I don’t know about you, but I am a person who loves to be outdoors during the summer. You’ll often find me poolside on weekends, and if I’m not there I might just be lucky enough to be out on the golf course.

A good friend and client of Barcelona Creative was in the office last week and the two of us were talking about all the things we’re trying to accomplish right now, and how sometimes, when you look outside and the sun is shining, it’s really hard to stay focused and get things done. She referred to these times as the “Dog Days of Summer.” (A quick side note – we are both dog lovers and often compare stories about her Daschund and my Westie because we got them as puppies at around the same time.)

Merriam-Websters’s online dictionary defines “dog days” as a period of stagnation or inactivity. It is said that the dog days occur between July 3 and August 11. Which means, we have only one more dog day to go!

So I ask, how do you survive the “dog days of summer”? How do you stay focused and accomplish that to-do list?

I do my best to stay on track, but I am still human and haven’t quite mastered my own survival tactics. But, I can share with you the three things I try to remember when I feel overwhelmed or am finding it hard to stay focused.

1. Focus on what needs to be done. Staying focused on WHAT needs to be done will keep your mind off of worrying HOW you’re going to accomplish everything.

2. Ask for help. There aren’t many people out there who are more stubborn or harder on themselves than I am. But at some point, asking for help might just be the best way to find a better way to get something done, or if nothing else, provide a small mental break from stressing.

3. Find time for some fun. Remember, it’s still summer and it doesn’t last forever. It’s important to find some time during each day to do something you enjoy. Maybe I can’t play 18 holes on a Tuesday afternoon, but I can go for a run, take my Westie for a walk or hit the driving range for a half hour to help clear my head and prepare for tomorrow’s day at work!

However you tackle the “dog days” of summer, I wish you good luck! Feel free to share some of your tips for survival by commenting on this entry – if I can accumulate enough good tips to “beat the heat” I will catalog them in another blog entry as a follow up!

And for those of you who are dog lovers like I am, you may enjoy these – 10 Signs It’s the Dog Days of Summer (from peoplepets.com).