With a final click on ‘submit’ that was it. Final grades were submitted, and summer officially starts.
As a college professor, I’ll quite often get the question (phrased more as a statement): “So, you’re off all summer?” I hate that question! Yes, I am not teaching. I am also not getting paid. Not working? Far from “not working”.
Summer is often my most productive time. It is the time when I prepare my courses for the upcoming year. (I am constantly tweaking and considering ways to better engage my students.) Summer is the best time to prepare research for publication—analyzing data, reading journal articles, and writing/rewriting manuscripts. On top of this, I have my personal writing to work on. (Someday, I will get that book to publication!) I also have a year’s worth of chores to do around the house (the garage never stays organized!) and, of course, I get to spend more time with the kids.
Summer is always too short. It seems as though the clock spins faster from June through September.
Working? Yes, I will be working.
What is “leisure time”. Merriam-Webster defines leisure as “freedom provided by the cessation of activities, especially: time free from work or duties”. It is freedom. Thus, we have a choice in how we use our time away from work.
Ideally, we use our leisure as a productive pause from our labors—as an opportunity to grow Spiritually, Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Socially. As I often (to my students: “too often”) say, “opportunity costs”. How we use our leisure time comes at a cost. Thus, we should use our time well.
I am looking forward to working on my “well-centered fitness” this Summer Break. I am looking forward to refreshing Spiritually, Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Socially. I am not taking a break at all from my passions and my purpose.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!