ADHD · fun · goals · season transitions

Summer Goals (and some are not)

Christine Hennebury

Yes, I know the joke in the title is ridiculous but I couldn’t resist.

Let’s just roll with it, shall we?

I find goal setting a tricky business overall. 

The process of breaking things down into small steps and prioritizing is valuable but my brain does NOT want to do it. In fact, that type of thinking is my brain’s least favourite thing. 

It likes to generate all kinds of extra factors and complications and ideas and it wants me to account for EVERY SINGLE ONE so I can PROVE that this goal/plan is the ONE RIGHT WAY to get where I want to go.

Is this helpful?

It is not. 

Can I stop my brain from going into that loop?

No, I cannot.

Can I try to find a workaround?

I can try!

In order to work with my brain and ensure that it won’t fight me every step of the way, I have to find a healthy combination of specificity and flexibility – specific enough so that my brain registers the idea as an actual thing that is happening and flexible enough that my brain won’t revolt at the idea of being trapped in a plan that past me made. 

a screencap of a tweet by Marly (@VerbsRProudest) from Oct 3, 2014 that reads 'I hate to cancel. I know we made plans to get together tonight but that was two hours ago. I was younger then, and full of hope.
This kind of sums up my brain’s feelings on a lot of my plans. image description: a screencap of a tweet by Marly (@VerbsRProudest) from Oct 3, 2014 that reads ‘I hate to cancel. I know we made plans to get together tonight but that was two hours ago. I was younger then, and full of hope.

And while I bristle at the idea of ‘making the most’ of summer (or of any season or event, really – the pressure! Ugh!) I do like the idea of making each season feel a little different by doing things that feel like they belong in that time of year. 

So, to summarize (summer-ize? ha!) I want to do some seasonal things to kind of anchor myself in the moment, I want to have loose plans that help me actually do those things, but I want enough flexibility in those plans so my brain doesn’t get cranky and stubborn. 

Here are a few categories of fun/ideas/goals/plans that I am playing with at the moment.

Cycling – I’m looking into buying an ebike but it’s not in the budget quite yet and I also want to make sure that I will actually use it so I am trying to use my regular bike more (and yes, I see the conundrum here – an ebike would increase my likelihood of riding more but…yeah) But the vague goal of ‘use my bike more’ is not helpful so I need to get specific – two 20 minute rides per week for the next three weeks and then reevaluate?

Patio Yoga – I love doing yoga on my patio either in the sunshine or in the evening with the little patio lights on. I want to say that I will start or end each day with yoga on the patio but I also know that I will get thrown off from this plan.  So I think I will aim for daily outdoor yoga but with the idea that 3-5 times per week is more likely.

Hiking – I’m not inclined to do long hikes at the moment but perhaps that will change. For right now, I plan to do two short hikes (2 hours or less) in July and 2 in August. At least one of these hikes will involve a picnic and some reading in the middle.

Swimming in a pond – Last summer, I only managed to swim in a pond 2 or 3 times. This year, I am conspiring with a friend to ensure that I am going to *at least* double that.  

Hula Hooping – I really *want* to be good at hula hooping but I never practice consistently enough to get the knack. I’m committing to bringing my hoop outdoors with me every time I hang out in my yard to write and I will practice for at least 5 minutes per writing session. Will this help me improve? Maybe, maybe not, but I definitely won’t improve if my hoop stays propped against the wall downstairs.

a blue, green, and gold hula hoop rests against a long table covered in a blue table cloth with an ipad and some art supplies on top. The table itself is on some long-ish grass under some trees and there is a mix of sun and shade.
This photo is from a few years ago but it’s the mental image that arose when I thought about bringing my hoop outside to use when I take a break from writing. Image description: a blue, green, and gold hula hoop rests against a long table covered in a blue table cloth with an ipad and some art supplies on top. The table itself is on some long-ish grass under some trees and there is a mix of sun and shade.

Deep relaxation – I’m going to follow daily, deliberate relaxation practices and hopefully get some of this lingering stress out of my brain and my muscles. (I know this one isn’t summer-specific but summer is supposed to be relaxing, isn’t it? Let’s say deep relaxation is thematically appropriate )

Sounds like some fun stuff, right?

Specific but not super-detailed?

Now as long as I keep below my brain’s ‘Oh hell, no!’ radar, I’ll have a great time this summer.

The photo below is largely unrelated but it made me laugh all over again a few minutes ago so I thought you might like it, too.

a drawing on an index card shows a brown bear in a Hawaiian shirt and a yellow bear in a green and white jersey standing on either side of a round container filled with ice with glass bottles of drinks sticking out of it. It's a summer day and there are puffy white clouds in the blue sky.
Yes, the joke in my title is kind of recycled. I made this card during my first year doing the Index Card A Day challenge. I’m not sure what the prompt was bears? summer? summer bears? Hawaiian shirts? It could have been anything. All I know is that in brainstorming the prompt, my sons and I ended up saying ‘Summer bears (and summer not)’ which kept us laughing for ages. That should tell you a lot about our sense of humour, right there. Image description: a drawing on an index card shows a brown bear in a Hawaiian shirt and a yellow bear in a green and white jersey standing on either side of a round container filled with ice with glass bottles of drinks sticking out of it. It’s a summer day and there are puffy white clouds in the blue sky.

Published by Christine Hennebury

I'm a writer/storyteller/director/creativity & lifestory coach with a black belt in ITF Taekwon-do. I read voraciously and I write like my fingers are on fire. I'm the founder and Chair of the Association for the Arts in Mount Pearl and I'm a former president of the St. John's Storytelling Festival. I bake a mean chocolate chip cookie.