My Summer Routine (Hint: I Don’t Have One)

I love summer because it’s vacation time for me. I was going to write a post about my summer routine, but when I started thinking about it I realized that I don’t have a summer routine. I don’t follow a schedule.

And quite honestly, I love it. 

Another Example of My No-Routine Routine

I wrote here about having a no-routine routine when it comes to writing. I also have a no-routine routine during the summer.

During the summer, I have no fixed schedule. I do what I want when I want. I’m not traveling this summer, which has been true for the past few summers. While I’ve been lucky enough to see a bit of the world, as the years pass, I find I’m becoming even more of a homebody. My goal for my life has been to create a life that I don’t need a vacation from, and I’ve been largely successful at that. 

Here’s how I go about my days as I continue working on my WIP while still allowing time for fun.

Mornings

I wake up naturally. Alarms are strictly forbidden during the summer. If I have errands to run or a coffee shop to visit, I leave my house about 8 am and I’m home by about 9 am, maybe a little later depending on what needs to be done. 

Once I’m home, I eat breakfast. As I said in this post, I’m used to eating my breakfast about 10:30 am. Breakfast can be anything from scrambled eggs and toast or waffles, or sometimes Greek yogurt with granola and fruit. 

At about 10 am, I open my computer. Yes, I fiddle around a bit by checking Feedly, but after that I get to work. I start most days by writing in my journal just to get my thoughts straight. If something is pressing from my WIP, I’ll write in my book journal. If I need to think through life things, I’ll write in my personal journal. 

Things are coming along smoothly with my WIP, so these days I’ve been working until about noon for my first round of writing for the day. If I have admin tasks like running book promos or writing these blogs, I often do it during this time as well. 

Afternoons

I do my walk aerobics videos in the early afternoon. I love the Leslie Sansone videos because you can move the equivalent of walking two miles in half an hour, which works for me. I stopped paying to go to the gym years ago. I didn’t go that often, so it was a waste of money. 

Even if I had the time for an hour class at the gym, it’s not just an hour of my time. It’s a 20 minute drive to the gym, and then 10 minutes to find a parking spot, and 10 minutes to find a locker. It’s waiting for the class, then the hour, then back to the locker room, the parking lot, and home. An hour class was two hours out of my day. I’d much rather do a video at home. 

If you like the idea of walk aerobics, Leslie Sansone’s Walk At Home has a YouTube channel. 

Afterwards, I’ll get crafty. If I finish reading a book I’ll work on my reading journal page during the afternoon. I might bake during this time, though I don’t bake a lot during the summer, especially in July and August when the heat is ridiculous. Turning on my oven when it’s 109 degrees Fahrenheit and humid is not pleasant.

My eating schedule doesn’t change during the summer, so I still eat my afternoon meal at 2:30 pm. 

About 3 pm, I get back to writing. It’s better for me to get my writing done in two chunks rather than straight through. It’s easier on my back and neck, and it stops me from growing too weary from staring at a computer screen for hours at a time. 

Evening

Depending on where I am in the writing process, I might write for hours. I prefer to tap into the Muse when she’s present. Other times, I get done as much as I can and I move on. 

I’ll spend more time watching TV and films during the summer than I do while I’m working. I recently watched Mr. Loverman, based on the novel by Bernardine Evaristo, on BritBox and it was excellent in every way. The writing was pitch-perfect, and the actors were outstanding. If you want to watch something with amazing acting, Mr. Loverman is it. Of course, summer is baseball season, so if the Los Angeles Dodgers are on, then I’m watching. 

During the school year I start reading about 7 pm, but during the summer I pull out my book about 5 pm and I give myself more time to indulge in a wonderful story. I’m currently reading my very first Stephen King novel, Dolores Claiborne. So far, I love Dolores’ narrative voice. I thought all of King’s books were horror, but I discovered that some of his books fall into the suspense genre. Yes, I know I write vampire stories, but my vampires aren’t scary. At least, not too scary.  Most of them.

Night

I still watch an occasional YouTube video, and maybe I’ll finish up a TV program I began earlier in the day. 

Bedtime is more flexible because, again, no alarms in the morning. 

Summer is Short

I’ve learned that forcing myself to stick to a plan doesn’t work for me this time of year. My days are completely my own. If I want to spend the day being a tourist in my own town and visit the Las Vegas Strip, I can. Here’s a photo of the summer scene from the Bellagio Hotel conservatory. I love the standing zebra’s 18th-century clothing.

Other days I’ll go downtown to the cute coffee shop or to my favorite independent bookstore, The Writer’s Block. 

The biggest benefit of this no-routine approach is freedom. It alleviates the guilt that often comes with failing to stick to an overly ambitious schedule. I see others who schedule their summers to the hilt and I wonder when they find time to just be.

Taking one day at a time allows me to connect with my creative work because I’m not forcing anything. My reading journaling, coffee shop trips, and visits to the Strip and different bookstores are my way of participating in the artist’s dates that Julia Cameron talks about in The Artist’s Way. Everything goes into my creativity well. When I sit down to write, my well is full. I also find a deeper enjoyment of the summer season itself.

By letting go of a rigid schedule, I can be more productive, more inspired, and certainly far happier. My writing flows more naturally, and I make space for the things that make summer feel special. 

Categories: Creative Writing, Creativity, Inspiration, The Writer’s Life, Writing InspirationTags:creative writing, creative writing inspiration, flexible schedule, summer schedule for writers, summer self-care, summer writing schedule, writing inspiration, writing tips