The Myth of the Endless Summer…
An endless summer vacation would be perfect, right?
After all, we spend decades building our careers, fueled by the promise of a future filled with uninterrupted time.
As I was thinking about summertime and time, my Emily-brain went to an iconic movie titled The Endless Summer.
The 1966 film captures a romantic, globe-trotting quest by two surfers to follow the summer season around the world.
Who wouldn’t be drawn to an escapist vision of endless adventure, youth, and freedom?!
Nerd alert: No surprise, one of the most profitable documentaries in film history.
Yes, summer! We get to check that PTO box for a week or so, sometimes more. No deliverables. No “What have you done for us lately?”
We enjoy unrushed time with people we care about. Adventurous travels. Gorgeous vistas.
And we want to hold onto those moments forever.
Indeed, in our imaginings, our later-life chapters are chock-full of that stuff. We hope our future reward will be the greatest gift of all: Time. To spend it how we want, with whom we want, where we want.
All valid. “Time” is the important fourth pillar (of five) in my “Design Your Next Chapter” framework.
But there’s an uncomfortable truth, for both the movie and our lives: even the perfect summer eventually ends.
Not because it wasn't wonderful. But because after a while, most of us want more than just leisure time. The same is true of life chapters after a successful career or business.
After the relief of no more over-scheduled calendars and endless deliverables, with some vacations thrown in, there usually comes a big moment: uh-oh, now what?
The research is clear here: after 2 to 5 hours per day of discretionary leisure time, our feelings of well-being drop. (Source: U. Penn 2021 study analyzing data from 13,639 working Americans.)
No surprise, the main culprits around the unhappiness are feeling unproductive, and lacking purpose.
So, while we need leisure, we also require its companion piece: Purpose.
The funny thing is that while we’re purposeful about building impactful careers and successful businesses, we tend to forget that next part: what’s next?
So, to start designing next chapters now that don’t feel like endless summers, consider these prompts:
Current alignment: What brings a sense of meaning to your days right now—is it a work role, a community connection, or perhaps something entirely different?
Gentle whispers: Is there a quiet space in your life where you feel a desire for a new kind of purpose?
Easy exploration: What is one small, low-pressure action you could take this weekend just to explore something new that might serve?
Summer is cresting, and our September calendars have started to fill.
But we can use our precious time now to compose new chapters, where we life surfers get to ride both waves — the joy of hard-earned leisure, and the fulfillment of deep purpose.
Would love to hear how you’re approaching that time-leisure balancing act, perhaps living it now?