Hello June| Summer Planning for Working Moms

Planning life so it works in every season

Traditional planning and goal setting often emphasize consistency, structure, and momentum. But as the summer rolls in, it introduces a different rhythm. The summer season invites flexibility, sprinkled with intentional pauses and fun memories. The pace of the day changes, especially for working families. Personally, I have been knee-deep in calendar planning for summer camps, summer travel, and summer birthdays. In our family, most birthdays are in the summer. I may be the outlier with a February birthday, but I digress. In today’s blog post, I am sharing a holistic approach to planning that doesn’t just focus on what gets done—it considers how, when, and why.

The Importance of Holistic & Catch-All Planning

This is the ideal time to adopt a more inclusive approach to planning that recognizes:

• Seasonal shifts in priorities and focus
• The importance of flexibility to support both professional goals, personal plans, and family needs
• Strategic prioritization of what must move forward versus what can wait
• Integration of personal wellness and intentional rest as part of sustained productivity

Holistic planning is the practice of approaching your goals, time, and priorities with your entire self in mind. Instead of separating professional ambitions from personal needs, it weaves them together into a plan that reflects how you live and lead. It also considers your capacity (literally and figuratively) to get things done as planned.

At one point, I had a separate planner for everything. It became overwhelming because I could not see the overlaps in my demands. I slowly phased out multiple planners and adopted a more strategic approach to having what planner moms call a “catch-all planning” sprinkled with a holistic planning mindset.

Holistic planning is not about doing more—it’s about doing what matters most in a way that reflects who you are and what you value. Catch-all planning provides visibility into all the activities that must be completed within a given timeframe.

Benefits of Catch-All Planning

1) It helps you prevent burnout before it starts – When planning only accounts for deadlines and deliverables, it’s easy to ignore your capacity.

2) It creates alignment between your goals and your life. Ever set a goal that looked good on paper but didn’t fit your actual season of life? That’s often a result of siloed planning.

I recall setting a goal of doing something extracurricular at the start of the year without accounting for the time I needed to finish my dissertation. I should have anticipated a clash in capacity and a clash in time commitments. It only led to frustration which could have been prevented.

On the flip side, last year the opportunity presented itself for me to be a part of an Executive Education Program at Harvard. Although the timing was not the most optimal. I made it fit into my life. Because, I had started my catch-all journey prior to this point, I was able to flex other areas of life to work in study time, travel, and other needs to complete the program while also meeting the demands of my doctoral program at the time.  Looking back, it was an intense time, but I’m extremely thankful that I was able to create the alignment between multiple competing goals.

3) It embraces flexibility as a strength, not a setback. In point #2 I gave an example of two intense academic endeavors that worked out. However, as you and I both know, that’s not always the case. But the benefit of flexibility that comes with this mode of planning helps you pivot with purpose rather than panic.

Consider How, When, and Why

Consider not only what you want to achieve, but also how, when, and why. Plans should carry meaning.  Often, they are more than tasks; they are essential steps towards accomplishing something or enabling something. For me, summer is the busiest time of year. It’s easy to look up and realize I’ve overextended myself. That’s why I now pause to ask: How will I get this done? When will I fit it into my day? Why does this matter? Asking these questions helps me stay grounded and avoid burnout.

Additionally, clarifying the how allows me to identify the methods, resources, and support I need to succeed. Whether I’m planning a birthday party for my kids or organizing family travel, success depends on having the right help and preparation. The when ensures that I align my plans with my actual capacity and current obligations. For example, summer at work marks the start of an intense annual cycle—tight deadlines and more meetings demand careful scheduling especially when camp hours are a factor. And the why keeps me connected to the purpose behind my plans, so I don’t lose sight of what really matters. When I consider all three—how, when, and why—I create plans that are not only productive but also aligned, purposeful, and built to support the life I’m living now.

To Wrap it Up

Remember, meaningful progress isn’t just about doing more—it’s about doing what matters most, in ways that support your whole life in each season. Let this summer serve as a reminder to realign, refocus, and move forward with clarity and purpose. I hope you give these planning principles a try and let me know how your summer unfolds.

Happy Planning – Dr. Debranetta

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