Summer is a time to relax, enjoy the outdoors and get your much-needed vitamin D boost. It’s a great feeling to have more energy and feel like you have more time during the day, making summer the ideal time to get things done.
If you’re ready to have a productive and make the most of the summer months, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you want to get ahead in your career or get your personal life in order, let the following tips help you be your most productive you this summer. 
Set some Summer goals
If you’re going to make the most of your summer, you’re going to need to set yourself some goals. What do you want to achieve? Where would you like to be by the end of the summer?
There are some great rules to follow to help you set goals for yourself. From setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals to making an action plan, it’s important for your professional development that you set goals for yourself. Work on some short-term goals that you’d like to work on over the summer months, as well as think about some longer-term goals that you’d like to focus on.
Evaluate the year so far
We’re past the halfway point of the year, which is the perfect time to look back over the first half and evaluate what you’ve achieved. Think about the projects you’ve worked on, what your successes have been and the areas that you can improve upon.
Self-evaluation is important, and when it comes to end-of-year performance reviews, it will help you a lot if you’ve already done half of the preparation already. Evaluating your year now will also help you to monitor the progress of your existing objectives, and make some plans to complete them over the remainder of the year.
Get up earlier
The lighter mornings make it much easier to get up and make the most of those hours before work. Whether you choose to exercise or tackle housework, you could get more done during your morning to free up your time later on.
You could also get up and get into work earlier. One of the key habits of productive people is that they prioritize the most important tasks first. By getting into work earlier, you could get a jump on those bigger tasks to help make sure you get them done. This will make the afternoons much easier and could help you leave work earlier and make the most of the sunshine.
Remember, if you get up earlier, you should go to bed earlier. Getting the right amount of sleep is important, and you can soon find your productivity diminish after too many sleepless nights. Read some tips on how to sleep better in summer to make sure you get enough rest.
Build an environment for productivity
It’s difficult to be productive when everything around you is a mess. Having a neat, clean office space is important, so you’ll want to spend some time organizing your things. The summer months tend to be quieter with people taking vacations, so you’ve got a great excuse to have a personal admin day.
It also helps to make sure your office is fit for purpose. Having plenty of light, space and a comfortable workstation are all important for working to the best of your ability. Offices can become stuffy in the summer months, so it could be worth calling AC repair to your office or home office to help make sure you stay cool on those hot days. Resist the temptation to stay at your desk all day, take a regular screen break and try to get outside when you can.
Make the most of organization tools
While your workplace is quieter, you might have more time on your hands due to fewer meetings. This is the perfect opportunity to try out some organization tools that can help you work more effectively and save time too. Some of the best productivity tools include apps like Wunderlist, Trello and Evernote. Find out which tools work best for you and start using them to your advantage.
Focus on your health
There’s something about summer that just makes everyone want to be healthier. Simply spending time outdoors can be a good way to be more active and enjoy the sunshine. Regular exercise will help improve your energy levels and make it easier for you to stay focused on your work. A lunchtime walk or workout can be a good way to break up your day and can help you avoid the post-lunch slump that many people experience at work. Fit more exercise into your routine to help you take better care of your health this summer.
Plan a vacation
While wanting to get ahead at work is important for your career, it’s also important that you take a break. A vacation will give you something to look forward to and could motivate you to work hard so that you get everything done in enough time. Even if you’re not headed overseas for your vacation, there are some excellent ideas to have a restful staycation that will leave you feeling recharged and ready for whatever comes next.
If you’ve got the travel bug and summer never quite feels long enough, why not explore the opportunity of becoming a digital nomad so that you can work and travel the world?
Make time for friends and family
As well as spending time working hard over the summer, you work on finding a healthy work/life balance. Many people spend extra hours in the office or filling their evenings with work events, when you should be using the time to focus on your personal relationships and finding time to do things you enjoy. Spending more time with your friends and family is important, and summer is a great time to do that. People love to socialize over the summer and make the most of the good weather, so you should take advantage of the opportunity to meet for lunch, dinner and spending weekends having fun with those you love. Work will still be there, but finding that balance is what will stop you from burning out and ensure your mental health is looked after too.
Help someone else
Being productive and freeing up more time in your day will give you the time to do things that you wouldn’t normally get to do. Many people wish they could volunteer more and spend time helping others, but it’s not always possible with a busy work schedule and other commitments.
Why not use the summer to do some good and help others? You could volunteer your time to good causes, or you could offer yourself as a mentor to those looking to further their careers. With a number of college graduates about to enter the world of work, this could be a good way for you to share your knowledge and experience to help someone else go far.
The summer months are a great opportunity to focus on your personal development and get things done. Use the time to focus on improving your career as well as focusing on your health and wellbeing. While it’s important to work hard, it’s also important to relax and let go from time to time, so make sure you balance the hard work with the fun stuff to help you have your best summer yet.
