I have been listening to Michael Hyatt’s podcasts for a few seasons now and I love the wisdom and ideas he inspires. Of of his practices he suggests for goal setting is to take a day (or several hours) and plan out your yearly goals in segments of 90 days at a time.

I’ve planned some big goals for this year, and have utilized my Passion Planner and my blog as a means for seeing those goals become concrete results. I set forth plans for the 90 day window from mid-November through mid-February. These were things like rebuilding my new blog format, writing regularly and getting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and finally finishing my book manuscript. I set goals for the coming year in a variety of categories.  And I began documenting things like monthly date nights, chores to teach our children and some areas of personal care.

I did this planning again from mid-February through (now) mid-May. Things like monthly book reports, tracking what I’m learning each month and a concrete finishing goal for finishing Mission Ready Marriage were all highlights of these most recent months.

It’s time again to put some boundaries and parameters on what I hope to achieve between mid-May and mid-August, the time also known as summer.

After a long but full school year, and many months of working hard, summer is going to be a time of rest, good health and being a fun mom.

Here is my tentative list for my three areas of investment this summer.

Rest.

• sleeping late with no alarm
• coffee drinking and Bible reading on my back porch
• catching up on a few of my shows on Netflix without guilt
• reading for pleasure
• getting a legitimate tan
• taking naps when I feel like it
• meeting friends for late or early coffee and chatting
• being okay with quiet/down time and occasional boredom

Health.

• monitoring intake of healthy foods
• exercising regularly
• morning and evening walks when it’s cool outside
• fitness classes at our local Y
• writing regular blog posts for my mental health

Fun Mama.

• no lists or formulas for fun (summer reading, bucket lists, etc.) let it happen organically
• travel to Tennessee at least twice
• travel to Hilton Head Island Charleston
• travel to Fort Myers
• be a local tourist and enjoy the Blue Star family program
• see movies
• go swimming (pool, beach, with friends, splash pads)
• play games with my kids
• be present

I know, who has to make a list to be reminded to take a nap? It’s sad.

But I have found by writing out and articulating how I envision my 90 day goals to go, I am half way there. In a way this is a way to give myself permission to set aside performance and working and striving. I spend a lot of the school year doing just that and I’m taking a vacation from my typical busyness these next few months.

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Are you a big picture planner and goal setter? What are your plans for summer?