School officially ended on Friday and by Saturday I was already hard at work on my summer project and setting up my plans for the next couple of weeks.
Relaxation is different for me than it is for most, I suspect. Although I’m not officially in work most days, my mind and thoughts have not strayed from it and I’m taking summer courses to finish up my leadership program. Additionally, I’ve set time aside for writing my book and this blog.
As the heat grows hotter outside and my plans to take some time for myself adjust, I watch movies and write. Since school ended, I’ve seen three movies in the theater, got my hair done and got started getting back into shape (a terrible side-effect of my first year of leadership). No one tells you that this position is like your first year of college when it isn’t uncommon to gain the “Freshman 15".
When I’m working out every day, I love the energy I feel and I wonder how I could ever stop, but I did because time was such a scarcity this year. Summer break is when all of that time comes back. The real trick will be to start a routine that I can sustain once the school year is in full swing.
Fortunately, my husband is a trainer and he has helped me figure out what I need to do to get my girlish figure back. Whether I’m riding the trainer in the morning and then going for walk before it gets too hot, I’m doing what I can to keep moving. This movement is good for my body and for my mind.
Meditation is a funny thing for me, sitting still is hard for me, so I find walking therapeutic; it helps to clear my head and so does writing, which is why the time I take to reflect on my work is so useful to unwinding as well. As soon as the stress of the day to day ended, it was like my creativity opened up again and started pouring out.
Because I need that creativity all of the time, especially in my job, I need to find ways to better center myself in the thick of all of it. When I was in the classroom, my students and experiences drove deeper learning that I wrote about and shared, there is nuance in the leader role that doesn’t allow for the immediacy of that exchange any longer. However, since I’m learning new things all of the time, I need to find a way to channel that learning curve into shareable nuggets.
Summer is also about reconnecting with people who matter to me and trying to make time off the grid. In August, I will have the opportunity to play a supporting role to my husband when he competes in the Leadville 100 in Colorado. There are few things I enjoy more than cheering him on. He is my hero in this way.
So stay tuned to hear about my new adventures over the summer and to get tidbits of the new book.
What are you doing this summer to keep your mind and body busy? Please share
Photo by Starr Sackstein