In this caper, we’ll protect our energy and pace ourselves to prevent burnout.

Today we’ cover:

> Working in alignment with your current energy levels and limitations

> Setting up you summer for year-round impact

> Connecting with other parent activists to help us on our path – regardless of how chaotic our schedules get

Let’s transform this caper into action by sharing our PACTs

Tell us in the comments:

> Which tasks do you find harder to tackle in the summer?

> What support or accommodations do you need to work within your capacity this summer?

> Reflect on these questions and make a PACT to give yourself permission to protect your energy this summer

“Hello, friends! Welcome to the third caper of our Gettin’ Shit Done Workshop!

Today, we’ll protect our energy and pace ourselves to prevent burnout.

We’ll be:

> Working in alignment with uour current energy levels and limitations

> Setting up you summer for year-round impact

> Connecting with other parent activists to help us on our path – regardless of how chaotic our schedules get

As we head into summer, you may have noticed changes in your interests, energy levels, and even your social interactions. Let’s explore how we can leverage the opportunities that summer brings, not by overwhelming ourselves with summery activities, but by identifying what tasks are best suited for this season. By aligning our work with the seasons, we establish a paced cycle of reasonable consumption, activity, and reflection, avoiding the urge to hustle, overwork over-consume, and stall out..

The biggest challenges I hear from folks in our community who are frustrated with their workload are  challenges with information overload, over-planning, or being too confused about how to direct their very limited time and energy so it doesn’t go to waste. That, and just not having enough community support, having to do everything on their own.

The constant stream of information and the responsibility to create a more inclusive and peaceful world can be overwhelming. Butour brains weren’t designed for a 24/7 news feed of doom and tragedy.

We feel all this responsibility to save the world, and have such limited power. No wonder why we get stuck in loops. 

Instead of trying to tackle everything all the time, we need to recognize which actions are within our current capacity and which ones are better addressed in other seasons. In which of seasons do you find it easier to connect with others? When do folks start coming out of the woodwork? When are specific resources more available?

To figure out which challenges to tackle in which seasons, ask yourself: What tasks felt burdensome during winter and spring but you’re feeling eager to tackle now? What projects feel exciting or even effortless right now, and how could you weaponize that enthusiasm while it lasts? 

I’m sure you’ve had those moments when you break free from information overload and accomplish something deeply satisfying. Instead of waiting for these moments to randomly h it us, let’s create a step-by-step process to dependably focus your time and energy on work that is both impactful AND enjoyable without hoping for random bouts of inspiration and energy..

Each year, I approach the seasons as a cycle of consumption, reflection, and action.

Here’s a glimpse of what I tackle each season:

> Autumn is our busy time for preparation and gathering resources. During this time, I find it easier to get honest about what I’m willing to share, and divert what I have to where it will make the most impact. Eliminating unnecessary work goes smoother. The habits that no longer serve me are easier to shake off as the weather turns cooler. And since the decision about what I’m willing to give is DONE for the next three seasons, I don’t waste time stressing how I’ll afford every passing go-fund-me without bankrupting my family.

> Winter is the perfect time for self-reflection and exploring the roles and responsibilities we’ve internalized as a part of our identities. It’s a lovely time to create affirming, energy-sustaining rituals that support our families and community, to make space to understand the deeper concepts behind our work that inform our actions and difficult decisions for the rest of the year.

> Spring is when we explode with ideas and new possibilities: It’s a season of new beginnings, where we reach out to others for perspective and brainstorming that help us commit to initiatives and new habits that drive our work all year.

> Summer is the time for deep, transformative action. During this time of peak enthusiasm, we make a surprisingly deep impact leveraging the resources, revelations, and decisions we prepared during previous seasons. 

How do I organize my Summer for year-round impact?

If you can’t join our summer accelerator, here’s a DIY version to help you navigate the process.

Since each season is approximately 13 weeks long, I divided summer into six sections, focusing on a new goal (which I call a ‘chapter’) each week, for six weeks. 

Within each chapter, we explore one caper each weekday — super-short guided reflections that help us set boundaries, develop skills, and create policies to reduce our workload and emotional exhaustion for the rest of the year. 

The chapters and capers build upon each other, accelerating our progress while staying true to our core values, the social challenges we can make an impact on, and how we want to model leadership for our children.

Over the years, I’ve refined this process to make it smoother, easier, and really fun. Using spiral praxis, each summer, I build upon the previous one, providing greater clarity and satisfaction while also working within my limited time and resources.

I apply this approach to all seasons, adjusting my focus based on energy levels, needs, and external demands. Our aim is to engage in deeply satisfying work that helps me feel connected with others, with the season I’m live I’m in, propelling all of us into the next season well-rested and eager to tackle a new cycle.

If you’re tired of feeling spread thin all year, in a rush to FINALLY HAVE FUN or HURRY UP AND RELAX every summer, overwhelmed with camps, back-to-school checklists, and then summer is over and you forgot to like… enjoy it? Try this out.

