This summer has been scattered for me. They all start out about the same way.
Phase 1: Hooray! School is out! Freedom! All schedules and invalid! We shall sleep! The shall swim! We will laze and lounge about!
Phase 2: Why is everyone on a dang screen all day? You slept in until when? This place needs routines and order. Days blur.
Phase 3: Routines and order weakly imposed. Routines and order quickly fail. Maybe we can just roll with it?
Phase 4: OMG! School is starting already?
I mean, that’s FINE and some summers this was really all I could do. With camps and new routines, and longer days, I had to realize we were gonna slide into home base as tanned, tired, chaotic people. Oh well. We’re happy.
This year, I caught myself early. My Coaching practice can be slower in the summer and I enjoy the slower days. However, I want to focus on getting through a special project so it’s ready for all. I also felt it was a great moment to focus on the things that never get their due. I’d like to feel like I’m going into September with some wind at my back.
I designed a 60/30/10 Summer School.
What’s Summer School?
In the US, most schools have Summer School programs where you can retake classes, get ahead in a subject, or make up for lost time. They are usually more concentrated than teaching in a school year. I think this approach works well for my ADHD brain because it has a deadline I can see, and a concentrated intensity of effort.
Also, I’m a big believer in declaring a season. Life is always changing, and because of that we tend to want to keep things the same - predictable, controllable and safe.
Those two aspect - unending change and the desire to control can cause a lot of stress. However, if you can stop and declare what season you find yourself in, and give yourself 6 weeks to change something, you’re more able to go with the flow of life.
This is a season, things are changing, I can row my canoe in a direction that’s more appealing, I’ll be in another season soon anyway, so why not be conscious of what’s helping and grow towards something I’d like?
What’s 60/30/10?
60/30/10 is probably most familiar as a color theory approach in film which Directors will use 60% of a frame is a dominant color (setting the mood), 30% is a supporting secondary color (adding depth), and 10% is an accent (drawing attention). See Wes Anderson.
It is widely used to create visually balanced, harmonious, and organic color palettes in interior design, web design, and photography. And it’s sometimes known as the Golden Ratio (which is actually 62/24/14).
Not normally a Golden Ratio Person.
If I'm honest, I’m usually someone who:
• Sets too many goals
• Forgets or move timelines on goals at life throws curveballs
• Tends to set goals I “should” have instead of goals that build a life I want.
• Looks for balance or dividing time equally across goals
Can you relate? This isn’t a harmonious ratio. It’s piling on a bunch of goals on an already full schedule and then losing track of progress as life happens.
So, what would happen if I applied this Golden Ratio to the next 6 weeks?
Could I get perspective and progress on the next chunk of the season? To feel I’m moving towards the things that are important to me - but still have fun? To just give a mindful concentrated push forward on all the things that tend to linger?
60/30/10 Summer School allows you to choose a core focus for this season (just 6 weeks), find a second area that’s important, and sprinkle in a 10% of something you don’t want to lose and gives you a lot of energy. The 10% is like the “pop of color” in an outfit.
Here’s how mine breaks down for the next 6 weeks:
• 60% focus on health
• 30% focus on planning for my business (specifically marketing)
• 10% maker time for my personal projects (right now, knitting)
I am choosing the 60% focus on health because I deprioritize healthy habits for almost anything that comes up. The walk gets ditched for a quick phone call. The convenient pizza takes the place of the meal I intended to make. My kettlebells linger on the floor as I help my family with a ride, a snack, a grocery run. Health touches on so many aspects of my life, recognizing its (obvious) importance as a core priority that underpins everything else makes sense, right?
30% focus on planning for business means getting ahead of some of the marketing scheduling and planning for this fall and winter. I can anticipate that all areas of my life become busier as fall closes in. This season is giving me a moment to have more distance on fall’s demands and think ahead. So I’m taking it.
10% on personal projects. The things I find most energizing and enjoyable get completely cut out. They’re frivolous or extra. That bums me out. Now it’s baked into the plan.
Finally, I’ve set a 6 week timeline so I can revisit, adjust, and refine my approach on September 1. I’ll make sure I write a follow up.
What about you?
If I had other things going on in my life, my Summer School might look like this:
Job Seeking:
60% - Networking with people you know or making new connections. I’d recommend putting the majority of your effort and energy into your network. This includes remembering who’s there, setting up a little system that helps you remember who you’ve connected with and what next steps look like, reaching out, meeting or connecting, etc.
30% - LinkedIn, applications, or “screen” activities. I think people put this as the priority but I think this can be a waste of time and lots of aimless pointing and scrolling without real connections or conversations that lead to a future.
10% - Connecting with people or communities you love and are energized by. This might be a class, drinks with friends, gaming, or a new meet up to find others who enjoy what you do. Sustain yourself and get out of your job seeking mode to connect with real people in the world.
In a job you want to leave :
60% - Doing what’s expected
30% - Making time for projects or opportunities that are driving toward my future. While you can’t spend 30% of your full-time job doing stuff not core to your role, but you can separate out a percentage of work that’s most interesting, most growth focused, and most likely to help you develop new skills and relationships. Or commit to a summer project that collects your experiences so you’re ready to go interview, share your work, etc.
10% - Take care of yourself. This could be anything from a Boba Tea to time off - but whatever it takes to care for your health and wellbeing during a stressful time
In a leadership role:
60% - Keeping the trains running - but be clear about what you should be involved in and what not important (for now). Imagine you’re a gardener in busy summertime - everything is growing and you need to cut back, prune, weed, and make some big choices in order for what’s important to thrive.
30% - Looking ahead and planning for your team’s future. Doing anything to simplify or eliminate noise. Clarify expectations and direction. Again, a gardener keeps thinking a season ahead - what worked? What needs to improve? What do I want to try?
10% - Lastly, Investing in yourself with reading, podcast, conference, coaching or something that directly impacts your skills. People in busy roles never have a slow time so make a commitment that you can stick for the next season.
Hoping to have a memorable summer:
60% - Work. Keeping the trains running
30% - Play. Doing the fun thing even if you’d normally be too tired, it’s not practical or it’s hot outside. Take an extra day off at the weekend - or every weekend. Find a favorite swimming pool. Leave early when you can.
10% - Deep Rest. Find whatever ways you can deeply rest and connect with yourself and those you love. Find something super low effort like listening to a podcast series or audio book together, watching a favorite movie, having a summertime snack.
Your plan is your own. What might you do?
Your priorities or what’s most important to you will be reflected in how you decide to spend your 60/30/10. I encourage you to be bold and maybe try something experimental - after all, it’s only 6 weeks. Maybe you’ll learn more about yourself and what you’re able to do.
Happy Summer School.
