When you're working a full-time job, finding time to enjoy the warm, bright summer weather can be a challenge. This is especially true for young professionals, as many of them are used to having summers off (or, at the very least, having a flexible summer schedule). But there's no need to feel trapped behind your cubicle walls. Go out and enjoy summer!
Here are a few tips for making the most of your summer while working full time.
1. Grab Some Foldable Chairs
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Keep a couple of foldable camping chairs at the office so you and a co-worker can catch some rays during lunch—whether it's in the park or the parking lot.
2. Keep A Beach Bag In Your Car
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Keep a bag full of summer supplies for your favorite summer activities. Having a bag (or, in my case, a backseat) full of towels, sunscreen, and swimwear keeps you prepared for anything. Friends hitting up the pool after work? You're covered. Once the clock strikes five, you can head to your destination of choice immediately.
3. Plan An Office Outing
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Plan an office field trip to the beach, the park, or the pool. Just do something fun so your brain can recharge and refresh!
4. Organize Group Walks
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Get a bunch of co-workers together and go on regular walks around town during lunch. (Or you could suggest a quick jaunt over to the ice cream shop.) This is a great way to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.
5. Eat Lunch At The Park
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When you find yourself eating out, hit up places with a deck, porch, or patio of some sort. Obviously, eating out every day isn't really a feasible option for most of us, so look into alternative ideas as well. Pack a lunch and hit the park for your own little picnic.
6. Organize Office Sports
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Whether it's setting up an official office sports team or just hanging out with your colleagues a few times a week, playing sports is a great way to get out and enjoy the weather. Have a field nearby? Try setting up some slow-pitch softball games. Or see if you can get a basketball hoop for the office so you and a few co-workers can shoot some hoops at lunch.
7. Join A Professional Group
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During the summer, professional networking groups often have fun events like harbor cruises, pub crawls, and outdoor mixers. Find a professional group in your area and make networking fun this summer.
8. Have An Office BBQ
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Get your grill on! Talk to your boss about setting up an office BBQ. Ask everyone to contribute their favorite dish, side, or drink. Fire up the grill and relax! Hey, it's summer after all.
9. Wake Up Early
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Yes, yes, I know...waking up early is an incredibly painful and unbearable experience for some of us, but waking up even an hour earlier has its benefits—especially in the summer. Go for a morning run, putter around in the garden, or watch the sunrise with a loved one. Talk about starting the day off right!
10. Strategically Use Your Time Off
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Strategically use your vacation days around holidays. This way, you can make a potentially long weekend longer without having to use too much of your precious vacation time. Half days are also pretty awesome. It's amazing how much you can do with four extra hours! If you want an early weekend but don't want to burn up your vacation days too quickly, try taking a half day on a Friday instead of using a full day off.
11. Bike To Work
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If you're one of the lucky few who live within walking or biking distance of work, take advantage of it! Not only will you get plenty of fresh air, but you'll also save money on gas, which is always a plus!
There are plenty of easy ways to enjoy summer when you work a full-time job. So this summer, try out a few of these ideas and make the most of the sunshine and warm weather—while they're still around!
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One of my favorite quotes is your success can be no greater than your plans are sound. Sadly, though, too many of us “fly blind” in our lives and our careers.
I should know.
For a long time – eight years to be exact – I did the same thing. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do professionally, so I just took opportunities as they came to me. I thought I was happy. I had a job I enjoyed at a boutique communications firm and I was making decent money.
Things were going well, right?
Perhaps on the outside. But the truth was I couldn’t shake a nagging feeling something was missing in my life. That I was supposed to do more…something BIG… if only I could figure out what it was. I felt like I had this fireball of ambition growing, but absolutely nowhere to channel it. So I just sat back and let life happen to me for way too long.
But then something did happen. (Unplanned and unforeseen by me of course… )
I changed jobs and went to work in an organization more than a hundred times larger than the communications firm. And after a few weeks of settling in to corporate life, someone asked me a question I’ll never forget.
“Have you filled out your career plan yet?”
Huh? My previous job, while quirky and fun in its own right, was simply too small and understaffed to have “career plans” for its employees, so I’d never been exposed to the concept. Once I found a copy of the plan, however, it was a total “light bulb” moment.
“This is the framework that will help me find FOCUS in my career.”
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Remember: Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
Note: This webinar has already occurred. If you are interested in learning more on this topic, please e-mail Emily at ebennington@msn.com.
Emily Bennington is the co-author of "Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job," a book written with her own post-college boss and mentor. Emily teaches a graduate-level course on professionalism and is passionate about helping career newbies become emerging leaders.The photo for this article is provided by Shutterstock