Here’s the elements of our focus for the summer:

I like to start in early July. After the 4th of July, your kids have settled into a summer routine and unlike early summer when you’re eager to get out and have fun, by mid-July you’ll start to feel like a rubber shoe melting on hot asphalt. This is a great time to slow down and reflect.

Whether you observe July as Xiǎoshǔ, the Raspberry moon or just the pinnacle of summer – this is – to get metaphorical – when we harvest sweet fruit surrounded by thorns. Honing our floodlights into laserbeams is fun, but hard work, and the reward is a deeply satisfying transformation with a bounty of skills you can use to amplify your work, share with others, and model for your kids.

> In the first week, identify the deep core values that drive you. Get clear on your motivations so you can identify the self-destructive busywork and distractions that typically derail you.

> In the second week, clarify who you’re here to help. Identify the specific people you need to work with for a meaningful impact.

> The third week is for assessing actual risk preparation versus anxious procrastination, creating strategies to respond and recover when you encounter real challenges.

> During the fourth week, process that guilt you carry around for never doing ‘enough’. Determine which actions align with your skills and goals, and learn to say no to draining obligations.

> In your fifth week, get brutally honest about what you can realistically take on. Practice strategies to ask for help without feeling embarrassed or vulnerable.

> In the sixth and final week, combine your revelations, skills, and commitments to create an action plan for staying focused and on track all year long.

We’re not trying to do it all; we’re letting go of that capitalist nonsense. Instead, we choose our actions wisely and put our shoulders into it. 

Instead of stressing and cramming summer fun, dedicate 15 to 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for six weeks. That’s really all you need. This will give you more time and energy to tackle work deadlines, enjoy family time, and launch into autumn with excitement.

You CAN do this on your own. I mean – you don’t have to, if you need guidance and a road map. I’d love for you to join me for this summer’s accelerator while it’s still small and intimate and I can really devote my time to a small and mighty group. But I understand if you can’t spare 15 minutes a day or are unsure of using the sliding scale (please use it! If cost is a hardship and joining us affects your family finances, use the sliding scale!) 

Whether you join our accelerator this year or once we’ve grown larger, this is the workflow I use to actually ENJOY summer with my kids and prepare myself to launch into Autumn energized and ready for anything.

Try to rope in some friends – Doing this process together with other parent activists makes the process fun, easy, and deeply satisfying.

I use the Marco Polo app to check in with my community so we can cheer each other on. Consider creating an accountability group with your friends using similar asynchronous chat apps that keep you connected despite nap schedules and camp drop-offs.

To make a real impact without feeling overwhelmed, we gotta let go of our assumptions, our internal limitations, and our arrogance. No, you’re not the manager of the universe responsible for everyone’s problems. And often – you’re gonna need a voice OUTSIDE your head to remind you of this.

It’s easy to get distracted and overwhelmed I’m trying to plan our weekly means and make a grocery list, nevermind sorting out my shit and taking control of your life. Personally – I need some exterior accountability, a timeline, and a workflow so I don’t keep wandering off mid-project to eat nachos.

So together, we set aside these six weeks to navigate this process and tackle the unexpected challenges that arise. We’re real people dealing with local and national events, interrupted by kids screaming, nap schedules, ER trips, and even wildfire evacuations. It’s not just okay to ask for help – it’s IMPOSSIBLE without help.

Try using an app like Marco Polo for check-ins with your support or accountability team (make sure to download it if you’re joining us for the Summer Collective). Unlike social media, there’s no risk of getting sidetracked by mindless scrolling. Whether you’re on a walk or bathing your child, pop into the app, catch up on conversations, cheer others on, and share your reflections and commitments.

If you’re starting your own parent activist accountability group, use similar asynchronous chat app that doesn’t hook folks on a newsfeed. Avoid meeting up on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Tiktok! Friends don’t bait friends into more doom-scrolling!

Live zoom sessions can be great, but make your space inaccessible for parents who can’t show up to live events during camp drop-off or diaper blowouts. 

To recap, today we learned how to protect our energy:

> We assessed and accepted our current energy levels and capacity

> We created a roadmap to organize and amplify our energy every summer

> And then we learned how to connect our parent activist friends juggling chaotic schedules so we can help each other along the path to chane.

Let’s transform this caper into action by sharing our PACTs

Tell us in the comments:

> Which tasks do you find harder to tackle in the summer?

> What support or accommodations do you need to work within your capacity this summer?

> Reflect on these questions and make a PACT to give yourself permission to protect your energy this summer

For those of you joining us for our upcoming summer accelerator, your PACT is already complete, since our daily capers are locked and loaded, and you’ve got a facilitated group of kind and smart friends at your fingertips.

For those of you going the DIY route, I’d love to hear which elements of my summer workflow are most helpful for you, and how you’ll tweak them to your needs.

Remember, this journey is about decolonizing our work and reclaiming our time. By embracing seasonal pacing, we can align our efforts with our energy levels, prioritize impactful projects, and connect with a supportive community.

I’ll see you in our next caper, where we finally break through procrastination and take meaningful steps to make steady progress through chaos!

DIY Summer Chapter guide:
> What we focus on each week