Handel Group

Take Yourself to Summer School

Lauren Zander
“I always wanted to learn the guitar. Maybe THIS summer.” Or…. maybe not.
It’s a shame how quickly we dismiss our heartfelt dreams and relegate them to the “someday” bucket list. Why is that?
We have many reasonable-sounding excuses. Work is hectic, there’s never enough time, the kids, the spouse, etc. Reasonable, sure. But not true.
At HG, we call this inner voice the “chicken,” and boy does it keep us playing small. Instead of branching out and learning a new skill, a hobby, or anything fun and out of the ordinary, we choose the ones that are safe and familiar – movies, dinner, happy hour. Then we wonder why we feel bored and stagnant in our lives!
This summer, lose the excuses and set your sights on something more fun and fulfilling.
A COMMITMENT TO LEARNING IS A COMMITMENT TO YOUR OWN BRAVE EVOLUTION AND IMPROVEMENT. 
Summer is the perfect time to give yourself the gift of a new hobby, skill or activity that you’ve always been curious about. The possibilities are endless! Consider gourmet cooking, speaking a foreign language, guitar, singing, painting, sculpting, photography, making films, writing stories, running, surfing, tennis, biking, golf, swimming, learning yoga, scuba diving certification, fishing, sailing, juggling, swing dancing, learn to Dj with real records, become a drink mixologist, water ski, make jewelry. Surprise yourself! Impress yourself. Don’t wait until the summer is over to accept this awesome challenge.

STEPS TO LEARNING SOMETHING NEW

1) Brainstorm.

Write down all the activities, skills or abilities you wished you had time to do or you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t. Rate them in order of importance.

2) Choose your activity.

Really look at your list and decide what you want to make happen this summer. What would make you happy and proud? This is supposed to be fun and fulfilling for you. If you feel like it’s work, you will resent it.

3) Answer “why are you not doing it?”  

It’s something you would love to do and it would make you happy, but for some reason it’s last on your priority list. What is holding you back from learning this new skill or doing this activity? Time? Money? Fear? Face why you’re not doing it and remember, it’s just an excuse.

4) Make a plan.

Find time in your schedule to fit in your new activity every week. Start today. Make promises to do your activity. Implement consequences if you don’t do your promises. If you don’t enjoy your activity, you are allowed to change it! This is not school. This is about learning how to do something you love.

5) Declare an end result.

What do you want to accomplish by the end of the summer with your new activity or skill? For example, if you are learning how to cook, plan a big Labor Day dinner party with close friends, where you cook the entire meal.

The possibilities are endless! Get to it!

Love,
Lauren

PS – Learning is FUN. Join me on my Fun and Adventure Tele-Talk, where we’ll be discussing the importance of fun and adventure to your health and personal development. You’ll learn how to make promises in this arena that will exhilarate and inspire you to action! If you can’t attend the call, register anyway and we’ll send you an audio playback so you can listen and learn on your own time.