TL;DR:
- Embrace stillness to conserve and create energy for the busy fall ahead.
- Create a list of 7.4 realistic, measurable goals to balance relaxation and productivity.
- Encourage students and families to make their own lists to prioritize time and happiness.
Happy June! We made it! It’s the middle of the calendar year and the end of the school year and we are feeling all of the things.
In June, we have that euphoric sense of alllll that time stretched out in front of us. And before we know it, it’s August and we’re all, “Oh no! I didn’t do anything I wanted to do!”
Chapter 39 of Teach Happier this School Year is titled, “Summer Stillness.” On page 183 we read, “Stillness brings clarity…next Fall is going to be a hustle no matter what. It takes unwavering energy, enthusiasm, and optimism. The only way you’ll generate these feelings is by conserving and creating energy by prioritizing stillness this summer.”
I love the idea of getting still this summer.
But I also want to do what my late friend Bev Keegan would say and “squeeze the heck out of these days.” This month’s small shift in action is inspired by Gretchen Rubin, author of books like the Happiness Project and Better Than Before. At the beginning of each year, Gretchen invites her listeners to make a list for the upcoming year. This year it was “24 in 24.”
Essentially, we are encouraged to list 24 things that would help us to feel a bit happier. I love this idea and tried it for the first time this year, coming up with a list of 24 realistic, measurable things I could do to increase happiness, decrease anxiety, or sustain well-being. (As of today, I have accomplished 11 of the 24 things I created in January.)
Let’s take Gretchen’s 24 in 24 idea and modify it a bit for our upcoming teacher summer. This idea came from a little meet & greet at a school district I’ve worked with. I took the dates of their last teacher day in June and their first teacher day in August and asked Alexa to tell me how many days that was. The answer? 74.
74. Don’t worry, we aren’t going to make a list of seventy-four things. I modified it and came up with 7.4. Seven things and then almost like a half of another thing. I asked, What Is Your 7.4?
My 7.4
I will share my list with you to encourage you to try this too. Here are my 7.4 things I want to prioritize this summer as I toggle between stillness and squeezing the heck out of summer.
- Read at least 4 of the books sitting in my TBR pile
- Get TSA precheck
- Teach Emerson how to drive
- Start working on the next big project (details coming soon!)
- Splurge on something fun and frivolous on this year’s Girl’s Trip with Donna and Sarah
- Plan for a one-on-one “Yes Day” with each kid
- Find really good sheets and have them ready for the night before the first day back
7.4 Keep up with my garden
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What’s Your 7.4?
Notice these 7.4 things are measurable. Instead of simply saying “Read,” it’s “Read at least 4 books from my TBR pile.” I think this 7.4 in 74 could accomplish the same thing my 24 in 24 list does for me—help prioritize how I want to spend the glorious gift of time I am about to receive.
In hearing back from teachers at the school district I recently visited, I learned that not only is this a meaningful activity for us, it could also serve our students and our families at home. A few teachers are going to have their students make their own lists during those frenzied weeks of field days, assemblies, and yearbook signing.
How can you plan to create space for stillness while also squeezing the heck out of your summer?
What’s your 7.4?
Small Shifts; BIG Gifts!
What’s your 7.4? Create a list and put it somewhere you will see it often (the fridge or your notes/reminders app) and see if that helps you prioritize your time (and happiness!) this summer.
About Suzanne Dailey
Suzanne Dailey is a proud member of the Teach Better Family! She is an instructional coach in the Central Bucks School District where she has the honor and joy of working with elementary teachers and students in 15 buildings. Suzanne is Nationally Board Certified, a Fellow of the National Writing Project, and has a master’s degree in Reading. She is dedicated to nurturing and developing the whole child and teacher. Suzanne lives in Doylestown, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.
Check out the Teach Happier Podcast here!
