Summer’s Secret Power: Space to Wonder
June 16, 2025
Before you decide your next job, consider what kind of life you want next.
Why I’m Writing from the Edge of the Map
As you read this, I’m somewhere deep in Alaska—hiking, kayaking, letting the space overwhelm me.
Each summer, I coach dozens of people who use this natural pause to reconsider their work. But this year, I’m taking that pause for myself. I’ll be off the grid for a while—and in that spirit, I want to leave you with something to reflect on while I’m away.
This post isn’t about making moves. It’s about making meaning. It’s an invitation to stop chasing job titles—and start designing the next chapter of your life, before your calendar fills back up with the same old routines.
Summer Is When We See Things More Clearly
Let’s face it: the rest of the year is noisy.
Our schedules are full. Our LinkedIn feeds are full. Even our thoughts are cluttered—with deadlines, KPIs, inboxes, and the quiet anxiety of Sunday scaries.
But summer?
Summer slows the noise. And with that quiet comes space—mental, emotional, spiritual—to wonder.
So if you’re asking:
“Do I want to be doing this forever?”
“Why doesn’t my job feel like me anymore?”
“Is it too late to start something new?”
…then summer is your window to wonder—without pressure to act. Yet.
Reset Your Career with These Three Exercises
Before you take a leap, you need a lens—a way to evaluate what’s right for you. I call this your Life Design Criteria.
These are the non-negotiables, the “must-haves” in your next role or season. And they come from your story—not from a job description.
Try these prompts to uncover yours:
In my life (work and play, health and relationships), it’s really important that I…
I know I wouldn’t be happy if I couldn’t…
In my role, it’s important that I…
Want to go deeper? Try these exercises:
Start with values. Choose your top three. For each, journal a story when it really mattered. What design criteria can you pull from these?
Revisit your best self. Write about three times you were at your best. Who was there? What were you doing? What came naturally? What lit you up?
Craft a mission statement. What impact do you want to have—and on whom?
From these stories, write down 5–10 design criteria for your future. Then—and only then—begin thinking about what’s next.
September Is Coming—Design Now, Decide Later
Here’s what I know after 20 years of coaching:
Most people wait too long to reflect. Then they change jobs that solve nothing—because they skipped the design phase. They skipped themselves.
So use this summer for clarity. Not hustle. Not applications. Clarity.
I’ll be back August 20 and will open a small number of coaching spots for those ready to turn that summer clarity into fall momentum.
No pressure—just an open invitation.
Closing Thought:
Some of the best careers don’t start with a plan. They start with a pause.
So take yours.
And if that pause leads you to wonder, “What if…?”—well, I’d love to talk when I return.
See you in August. —Everette
