All right, friends. It’s summer time. And that can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. So I want to ask you what the idea of summer brings to mind for you. When you think of summer, do you think of family vacations, trips to the park kids staying up way too late? PCSing. The truth is that summer brings a lot of different thoughts to mind, depending on where you live and what season of life you find yourself in.

[00:00:36] If you do not have kids and you work full time, or perhaps your kids are out of the house, or perhaps you have littles at home, it can feel like nothing changes with the summer, but. Even if you do not have kids in school right now, there are probably some things that you do differently in the summertime, just because it’s a different season.

[00:01:01] For many people, the sun is staying up later in the evening. So you have that desire. There’s warmer weather. You want to be outside. So regardless of whether you are tied to a school calendar or not, there are differences that come with the season and the core truth in all of this, is that any time we face.

[00:01:24] A seasonal change, then we need to recalibrate and reassess our goals and our schedule. So if you can grab a notebook and a pen and let’s talk about how to seasonally. And reassess our time and schedule

Now, before we talk about summertime schedules, can I ask a big favor of you?

[00:02:40] Can you let me know what you want to talk about on this show? This podcast is for you as a military spouse. And I know as we’re going to talk about today that as scheduled shifts, that means the time that you have to listen to podcasts may shift as well. If you typically listen to podcasts as you’re in.

[00:03:03] The school pickup line, driving your kids to activities, and that changes. Then you’re not going to have the same time to listen to an episode. So what I’m thinking is that we can do some shorter episodes this summer, specifically to help you as you’re folding laundry or to fit it into your schedule.

[00:03:23] But what I want to hear from you is what questions you have, what topics do you want us to talk to? On the show. If you have a specific question about. How to fit something in your schedule or how to learn to breathe better when you’re in the midst of an anxiety attack or resources to help you navigate your first PCS or maybe you’re struggling to figure out how to organize your home. Now that you’ve moved, whatever it is, as it pertains to you learning to thrive as a military spouse. We want to talk about these things on the show, but the more that you give me feedback, the more that you have specific questions, let me know things that you are struggling with, and you can do this either by popping into our Facebook group.

[00:04:15] If you’re not already in the group, just go to a milspousemastermind. .com/community, or you can search on your Facebook feed, but pop in the group and let us know what you want us to talk about. You can also send me an email. Christine at milspousemastermind.com or send me a DM on Instagram at milspouse mastermind.

[00:04:38] The more that you tell me what you want to talk about, the more that we make this podcast relevant to your life. And if you have a question about something you’re probably not alone, there are. Other military spouses with the same question. And by you stepping up to ask for a topic or to ask a question, you are helping other military spouses thrive.

[00:05:01] So thank you for those of you who have emailed me, who have sent me messages who have posted in the group, but the more that you can do that, the more it helps me as I’m putting together. For the show. So today we’re going to be talking about a summer time schedule, and I felt like this was a good time to talk about this because it is so vital for us to regularly stop and reflect on where we are, how we’re doing.

[00:05:30] And how we can set ourselves up for success in this season. If we want to thrive as military spouses, if we want to pursue our goals and our dreams, if we want to balance that with military life, and if we want to do this without burning ourselves up without sacrificing our key relationships, then we need to be intentional with our time and our.

[00:05:57] And if we simply let life happen, we’re not going to make progress towards who we went to beat. We’re not going to really accomplish as much as we could accomplish. We’re just going to exist and right. The waves of life, we’re going to be in a reactionary stance rather than a proactive stance. So I’m going to talk about four things that we can do today to be intentional with our time.

[00:06:27] This. No, don’t worry. I am not about having a rigid schedule. I still want you to have the flexibility. And some people thrive really well when they have a very specific schedule to follow. And some people hate following schedules and I get that, but we need to put a little intentionality into what we do or else we’ll just be tossed by the waves.

[00:06:54] So let’s talk about what we can do to be more intentional with our summer. And the first thing I want you to do is set some specific goals around your summer. Now, if you go all the way back to January, when I did my training on how to set yourself up for your best year, yet, I’ll link that episode below in the show notes, but it’s all about setting.

[00:07:20] Setting goals for your year. And then we break those goals down into things that we think we are going to accomplish in a given quarter. That’s three months of your life. So we break the year down into four quarters and set some goals for those quarters and then break that down into action steps for our weeks and months.

[00:07:43] But now we have to be flexible with our schedule because there are always things coming into our. That are unexpected that are unplanned, and that prevent us from making as much progress on our goals as we would like. So what I do each year is put out my goals for the year. I break those down into quarters and then I try to make progress on those goals.

[00:08:06] And then. Every quarter. I say, what did I accomplish in this quarter? What needs to shift to the next quarter and what needs to shift to my long term path? So everything is being assessed and evaluated on a regular basis and shifting as needed. This is why we talk about flexible goal setting. It’s not about whether I had.

