- Read a joke as soon as you wake up in the morning
- Find a hilarious TV show to watch with your family
- Force yourself to smile – stimulating your smile muscles can make you feel good even if you’re in a bad mood.
- Become friends with someone funny, and hang out with them often
- Read a funny book
- Hang out with children
- Hold a game night for your friends
- Follow comedians on social media
12. Make Some Extra Money
Summer is the perfect time to start a side hustle even if it’s only temporary. Many people go away on vacation and could use a house-sitter or pet-sitter. You might be able to water someone’s plants or garden while they’re away. You could also try babysitting or dog-walking to earn some extra spending money.
Depending on where you live, you might be able to pick up part-time work doing something seasonal, like teaching swimming lessons or becoming a rafting guide.
Some other great ideas for making extra money this summer are:
- Taking surveys online
- Start a blog
- Participate in a focus group
- Tutor
- Become a virtual assistant
- Self-publish a book
- Create an online course
- Drive for Lyft, Uber or Uber Eats
- Rent out a room in your home
- Work at a summer camp
Don’t forget to set goals for what you’ll do with your hard-earned cash. You might want to earn a certain amount of money to pay off debt or save for that bucket-list vacation.
13. Watch All of the Oscar-Nominated Films
If you spend lots of evenings wondering what to watch on your streaming network, consider making a list of 10 movies that you want to see. Use the Oscar nominations to catapult this goal.
You can also decide to watch all of the Avengers movies, your favorite actor’s most recent films or another category. If that doesn’t work for you, come up with a streaming TV series that you can re-watch from the beginning.
14. Try a New Recipe
Summer is a great time to work with seasonal produce. Make it a goal to eat more veggies this summer. Your plight doesn’t have to be boring.
Go to the farmer’s market once a week and plan to buy three veggies that you don’t have a recipe for. Go home and look for something that sparks your interest.
You could also join a CSA and get boxes of produce and other goodies to support your local farm. This is a great way to get creative with your cooking.
Alternatively, you could buy a new appliance that will spur your creativity in the kitchen. An air fryer makes delicious kale chips and crunchy chickpeas. An instant pot cooks meals in record time. Neither of these appliances heats up your kitchen like the oven does.
You could also set a goal to become a barbecue master. Steer away from the traditional burgers and dogs, and learn how to grill a juicy chicken breast or pineapple and peaches for dessert.
15. Organize Your Life
It’s easy to let summer fall into chaos amid traveling, trips to the beach and watching the kids. Take the summer to get so organized that the rest of your year becomes a breeze.
This is the perfect time to tackle those community areas in your home, such as the entryway or kitchen. The kids can also organize their rooms so that they’re ready to be productive when school starts again.
Get the whole family involved in your organization. Make a master list that you keep on the refrigerator.
Designate one page for each room in the house. On each page, write down the tasks that need to be completed to reach your goal.
For the kitchen, this may look like this:
- Clean out the refrigerator
- Toss old cooking utensils
- Clean behind the range
- Clean the microwave
- Sanitize the sink
- Buy shelves for cabinets
- Use small boxes to organize the junk drawer
- Organize coupons and get rid of old ones
- Put up-to-date photos on the fridge
- Label the containers in the pantry
Don’t stop there. Clean out your closets, empty your pocketbook and go through your sock drawer. It feels good to clear out space.
Decluttering is good for your health in several ways:
- You subconsciously feel like you’re caring for yourself
- You feel a sense of accomplishment
- It removes dust particles from the air
- It makes you feel more confident and competent
- It gives you more energy
- It can reduce family tension
16. Get Better Sleep
Although it may be tempting to stay up late when you’re busy with summer activities, you might want to take this time to improve your sleep schedule. Experts say that kids and adults should maintain a consistent bedtime.
If you are always tired and know that your sleep routine may be to blame, you have three months to experiment with what works so that you can get better shuteye.
Start by deciding what you want your goal to be. Do you want to get more hours of sleep? Would you like to go to bed earlier or wake up later?
Once you have decided on your objective, think about why you want to improve your sleep. Performing this step can help you stay motivated.
Perhaps you want to have more energy to chase your kids around during the day. Maybe you want to wake up refreshed so that you don’t waste the first few hours of your day in a fog. Whatever the reasons, make a note of them so that you can return to them if you slip from your path.
Make your bedroom more conducive to sleep. Consider taking the following steps for a sleep-friendly bedroom:
- Limit electronics
- Use blackout shades
- Don’t use the TV in the bedroom
- Only use the bedroom for sleeping
- Keep your room free of clutter
Next, have a few strategies in mind to incorporate into your bedtime routine. If you have trouble shutting down your mind at night, consider listening to a guided meditation or soothing music. Be willing to try a few different things throughout the course of the summer to determine what works best.
If you take on some of these goals for the season, you’ll start September feeling reinvigorated, clear-headed and energized.