Design a Summer You’ll Actually Enjoy

Have you ever looked up in late August and wondered: Wait… where did the summer go?

You had so many plans. You wanted to relax more, go on a few adventures, maybe plant flowers, or spend long evenings on the porch. But somehow, the season slipped by, overshadowed with obligations, distractions, and the same old routines.

This summer, let’s do it differently.

This year, let’s design a summer you’ll actually enjoy. One that feels light, joyful, restorative, and aligned with who you are and what you want this season to be.

It seems like every year, Summer has a funny way of getting away from us. The days are longer, but the time feels shorter and seems to go faster. We tell ourselves we’ll do the summer fun stuff “later,” but later never seems to come, and before you know it, the summer has turned to fall.

Why does this happen? Maybe because there are still appointments, responsibilities, errands, and routines. What gets forgotten is the opportunity to be intentional. 

What Does It Mean to Intentionally Design Your Summer?

Intentional living means making conscious choices about how you spend your time and energy. It means not defaulting to autopilot or putting yourself last on your own list. It’s easy to get sucked into things that steal your time - TV, checking emails, online shopping, scrolling - to name a few. Being aware of the things that pull you away from what you really want to do is the first step toward intentionally designing your summer. 

Tips to Intentionally Design Your Summer: 

• Think about and choose what matters most to you, and create time and space for it.

• Say “yes” to what lights you up and “no” to what drains you.

• Create rhythms and rituals that restore you.

• Honor both your desire for fun and your commitment to growth.

You don’t need to pack every day full. In fact, the most meaningful summers often come from the simplest moments: coffee on the porch, a spontaneous picnic, an afternoon nap in the shade.

Here’s a simple way to tune into what you want so you can design your perfect summer:

1. Visualize Your Ideal Day

Take five quiet minutes. Picture yourself waking up on a summer morning.

• Where are you?

• What are you doing?

• How do you feel? Now write down the pieces of that vision. Maybe it’s slow mornings, time in the garden, or a weekly lunch with a friend. These are clues to what your soul is craving.

  
  

2. Choose Your Summer Priorities

Pick 2–3 things you really want to experience this summer. Not the things you “should” do—the ones you’ll look back on with joy. Examples:

• Spend more time outside.

• Read 3 novels just for fun.

• Take a weekend getaway.

• Host a backyard dinner.

  
  

3. Create Light Structure

Structure doesn’t have to feel rigid. It can be as simple as:

• Sundays are for rest.

• Tuesdays = porch coffee and journaling.

• Visit one new place every month.

Putting it on the calendar means it’s more likely to happen, instead of living only in your imagination.

4. Stay Connected to Your Bigger Goals

Remember the goals you set back in January? Summer can sometimes feel like a “pause” on productivity, but it doesn’t have to. Ask: What’s one small step I can take each week toward a long-term goal? You can enjoy your summer and make quiet progress on these annual goals.

You Deserve a Summer That Fills You Up

You’ve spent many summers taking care of everyone else. Now is your time. You want to be able to look back and say that you achieved what you wanted, rather than realizing that another summer just slipped away. So…this is your invitation to design a summer that feels like you: unhurried, joy-filled, purpose-infused, and deeply satisfying.

And remember—intention doesn’t mean perfection. It’s not about endless “to-do” lists. It’s about paying attention. It means showing up for yourself. It means choosing to live on purpose, even when it’s just sitting in the sun doing nothing at all. That counts, too.