[00:08:32] A goal, whether I hit that target, I was aiming for in the frame of time that I originally wanted to hit that goal. It’s whether I made progress in the right direction, progress, not perfection process, not. So originally I would just set goals for the year, but then how do you actually make progress on those goals?

[00:08:56] And that’s when I really started adding in these quarterly and monthly reflections, how did I make progress towards my goal? What needs to shift and how can I set myself up for success in the future? Now, if you haven’t taken the time to set some annual goals, that’s okay. But. To encourage you to set some growth goals for your summer and what our growth goals, if you are new to the podcast, growth goals, our goals that we set that help move us towards who we want to be.

[00:09:33] And we have our growth wheel that divides our life up into 10 core areas so that we can look at how we’re making progress in each area. And we won’t be great in every area. All of the same time, but we can look and say, here’s where I’m doing really well. Here’s where I’m struggling. And here’s what I want to make progress on in the next few months.

[00:09:57] So one of the things you can do is go to a milspouse, mastermind.com forward slash growth wheel and download your free growth wheel assessment. This is a starting point for analyzing all the areas of your life so that you can start figuring out what kind of. Of growth goals you want to set? When we think about summer goals, it’s important to have something that we’re working towards and it’s not necessarily something that we’re uncovering.

[00:10:24] A lot of times we think about goals as it relates to our purpose, but it might be a relationship goal, or it might be a self-care goal. So here are a few examples of goals that you could set for your summer. If you have kids that are home from school, you might set some goals around things that you want to go do as a family.

[00:10:49] This. Specific family activities that are hard to do during the school year. Maybe you want to go on a family vacation, you could sit, set specific goals around spending time with each of your kids. You can set specific goals about something that you want to learn together. As a family, let’s say you don’t have any kids and it’s just you and your spouse.

[00:11:11] You could set a goal around something that will grow your relationship. As a couple, you could sign up for a class to get. Or maybe you’re just setting a goal for yourself. A list of books you want to read or times that you want some alone time away from your littles, or perhaps it’s carving out intentional time for rest.

[00:11:35] You need to sit down and figure out what type of goals you want to set for this season of life. Now, I recommend doing this. On a quarterly basis, but honestly, part of it. Really being intentional with your time is any time there, there is a shift, a big change in your life. That’s a good time to really reflect and assess on what goals you have and create a new schedule.

[00:12:04] So anytime that we PCS, whether it’s in the summer or not, then that’s a good time to revisit my goals and revisit myself. If you are starting a new job or your spouse gets assigned to a different shift or moves to a new position, then maybe it’s time to stop what you’re doing and reassess your goals and your school.

[00:12:28] So the first thing you want to do is set some goals for your summer. The second thing you want to do is reassess and reevaluate your priorities. What matters most to you in this season? And I recommend sitting down with a blank sheet of paper, and you’re going to write out what all your current commitments, what do you have to do on a regular basis in your week or your month, or what commitment.

[00:12:56] Do you have right now, then you want to look at what’s coming up, what’s on the horizon. What do you know is a big rock that you need to be preparing for, that you need to make room for in your schedule? Anytime we are PCS, then I am looking ahead and saying, okay, how does this impact and what do I need to be doing?

[00:13:18] Right now to prepare. And then after we PCS, then we’re still getting settled. We’re getting into our new rhythms and routines and we’re looking back. So what’s on their horizon. What is impacting us? What are our current. And then we’re going to go internally for a minute. And I want you to remind yourself of what, what fuels and fills you with joy.

[00:13:45] What are the things that fill your soul? What brings life to you? And then what distracts you from your goals? What are all the things that you do to. Unplug and unwind that don’t lead you closer to your goal that are more of a crutch, a control strategy. If you will, that we use, when we don’t want to face the future, or we don’t know what we should be doing, what are you using to escape or unplug?

[00:14:18] What are the things that are distracting? And so once we have all of these ideas on our piece of paper, and then we say, okay, based on my current commitments and what season we’re in, which goals need to be prioritized in this season. And so you look at your goal that you create. Is this a realistic goal?

[00:14:44] Can I do all of the goals I came up with or does something need to shift? Are these things going to fit in our calendar? And are we going to be able to create space for the things that really mattered to us? The next thing we need to do is make a plan. How are you going to pursue that goal? What specific things are you going to do?

[00:15:11] On a weekly basis on a monthly basis or a one-time action. What is your plan for reaching that goal? So we know what our goal is. We know what our priority is for our current season are, and then we say, okay, these are the goals that are realistic for this season. Now what’s my action plan. What do I need to do to make this around?

[00:15:40] Then the fourth thing to do is to actually make a weekly schedule. Now, I, like I said earlier, I know some of you are not scheduled people and I totally understand that, but if we want to be intentional with our time, the more that we put things on a schedule, the more that we can make time for the things that truly matter to us and not be at the whim of our circumstance.

