Summer is a hard time to stay focused. The Sun is shining, flip-flops are on your feet, and the home office feels more like cell block 109 than a cozy work station. Do you know the feeling? I feel it every year the Mercury rises past 70. To keep myself productive I gave myself a few "Summer Rules". Maybe they will help you work smarter this season. 1. Own your calendar: During the summer months the social calendar is more active. There seems to be an endless number distractions to pull us away from getting work done. I use Google Calendar internally, to schedule time blocks to accomplish my different tasks for the week. I fill in the most important things as early in the day as possible. I like using Tungle for my external meeting scheduler. It integrates well with other calendars and has a cool "proposed times" feature.
2. Get outside everyday: I love the long days of April through October. I start my workday an hour earlier in the summer. This gives me more daylight to get outside and enjoy the afternoon. You could take a 15-30 minute walk or work outside in the shade. Your body will love the vitamin D and fresh air.
3. Unplug: This is related to #2 but is important to categorize by itself. Unplugging gives your mind time to reboot. You will come back more focused and effective. Use the off the grid time to enjoy the company of friends and family. Experience the world around you. Last week I saw a guy laying in a hammock with a cell phone to his ear and a laptop on his chest. Really?
These are simple guidelines that help me stay productive during the summer months. Most people get distracted too easily this time of year. We relapse to our school days when we had summer break and could sleep in and shed responsibilities. Today we don't have the same luxury with projects due and business to ship. Don't give in to the summer blues. Work hard and play hard.
What are your summer rules?
Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon
