The perfect summer for teens includes lazy days of sleeping in, hanging out with friends and lots of down time. You earned it, so take advantage of it!

While you enjoy your three months of freedom, remember how valuable your time is. You’ve got roughly 1440 hours total over the summer (not counting 8 hours for sleep). You’ll never get that time back so it’s important to make the most of it.

Intentional self-exploration is important in creating your future. Summer is the perfect time to dive in to those things that you don’t always have time for during the school year.

Here are three things to do over the summer that will help you prepare, not only for the next school year but also for life after high school:

1. Get Organized
You knew that was coming, right? I know it’s not nearly as easy or fun as other things you could be spending your time on. Stick with me here, though, because the truth is, being organized will make a big impact in every area of your life.

How so?

You’ll save time because you’ll know what you need to get done. And when you need something, you won’t waste valuable time searching high-and-low for it. Spending less time trying to figure out where things are and what you have going on means more time to spend on the fun stuff.

When you’re organized, your mind is a lot more clear. Which means you feel less overwhelmed and more in control of yourself, your personal space and your life in general. Your stress level goes down, your energy goes up. Win-win.

Being organized doesn’t mean your bedroom has to be spotless. But it does mean when you look around your environment you don’t immediately get overwhelmed at the mess surrounding you.

And while you’re at it, think through the way you managed the school year. What worked in your note-taking system? What didn’t? What supplies did you use? How did you plan and use your study time? What do you need to do differently when school starts in the Fall? Getting a jump start now will make it that much easier to get back in the swing come September.

2. Explore
How many things interest you that you’ve thought about looking into but can’t due to time restraints during the school year? Now’s the time. What have you always wanted to try? Make a summer bucket list and get going!

According to Merriam-Webster, to explore means to investigate, study or analyze. So by that definition, you don’t even need to try something new to explore yourself.
Why not study or analyze something you spend a lot of time on to figure out why you like it so much? Chance are you’ve never thought to much about it. But really understanding why you love soccer or reading or meeting new people will give you a lot of insight into who you are and what makes you tick. And that’s valuable information when it comes time to plan your career.

3. Take a Risk
Ok, let’s get something straight—I’m not talking about dangerous or irresponsible risk. I’m talking about taking a risk by doing something that stretches you out of your comfort zone.

This goes hand-in-hand with number two, explore. Too often, we form an interest but never take it any further because we worry that we won’t be good at it. The reality is that you won’t be good at everything you try. And the truth is, you don’t necessarily need to be good at something to enjoy it.

Take singing. Your voice doesn’t have to be Grammy-worthy to love to sing. Even if you only sing in the shower with a terribly off-key voice, you can still love to do it.

Maybe there’s something that you want to change or do differently but that little voice tells you it won’t work. This summer, let the voice that tells you it’s possible to be louder.

As we say in my program, Dream Camp, “If you knew exactly what you wanted your life to look like, why wouldn’t you do everything necessary to make it reality?” Getting organized, exploring and taking a risk are your first three steps.

How will you spend what’s left of your 1440 hours of summer? I’d love to hear about it if you’d like to share it with me.

About the Author: Karin ULIK, Monthly Mentor and life coach, helps teens define who they are, what they want and take action to live the lives they truly want to live. As a sought-after keynote speaker, workshop leader and coach, Karin is dedicated to helping busy families avoid the trial-and-error she experienced in her own life. Her programs teach and inspire busy families to realize their potential and transform their lives. Read More…