What’s Your Summertime Work Strategy?


Traditionally, summertime means kicking back with a cool drink and escaping to the beach. But some people actually use this time to get ahead, taking advantage of a lighter workload to plan for the rest of the year or tackle long-neglected projects.

Both approaches have their merits.

Obviously, it’s nice to slow down and smell the cool ocean breezes so you can return to work relaxed and rejuvenated. That said, beaches and other vacation destinations are crowded this time of year, so it may make sense to save vacation time and forge ahead at work to show your boss how committed you are. As a self-employed writer, I’m planning to do a little of both this summer.  I may be taking a few half days to catch up on reading –  but otherwise it’ll be business as usual.

What do you plan to do this summer? Will you be observing half-day Fridays, as they do in many companies? Maybe taking a week off for some fun in the sun? Or will you keep things at the status quo?


Susan Johnston is a freelance writer/blogger who has contributed to publications including The Boston Globe, Mint.com’s blog, WomenEntrepreneur.com, and Yahoo! HotJobs. Her own blog, UrbanMuseWriter.com, covers tips on productivity, brainstorming, and more for fellow writers.

Discussion

  1. Amy on the 7th July

    I am fortunate to have a slow-down in the summer at my “9 to 5” job. This allows me extra time to work on freelancing! This summer’s big project is the addition of a blog to my design site.

  2. Chris Skoyles on the 7th July

    Sadly, I don’t have this luxury. Summer is a very busy, if not the busiest time for me. A lot of my work involves promoting, sometimes planning and organising, events and activities throughout summer, so whilst everyone is taking it easy, it’s full steam ahead for me.

    Bring on the autumn when I get a bit of a break!

  3. Nathan Nash on the 9th July

    While I’m still an undergrad I get internships to strengthen my resume and build my portfolio. I’m currently in the middle of my second internship, and have completed quite a few projects as well as a personal project.

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