I am two weeks in to summer break with my three kids. I am a stay at home Mom and have never thought prepped in my life. You can read about what it looks like to thought prep in my last blog, “Meal Prep Your Thoughts.” Every summer comes and goes so quickly and I am left wondering what happened to my life and my children’s lives and wondering if we accomplished anything. Mom guilt quickly sets in and I feel as though I have nothing to show for the time I had with my kids because all of a sudden the time has evaporated. This summer I plan to do things differently by thought prepping my summer. I have only been thought prepping for 3 weeks now and it is literally changing my life. I hope you will choose to join me on this adventure to a better life in mind, physicality and spirituality.
Envision with me that you have decided to take a summer vacation. You have packed your bags in your rental van and you and your family have filled the van with clothes, toys and enough sunscreen to swim in. Everyone has expectations and vision filled dreams of summer fun as you head to the beach. Now you have been traveling for 20 hours. 20 hours of cramps, 20 hours of twisting and bending all while remaining seated and buckled in the passenger seat to grab fallen toys and crayons from the ground, 20 hours of laughs and cries, fighting and good conversations, 20 hours of music and podcasts...20 hours!!!! Finally, you have reached your resort hotel.
You can see palm trees, seagulls, white sand and the clear ocean water in the distance, the smell of the salty sea is in the air. The sliding door to the van opens and your children roll out with energy that has been building up like a volcano wanting to erupt and though you are cramped from all of the driving you all run towards your destination and run into the ocean water, fully clothed.
This is the moment you have been waiting for and you are here. So you run straight into the ocean and dip in about hip deep before an unexpected wave slaps you in the leg and sends you to your imminent doom. Crack your face hits the bottom of the ocean as wave after wave sends you rolling on the shore. Your butt is now hanging out because you now have a wedgie from the teasing waters. There is sand EVERYWHERE in places unspeakable. Salt water fills your mouth and to onlookers you look hilarious and look like you have never been in water your entire life but you cannot catch your balance to stand even if your life depended on it.
Unfortunately, many times this is how we not only approach summer but every season. There is excitement in the air from the change that is about to come. We have been working so hard with our businesses, families, classrooms and churches and we are ready for a new season that brings with it longer warmer days, rest and relaxation, reprieve and new clarity but we fail to have goals and plans. We jump into summer with excitement but then before we know it summer is over. We have completed yet another season with zero change. We end up behind in our workplaces, lacking in our relationships and rather than being in charge of our days we let the days charge us and crash us to the shores of life and when we let this happen we can be caught unaware rolling on the shore not knowing what we are doing or how we even got there.
This does not have to be you or me this summer. I am here to help us so that when we get to the end of the summer we will have set goals and planned our thoughts so that at the end of the season we will see change in our lives, have better relationships, better workplaces and we will be stronger and more influential because of it.
This time envision yourself on the shore, in your bathing suit, and rocking it by the way, and you have a surf board in hand. Maybe you never thought you would even step foot in the ocean let alone have a surf board in hand. You are trained and ready. This moment has been waiting for you, calling you for your entire life. You look out and you spot the waves and you single out which one you want to go after. You step into the ocean this time, not running aimlessly but with direction and purpose. You choose your wave and start swimming with intention, purpose and passion towards that wave. You finally reach the wave and you stand up on your surf board and ride the wave to the shore. The wind is in your hair, the sun is blazing hot on your shoulders so the wind and the splash of the ocean water feels refreshing, it tastes salty but it is somehow the right amount to serve as a reminder to keep adventuring, to keep riding, to keep dreaming. The water looks fast underneath you, everything is moving fast beneath you but you are steady, balanced and in control and finally you reach the shore, you jump off your surf board, turn around and look for your next wave.
If we choose to make goals this summer, schedule the tasks in our calendars and thought prep we will be the people who reach our destination and look like seasoned swimmers in the ocean. We will be people who ride the waves. We will be conquerors, inspirational, we will grow, we will not be behind when fall comes but we will be on top of it and ready to see what the fall has in store for our beating hearts. Don’t get too excited now we have to get through summer first but fall has something in store for you and me and it too is waiting for us if we take the stepping stones required of us this summer. We will be standing at the precipice of fall this year and we will not be behind but we will be equipped and ready.
It starts with making a list of our summer goals. I will show you some of my list to give you an idea but don’t copy mine or anyone else’s goals because I want to encourage you to sit down, pray and ask the LORD what he has for you this summer. After taking time with the LORD go ahead and make your goals based off what He wants for your life.
My Goals:
1. Make a summer schedule (rainy day and sunny day schedule)
2. Apply to be a substitute teacher
3. Update resumé
4. Buy pool passes
5. Lose Weight
6. Read Bible and pray daily
7. Thought prep every day
Goals for my kids:
1. Learn how to tye their shoes
2. Learn how to ride a bike
3. Learn how to swim
4. Learn how to sow
5. Read 100 books (Libraries have wonderful programs for children and adults during the summer.)
6. Read scripture daily
These are some of our goals. What are your goals? Write them down. Once we have made our lists I want us to open our calendars and schedule in those activities every week. I mentioned I had a sunny day and a rainy day schedule. On the rainy days I am going to schedule in practice sowing or practice tying shoes for 15-30 minutes with my children.
Once our goals are scheduled go one step further and thought prep. Maybe our goal is to run in a marathon in the fall so we are training through the summer. Our thoughts will be monumental in accomplishing this goal or not. If our thoughts have on repeat that we are dreading our training, we are hot, we have no energy, our legs are killing us...there is a really good chance that we will not continue our training and then consequently not be running in our marathon. Now, if our thoughts have these words on repeat that we are looking forward to our training because we know that it is going to prepare us and make us strong for our race, these practice runs are building endurance, we have energy and that our legs are strong enough to push through anything then we will have the endurance to complete or at least show up to our race. We are going to be able to do things with our lives we never thought possible.
So to recap, let’s write out our goals, schedule them in our calendar and thought prep. If we can do these three things we will be riding the waves of summer rather than being tossed by the waves of summer. The choice is ours. Will we choose to have another season of life slip through our fingertips like sand in an hour glass or are we going to get to the end of this season and say we lived it out with intention? Will we be able to say that we did the things we set out to do and when surprises came our way and took us to waves unseen we were able to look those waves in the face with a new found confidence and courage because we were prepared? I am ready to change my life and I would love to have you join me.
I’ll see you at the shore!
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