When entering into summer, I run into some big challenges. How am I going to spend my free time? What am I going to do now that most of my friends are miles away? Do I set myself on a schedule? Do I make myself goals to keep myself engaged, or do I just take life as it comes? And if I do set goals, how do I hold myself accountable?

I know I need to have time for my interests and I do have designated time in my afternoons for these things, but I almost wonder if this could lead to stagnation. Will I get so zoned into a schedule that I simply go through the motions and begin to get numb to the enjoyment factor?

Considering all this, I have come to a conclusion. I want my summer schedule to be worthwhile, beneficial, and not feel like a chore. This will include a basic structure that leaves room for adjustment, if needed.

Join me in exploring this sort of schedule that may help you in planning your next three months.

What does this look like? Well, let’s say you have work from 8am- 5:30 pm. This is a set time frame in the schedule. What will you do after that? These are hours in question.

As a college student, moving back away from everyone make me feel like life went from crazy to empty over night. I’m used to the hustle and constantly having something on my plate to keep me from boredom. This is my comfort zone. With this gone, I feel without a purpose, without a reason.

Thus, with our summer, we need to find that purpose and reason again!

Firstly, find a way to burn off all this stored energy you have by the end of the workday. Why not incorporate exercise into the daily routine, combatting afternoon laziness and staying fit at the same time! Consider your expectations. Is it worthwhile? Yes, I burn off energy. Is it beneficial? Yes. Why? Because it encourages fitness. Lastly, will this feel like a chore? Not if you intentionally find fun options and stay open to new ones. This can be placed in some time after dinner, or whenever works best for you.

But to stay sane, you'll also need time for hobbies. Each night before bed, I leave time open for writing, reading, and Netflix. Here is where “flexibility” comes in. You don’t want to kill a hobby by forcing yourself to do it. Though it may still be worthwhile and beneficial, it may turn into a chore and, therefore, defeat the purpose entirely.

So how do I approach this? I give myself an array of options for each day while having a week goal. I’ll have what I want done for the week, but leave it open to choose what I want to do on the specific days. One day, I may read from my fiction book. Another day, I watch an episode on Netflix. The next day, I do some writing. With this in mind, you can arrange what all you want to see done by the time you reach the end of the week.

I’ve learned that I need to set goals and keep myself engaged in projects while also having fun. Perhaps this summer can be the one in which you, too set some goals and intentionally remain engaged with life. Yes, keep yourself accountable for getting stuff done, but not to the point where you are getting frustrated. Some structure is healthy as long as you are running the plans– and the plans aren’t running you.

Here's to summer 2016!