Put This on Your To-do List This Summer!

Lists usually represent of some of the drudgery of life--what needs to be done, picked up, or otherwise managed. I make to-do lists all the time. In fact, I even have legal pads full of them. I can literally flip back through the pages and see what was making me crazy a few weeks or months ago. Now, as I'm getting older, my lists have grown to include items for my parents, kids, work, home, cars, etc. etc. etc.

Your lists may be the same. But a list doesn't have to symbolize the mountain of work that lies ahead of you. In honor of summer and the breezy freedom it can represent, why not make a list that's reflective, exciting, or just plain fun? This can be like a scavenger hunt for your summer. Here are some ideas to get you started: 1) Things you want to do this summer. Perhaps you can make time for something you've always wanted to do but can never seem to make happen. Visit a new region or city, plant a garden, take a class, reconnect with an old friend. 2) New foods to try. (Vegetables, maybe?) Go to your local farmers market and pick out something unfamiliar to try. Chances are, the farmer will even give you suggestions for how to cook it. If veggies aren't on your list, pick out a cool-looking cookbook and try a handful of recipes. If you're lucky, you'll discover a few good ones that'll make your regular rotation. 3) A new exercise or way of moving your body. Take dance class, hike to a scenic waterfall, rollerblade to your city's hidden jewels, play in pickleball tourney--whatever thrills you. 4) Maybe you'd enjoy exploring a historical site that has always piqued your curiosity. Take a deep dive into how it was built, or how it survived...or fell. 5) Learn something new. Always want to play the ukulele? Take a class. Watercolor? There's a class for that too. You can find anything online these days but don't underestimate the value of the in-person connections you may make if you actually hop in the car and mix with a group of real people. 6) How about making a list of tools you have to lift your spirit? When you're feeling depleted, you may not be able to think of what lifts you up but making a list ahead of time solidifies it in your head. This is what I call my Self-care Toolkit. I know I like a good sweat sesh when I'm stressing. I also appreciate regular meditation, connecting with positive people, being in nature... When I'm struggling, sometimes I have to go straight down the list! There's joy to be had in list-making, should you choose to explore it this way. I, for one, am trying to grow my own vegetables from seed, committing to repairing my back patio myself (well, myself and all the Google experts out there), and chillin with friends in a town I've never visited before. I'm also going to try take the time to really enjoy the people in my life. Recent events serve to remind me they won't be here forever. I hope I'll scratch these things and many others off my list this summer. But as I learn time and again, it's the journey, not the destination that’s really important. So what if my lemon seeds don't mature into lush beauties, laden with tart yellow gems? I'll surely have learned a few lessons along the way. If you read this and decide to make a summer fun list for yourself, please share about the process and how you enjoyed tackling your fun to-dos. No reason why finding joy can't be an item on your list, too. But even if it's not, I hope joy finds YOU--whatever you do this summer. Happy list-making!