Summer’s here – ready or not. For some of you it has certainly brought some changes but some of you haven’t even noticed the new season’s here. I live in a resort town couple of minutes from the sea so summer has definitely changed my daily routine. I’ve spent nearly all these past days by the sea and acquired a quite red skin color which hurts a bit. For that reason I’m now at home and sharing this article with you. Summer can be incredible and memorable if want it to be. This article presents seven tips for designers (and anyone else) to make your summer superb and get you ready for the next working season.

Exceed your boundaries

Summer is the right time to do something wild and special. Break your routine and step out of your comfort zone. Put that laptop away and go surprise yourself. I bet you have a roaring desire for summer adventure. If you have always wanted to learn to water-ski, go and do that. Perhaps some of you dream about skydiving or scuba diving. What keeps you back? You’ve worked hard all year and it’s time to rest. Test yourself, get to know your body, exceed your limits. Next time when a friend calls with a spontaneous idea don’t grunt that you’re busy. You go for it with a grin on your face.

Exercise

Summer is also the time to get back in shape. Designers spend most of their time sitting and that does not help your health at all. An immobile lifestyle can lead to a lot of serious health problems. Summer is the perfect time to start working out. Wake up earlier in the mornings and go for a run. If you have a lake or a sea nearby take a swim after the run. You’ll feel great and lively. Revise your diet – no more synthetic food from supermarkets wrapped in ten sheets of plastic. Drink a lot of water, eat fruits and vegetables. Visit your local market and buy naturally grown food. Summer offers so many active ways to spend your spare time. Go out and start training – your body will be grateful.

Tribesports is a recently launched website which helps the sports person in all of us do more. You can create your ultimate sports profile, follow other users, create or join tribes and take challenges. It’s a great place to start off. I suggest starting with the easiest challenges and slowly move upper. With Tribesports you can easily share training updates, get inspiration, guidance and advice from others that are taking or have previously completed a challenge.

Livestrong is dedicated to being a users most valued online source of inspiring, relevant and useful health-related information. To achieve that goal, they have combined the best in health, fitness and lifestyle content. You are going to find dozens of useful articles on Livestrong as well as exercises, diet programs and inspiration. You can also set your weight loss goals, track your daily caloric intake and log your fitness activities. Livestrong provides all the needed features to start working out and live healthy.

Zen to Fitness is an online magazine with free weekly articles on health and fitness that can be read in under 5 minutes. The focus is a quality design/content and the site is ad-free. All the articles are easy to follow advice that you can use in your day to day life.

Go over your past work

No matter if it’s school, casual work, or freelancing – if you’ve been diligent during the past months a thick folder of work should have been piled up. Excellent projects you might be proud of, ordinary worksheets, or maybe something you haven’t quite finished. Going over your past work and analyzing it is a great way to improve your future results. Try to recall what and why you did certain things, analyze your work and think what you could do to make your work better next time. Learn from your own mistakes.

The “Do it later” list

Yes, I’m talking about the very same list each of us have to organize and plan our work. The list which we so enthusiastically wrote, but of which we flee and dread right now. I have a do it later folder in my bookmarks which stretches three times my monitor size. Interesting articles, inspiring interviews, useful websites – it’s all there, but somehow I’m still afraid of that list. Don’t be like me, though. Don’t sit there for two hours motionless refreshing your Twitter and Facebook. Instead close everything unnecessary and devote time to yourself and your unfinished tasks. No more naah, I’ll do this later. Sit down with your list and go through each point in turn. Organize your work smart and be awakening about your time. In the autumn you’ll be thankful, as you’ll be able to start work with no debts to yourself.

Widen your viewpoint

So you’re a designer and always wondered how would it be to be able to code your designs? Summer is the right time to give it a try. And I’m not talking only about design related things. Advance yourself, learn, digest. Traveling is the best way to get to know new cultures and societies. Why not to take a trip to some far-away place and stay there for a while? Go get to know the countryside if you’re a town dweller. Read the books you wanted. You accumulate your inner fortune with by doing things you thought you’d never do. Knowledge is never enough, keep that in mind.

Enjoy

Summer is supposed to be fun, joyful and full of adventures. Don’t spend your summer in front of a 24 inch screen reading some superior marketing techniques secrets. Put away those cutting-edge freelancing books and get out of the house. Believe me, computer tan ain’t as cool as you might think. Meet your friends, connect with people, do something crazy and just enjoy the summer. Memories are invaluable, you don’t want to remember trying to unravel that impossible CSS trick. You want to remember those beautiful nights by the sea with your friends, barbecue and beer. Reconsider your priorities and taste the life. Take a trip to some remote country, propose spontaneous ideas, break the lines. You won’t regret it looking at the pictures in autumn and remembering the times you had. So quick, close this window, think of something funky and awesome and go do it.