[00:16:08] If we want to live filled, fueled, and full of joy. If we want to make an impact, if we want to live a life of meaning and purpose, it takes intentionality with our calendar. So sit down and look at weekly spread and figure out what you’re going to put on the calendar. When. The most important thing here is to make sure that you are leaving room for your core commitments.

[00:16:40] And this is another thing that you should revisit on a seasonal basis. If you’re entering in to a new season, like a summer season, then you need to reevaluate what my core commitments, my core commitments are the things that fuel me and fill me and help me pursue my. Every month. In my monthly recap, we talk about what my core commitments are, how I did at maintaining my quick commitments.

[00:17:07] These are the things you want to put on your schedule first. So if one of your core commitments is physical fitness, then you need to schedule that into your calendar. Hey, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you will find me at the gym, whatever that looks like for you. Meal planning. If it’s a weekly date night with your spouse, what are the things that you need to so that you can show up as the person that you were created?

[00:17:36] Get your core commitments scheduled out on your calendar, then think about your goals for the summer. How are you going to put that plan on your calendar? Make space for that? And then you can start filling that in with everything else. Okay. What are the events we need to be at? What are the activities that my kids, if I have kids in activities, What is their schedule going to look like?

[00:18:01] And then you began to put that schedule together. And if you’re in the summertime, then I encourage you to make it a little more laid back than you would throughout the rest of the year, because our bodies are designed to have space for rest. And when you download the. We’ll, you will see that as a key component of our health and our ability to function and to live lives of meaning and purpose is creating intentional space for rest.

[00:18:30] And that’s seasonally. That’s a component as well. In the summer, we often feel like we have space for more fun, depending on where you live, the wet weather might be better, or maybe it’s so hot that you don’t want to go outdoors, but we have these seasons of life, these regular rhythms that we engage in.

[00:18:54] And so it’s okay to have seasons where life is a little more laid back, but with a little intentionality we can make. Every season matter, the busy seasons and the relaxing summertime seasons. So to quickly recap where we’re at, number one, we want to revisit our goals or set some goals for our summer. We want to reassess our priorities and what matters most to us in this.

[00:19:27] We want to make a plan for our goals. And then we want to revisit our schedule and put all of the pieces that really matter in place, put in those big rocks first so that you are doing the things that truly matter to you. Now, I know I’m going to get a little bit of pushback on this because I know some of us find ourselves in a season where we feel like other people’s commitments are dictating our schedule.

[00:19:58] And while there is an element of truth to that, I want you to remember that everything you do is a choice. If you choose to let your children’s activities dictate your schedule. That’s fine, but that is a choice you are making. And what I don’t want to happen is for you to continue to put yourself on the back burner and say that their commitments are more important than mine.

[00:20:24] It’s still important to take care of yourself, to find purpose yourself and to do the things that truly matter. Maybe you have specific obligations based on your spouse’s job or their role. But you are still choosing to participate. So I want you to keep in mind that everything that goes on your schedule is still a choice.

[00:20:50] It may not be a choice you love, you may have a job that requires you to work overtime and you are not loving the way that your schedule looks, but you having agency. Is a choice. Now it may be necessary in this season because you have bills to pay and you have a mortgage payment and, or a ridiculously high rent payment right now.

[00:21:14] But the thing that is most important is to remember that everything is a choice. So if you are not loving your schedule, if you are not fitting in the things that matter, if you are not pursuing. The goals and the things that are most important to you. If you are not living in alignment with your values, then it really comes down to your schedule and taking the time to say, why is this true?

[00:21:43] Why are we not able to move towards these goals? Why are we not doing the things that we say are important to our family? It comes back to our schedule. And so. Nothing is going to change overnight, but it does help us start to ask the question. How could things be different? The fifth thing that I want to say today is just to remind you, to remind me, to remind all of us, to hold our plans loose.

[00:22:18] It’s one thing to set a goal. It’s one thing to create a plan. It’s one thing to create a schedule around accomplishing your goals. But then life happens and there’s always things that happen that we’re not expecting that are outside of our control. And so we have to be willing to say, okay, I put the plan together, but I’m in a hold this loosely and let life happen and be okay if things don’t go according to plan, because what really matters is did I make progress towards the things that truly matter, that helped me.

[00:22:57] Become the person I’m meant to be that help us become a stronger family unit that help us as our marriage relationship that helped me grow and deepen friendships that I want to really invest in in this season. So every season is a new opportunity for you to be intentional and for you to move towards a life.

[00:23:26] Meaning and purpose and fulfillment and getting unstuck and moving towards who you were meant to be. So as we get into summertime, what is your summertime schedule going to look like? What are your goals for the summer and what is your plan to make. On those goals, I would love for you to come over, join us inside the Facebook community and let us know what your big goal for this summer is and how you’re going to create time for that in your schedule so that we can show up with intentionality and live lives with purpose.

[00:24:05] I hope you have an amazing week until next time may you live filled, fueled and full of joy.