Summer Breeze

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"Summer Breeze makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind"

The Isley Brothers (original by Seals and Croft) https://youtu.be/i4YklqpJaUQ

Well this year has been like no other and for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this Summer has a strange almost surreal quality. With lockdown and travel restrictions still in place the prospect of travelling to far-flung places in search of new experiences has been severely limited. Staycations are the order of the day, encouraging more of us to value and enjoy some of the sights and places that are much closer to home.

One thing that hasn't changed however, wherever you might be spending this Summer, is the need and opportunity as Summer draws to a close to focus on the three important holiday "R's" during any down-time that you might have. And never more than this year have these factors been so important:

Recharge - grabbing the opportunity to step off the madly spinning roundabout of daily activity and giving yourself the time to relax, rest and recharge your batteries. For many the last few months have been a frantic, bruising and often worrying time - and it is by no means over. But creating some time and space to chill-out and replenish our energy has become essential for us all if we are to successfully deal with the important challenges that will inevitably lie ahead.

Reflect - stepping back and taking stock of where you are and what you are doing is a vital component of this process. Whilst months of lockdown have given many of us who have been able to work from home a little more marginal time for reflection, we have still often found ourselves locked in to the prolonged and repeated routine of Zoom meetings (other platforms are available), complex screen and desktop work and intense responses to the difficulties of the period. A distinct Summer break at least gives us the opportunity to switch off from these daily pressures and think hard about the bigger picture of what is going on around us and the impact.

Re-focus - and based upon our ability to benefit from the previous two "R" factors, we should also be able to start to re-focus on what we need and want to do next and what options and choices we have before we plunge ourselves back into the next busy period. Of course, if you are one of the many who have been so unfortunately displaced from your current role as a consequence of the pandemic then you will already be urgently focused on finding a new role. Nevertheless in all circumstances it is important to ensure you have a clarity about what you want from this next period.

So as you lie back, relax and soak up the sun this Summer (or if its winter with you, as you snuggle up in the warm), here are some important questions you might like to ask yourself before these calmer days slip away:

  • How has the recent turbulent period changed my outlook on what is and isn't important to me?

  • What have I learned about myself and the others around me?

  • Am I or have I been fulfilled in my current or most recent role and line of work?

  • Am I growing and developing as a person or do I need a fresh challenge to re-energise myself?

  • What do I most want to change about my situation and do I have a plan to do something about it?

  • Is it time to consider doing something very different - perhaps completely re-inventing myself and pursuing a long-held aspiration?

  • What, if anything, do I want to do about all this and/or ...?

  • Could I use some help to answer these questions and navigate a new course and direction for myself over the coming months?

So, however you choose to approach it, do give yourself the luxury of allowing a fresh summer breeze of positive thinking to pass through your mind and help you to focus on what is now really important for you in the future.

And of course above all else relax and enjoy.

Tim Chapman

London, August 2020

Brosna Consulting Ltd

www.brosna-consulting.com

tim@brosna-consulting.com