Last week, we talked about how you are the CEO of your business—even in the summer. I’m coming back to this idea again, because I know summer often feels unmanageable for Mama CEOs, and I want you to not just survive this summer, but thrive.
What makes summer so hard? Our routine changes. For many of us, our kids are out of school so we are managing kids at home or different schedules each week for camp. Maybe you want to slow down a little in the summer—or you feel like you have no choice. You do.
Here’s the thing: The summer is just another 90-day chunk of time. It’s just one quarter in your business.
And if you approach this 90-day period like any other (and let’s face it, there is never really a time when things are “normal” or “easy”), you can thrive. If you know what you want, get intentional, and make a plan . . . this can be your best summer yet.
Ninety days is the perfect amount of time to plan to make progress in your business. It gives you enough time to see progress or reach your goal, but the end goal is close enough to keep your eyes on the prize and stay focused. And 90 days is short enough to pivot if you need to. The next 90-days right now happen to be summer. What is that going to look like for your business? For your family? For your life?
3 Reasons This Is Going to Be Your Best Summer
To thrive this summer, you need to know:
- what your goals are
- your time and how to use it
- how you want to feel
One of the reasons we become Mama CEOs is to create businesses that are in line with how we want to live. So you want to set goals that fit with how you want to feel in all areas of your life and that align with how you want to show up with your clients, your partner, your kids, and yourself.
So let’s start there. How do you want to feel in the next 90 days? Remember, we’re looking at this one 90-day chunk of time. This word doesn’t define your business forever, just the next 90 days. Do you want to feel open? Focused? Relaxed? Energetic?
Know How You Want to Feel
I want my summer to feel spacious. I’m still working. I have big revenue goals I’m trying to hit this summer. I love what I’m doing right now, but my schedule has been really full.
This summer, I want to have the space to work on a book I’ve been dreaming up for a long time. I want to get out on my paddleboard. I want to be able to take my kids on impromptu adventures. And I want to do all that while working hard and hitting my revenue goals. That’s how I want my summer to feel.
Next you need to know what you need to do to get there. I thought about my goals and about the feel I want. To feel more spacious, I decided that I need to limit my one-on-one client work.
But while I pause my one-on-one, I still want to meet my revenue goals. To do that I need to have some products I can leverage without a lot of hands-on attention or to pre-sell tickets to future events.
The other thing I can do to feel more spacious is to make sure I have systems and resources in place to keep my business running—even when I’m at the zoo with my kids or at the library working on my book. So I need to make sure my autoresponders are set up and that my team knows what needs to happen.
What three things do you need to do to make sure you reach your goals and your feel for the summer?
Once you know how you want to feel, you need to get realistic about your time and your goals.
Know Your Time
Get really clear on when you can work and what chunks of time you can work in. Use my 12-week planning grid to lay out your big rocks. Which weeks are your kids in camp? When do you have family vacation? Do you have a retreat or conference planned? Is your partner traveling? When is the last day of school—and the first day?
Get all of those unmoveable pieces laid out so that you can see which weeks have more or less space for work.
Then decide what your best work week looks like. Do you want to work a few hours day? Does it make more sense to work a few longer days? Will your work evenings or weekends? (Remember, this is just for the next 90 days.)
Look at your 12-week schedule and highlight when you can work. Then rank your weeks.
1 = business-focused week (you decide what that looks like)
2 = combo business-family week
3 = family week (weeks you are off to take time with your family
This gives you a clear overview of how much time—and where in the summer— you have a lot of time to get projects done. Being realistic is critical in feeling successful.
Go back to the last three months—rank those weeks too. This gives you a benchmark to compare your summer. You may not have as much less time as you thought you did.
For more on getting realistic about your time this summer listen to The #1 Mistake You Won’t Make This Summer.
Reach Your Goals
If you know your goals and know how you want to feel, get realistic about your time and what you need to do when, you can reach your goals and enjoy your summer! I walk you through filling out the rest of the grid, keeping your focus on your goals and how you want to feel: How to Have a Summer without Breaking Your Business.
Ready to have your best summer yet?
Get the The Mama Method: A Mama CEO’s Guide to Your Next 90 Days, a step-by-step workbook with video support. You can plan your summer in an afternoon and move your business forward while have the summer you want!
Buy in June and get My Tiny Empire planning course too!
I’m so excited for you to thrive this summer, mama!
