Summer planning & mindset 2026

This essay appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 6/1/26. Subscribe here! 

Three Steps to a Happier Monday

Before we dive into a new week, let’s pause and ask ourselves some simple questions to reflect on where we’ve been, get excited about something today and set an intention for the week ahead.

GRATITUDE: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend? 

TODAY: What’s one thing I can be excited about today?

INTENTION: What is my intention for this week? 

For me, I’m thankful for beautiful weather, family time and enjoying the book I’m reading. Today, I’m most excited to get outside before work. And my intention for the week is to ask myself, “how can I make this easier?”

Okay, your turn! And if you want to share, I am all ears. 🙂

Monday Musings: Designing my summer

Happy June 1st! I am very much welcoming this fresh start of a new week, a new month and a new season this morning.

To be honest, I wasn’t sad to turn the calendar to June today. May wasn’t a bad month, but somewhere along the way I felt like I lost a little momentum. I let a few balls drop (including, apparently, Monday morning newsletters!).

I just wasn’t feeling particularly motivated.

You know I love sharing planning routines, monthly goals and the little systems that help me feel organized and intentional. But I also think it’s important to share when those things aren’t working. Because nobody can do everything all the time. Sometimes, you have to let a few balls drop.

In May, some habits felt harder than usual. I had very little motivation to grocery shop or meal plan, so we ordered takeout more often than we normally do. My morning workouts became less consistent. I found myself in a bit of a reading slump and reaching for my phone or turning on the TV instead of picking up a book.

Now, none of these things are inherently bad. But after a few weeks, I noticed I wasn’t feeling quite like myself.

The things that usually give me energy, structure and enjoyment weren’t happening as much, and I could feel the difference.

Even when I’m not feeling motivated, a new season – and especially summer! – is something I can usually get excited about.

For the past several years (summer 2025, summer 2024, summer 2023, summer 2022, summer 2021, summer 2020), I’ve found a lot of joy in doing some seasonal planning this time of year. Not in a rigid, productivity-focused way, but simply as a chance to pause and think intentionally about the months ahead.

This year, I didn’t start with goals. I started with a simpler question.

1. Look Around & Look Back

I asked myself: What’s happening right now?

When I looked around, I realized some of the overwhelm I’ve been feeling probably isn’t just about May. It’s likely the accumulation of the past several months: returning to work, starting a new job, adjusting to new routines and navigating all the changes that come with this stage of life.

But I also found myself reflecting on this time last year and realizing just how much life has settled.

Last summer, I was pregnant for the first time, settling into a new house and learning my way around a new city. I was researching pediatricians, switching doctors, touring daycares and preparing for the arrival of our first baby.

None of it was bad. In fact, much of it was exciting! But it was a season of constant adjustment.

There have been other summers that felt full in different ways – the summer of traveling for weddings, the summer of moving apartments, the summer where every weekend seemed to have something planned.

But this summer feels different. There are certainly a few important things on the calendar, like my sister-in-law’s baby shower, eagerly awaiting the arrival of our nephew, Ben starting daycare, a potential trip for a friend’s baby shower and Matt’s birthday.

But compared to last year, there is a little more breathing room.

And rather than feeling the need to fill it, I find myself wanting to enjoy it.

2. If September Arrived Tomorrow…

After looking at what was already planned, I imagined myself catching up with a friend in September. What would make me say, “It was such a great summer!“?

The answers came quickly:

• Spending lots of time outside
• Reading great books
• Watching Ben thrive at daycare
• Going on runs in beautiful places
• Saving money for some house projects 
• Supporting family and friends through exciting life milestones
• Having fun holiday plans on the horizon

None of those things are particularly flashy, but together they paint a picture of a summer that feels spacious, joyful and fun.

And that realization helped me identify not what I want to accomplish this summer, but how I want it to feel.

3. Choosing a Summer Mindset

Which led me to my summer mindset.

I love choosing a seasonal mindset because it helps me think about how I want to experience the season – and gives me something to come back to throughout it.

For summer 2026, I’ve landed on: A Summer of Ease

After a season that has felt full of transitions, adjustments and new routines, what I’m craving isn’t more.

It’s ease.

“A summer of ease” is all about simplifying where I can. I hope this mindset reminds me to ask questions like:

• How can I make this easier?
• What can I simplify?
• What can wait until fall?
• What would feel light?

To me, “a summer of ease” will look like:

• Always having a great book going and a beach towel by the door so it’s easy to read outside.
• Making a “decide once” decision that if the weather is nice, we’re going for a quick walk after dinner.
• Carving out time to write each week.
• Eating dinner outside whenever we can, complete with a picnic blanket and a little chair for Ben.
• Declaring a “summer of no shopping” and enjoying what I already have.
• Finding a grocery shopping rhythm that works with daycare drop-off or pick-up so I’m not constantly wondering when I’ll fit it in.
• Taking Ben to new places and activities with low expectations and plenty of flexibility.
• Letting myself sleep a little later and trading some early-morning workouts for walks throughout the day. 

That’s what I’m hoping for this summer: more presence, more reading, more writing, more outside time and more connection.

A summer of ease.

Sounds good to me!! 

If you’ve been feeling a little unmotivated lately too, maybe this Monday (new week, new month, new season!) can be your springboard. Instead of jumping straight into goals, start with the season ahead. I’d love to know: what would make it a great summer for you? 

That’s all for today! I hope you found something in today’s newsletter that sparked motivation, made you smile or inspired a positive Monday thought. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small… a fulfilling week starts with one fulfilling moment. You’ve got this! 

Let’s make it a great Monday!
Megan