Last week on the blog, we talked about the sometimes-hidden challenges of summer, the stuff that can dash your expectations and stress you out when you should be having fun. On the flip side, we also want to mention the really cool opportunities that summer can bring you:
Cashola. This is a great time to find creative ways to earn your own, when you're hopefully not as busy with school, activities, and homework. Maybe you can seize the day and put your energy into a business. It's vacation season, so why not do some petsitting or housesitting? Little kids are out of school too, and parents might need more babysitting or mother's helper hours. If you're crafty or good at baking, there will probably plenty of outdoor events in your community where you can sell your wares. Or you can set up "shop" with a yard sale on a weekend morning. Then there's the old classic: everyone likes a lemonade stand on a hot day. For more ideas, check out IML's section on Making Money. With a little planning and effort, you could have a tidy sum saved up by September...and perhaps an established biz too!
Giving and getting. Maybe you want to earn community service hours for school. Maybe you want to explore something new, or maybe you just want to avoid the very real possibility of death by boredom. Whatever the reason, this could be a great time to get involved with a volunteer opportunity. You'll meet people, learn stuff, and feel extremely good about yourself and how you're making a difference. We have some good suggestions on what to do and how to do it in our Volunteering section.
Move it! If you've been meaning to get more active, this could be the summer you discover a new sport you really love. Team sports are big during fall, winter, and spring, but summer is when the solo athlete in all of us can really break through. Swim, walk, bike, hike. Karate kick, kayak paddle, or strike a yoga pose. If something costs money that you or your family may not have to spend, check out the free or low-cost programs at your local rec center, youth center, or library. The folks who plan stuff like this know that young people are out and about during the summer, looking to keep busy. Visit our Solo Sports section or talk to an adult -- like a parent, youth leader, or doctor -- for ideas.
We know none of this is exactly news to you. But we want to offer a reminder that in general, summer is the best possible time to explore fresh ventures, try something unfamiliar, and break out of the rut you may feel stuck in during the school year. If you're feeling like you want to make a change in your life for the better, pick one thing to focus on between now and September -- your health, a new hobby, making friends, whatever -- and think about how to do it. As always, IML is here to help, so feel free to post questions on our You Said It pages or Advice section.
Here's to a golden season of golden opportunities!
Cashola. This is a great time to find creative ways to earn your own, when you're hopefully not as busy with school, activities, and homework. Maybe you can seize the day and put your energy into a business. It's vacation season, so why not do some petsitting or housesitting? Little kids are out of school too, and parents might need more babysitting or mother's helper hours. If you're crafty or good at baking, there will probably plenty of outdoor events in your community where you can sell your wares. Or you can set up "shop" with a yard sale on a weekend morning. Then there's the old classic: everyone likes a lemonade stand on a hot day. For more ideas, check out IML's section on Making Money. With a little planning and effort, you could have a tidy sum saved up by September...and perhaps an established biz too!
Giving and getting. Maybe you want to earn community service hours for school. Maybe you want to explore something new, or maybe you just want to avoid the very real possibility of death by boredom. Whatever the reason, this could be a great time to get involved with a volunteer opportunity. You'll meet people, learn stuff, and feel extremely good about yourself and how you're making a difference. We have some good suggestions on what to do and how to do it in our Volunteering section.
Move it! If you've been meaning to get more active, this could be the summer you discover a new sport you really love. Team sports are big during fall, winter, and spring, but summer is when the solo athlete in all of us can really break through. Swim, walk, bike, hike. Karate kick, kayak paddle, or strike a yoga pose. If something costs money that you or your family may not have to spend, check out the free or low-cost programs at your local rec center, youth center, or library. The folks who plan stuff like this know that young people are out and about during the summer, looking to keep busy. Visit our Solo Sports section or talk to an adult -- like a parent, youth leader, or doctor -- for ideas.
We know none of this is exactly news to you. But we want to offer a reminder that in general, summer is the best possible time to explore fresh ventures, try something unfamiliar, and break out of the rut you may feel stuck in during the school year. If you're feeling like you want to make a change in your life for the better, pick one thing to focus on between now and September -- your health, a new hobby, making friends, whatever -- and think about how to do it. As always, IML is here to help, so feel free to post questions on our You Said It pages or Advice section.
Here's to a golden season of golden opportunities!
