Summertime isn’t just for vacation — it’s one of the most powerful seasons for personal exploration. With routines that are often more flexible and schedules that tend to slow down, it’s an ideal period to reflect, reset, and reimagine how we want to show up in the world.
This summer, instead of pressing pause on our goals and ambitions, what if we take the time to press inward and to build our inner strength and confidence to achieve them?
Whether you are recalibrating your goals, taking on a new challenge, or creating space to reflect, consider these remaining days of summer as your reset button. Use the time to build the kind of unshakable confidence that can fuel your moves and set the tone for the rest of the year ahead.
As a communications strategist who has worked for more than 30 years helping people and organizations find and own their purpose, I have witnessed time and again how this kind of intentional work creates momentum and progress. These are some of my go-to strategies for tuning in and owning your next phase of personal growth.
1. Embrace the micromoments of growth.
You don’t need a dramatic reinvention. Often, it’s the small, subtle shifts that create the biggest gains. To begin building clarity and focus that fuels your growth, start by writing down three specific, tangible goals you want to achieve in the next 30 to 60 days.
This could be reading one new book, pitching a new project at work, or reconnecting with someone you have meaningful relationship with. It could be speaking up once a day in a meeting or posting on an online platform like LinkedIn or Instagram. When you break your goals down into micro-steps, the path becomes more manageable and more motivating because your confidence grows as you reach those goals.
Another action you might take is choosing one skill you’d like to develop and then researching a course or resource to help. We live in a time where there’s an abundance of resources available at our disposal, many of them for free or at a low-cost. Find a podcast, a free YouTube course, or an online course to dive into.
This requires a desire to seek out new perspectives, a principle so important that I dedicate an entire chapter to it in my book, 7 Rules of Self-Reliance: How to Stay Low, Keep Moving, Invest in Yourself, and Own Your Future. In the chapter “Unlearn, Relearn, and Invest in Yourself,” I implore readers to question their assumptions, seek out new perspectives, and try something new that pushes them out of their comfort zone.
We are truly living in an era where growth and learning are more accessible than ever — you just have to commit to finding a micromoment to build it into your schedule. And when I say micro, I mean micro!
Do you have 15 minutes to learn something from a podcast while going for a walk? Science shows that physical activity, like walking, increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain, enhancing your ability to retain information and even boosting creativity. So, lace up your shoes and turn your daily stroll into a powerful learning opportunity.
2. Build the habits that will serve your future self.
Confidence is the result of your daily decisions. Summer offers space to build habits with less pressure and more intentionality. As James Clear states in Atomic Habits, “Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.”
Focus on getting just 1 percent better each day; these tiny shifts compound into remarkable results over time. Want to level up your mindset? Journal for five minutes each morning. Looking to expand your network? Commit to reaching out to one new contact each week. Interested in developing your voice? Schedule 30 minutes each Friday to write or create content that reflects your perspective.
The most effective way to build these habits is to focus on who you want to become. As Clear advises, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
If you want to be a more confident leader, prove it to yourself through consistent action. You don’t need to do it perfectly, you just need to do it.
And keep Clear’s “Two-Minute Rule” in mind: “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.” This makes getting started incredibly easy and paves the way for consistency. Confidence comes from consistency, not perfection.
3. Overcome imposter syndrome by taking bold action.
Imposter syndrome has a loud voice. It whispers that you’re not ready, you’re not smart enough, you’re not experienced enough. That inner self-doubt isn’t a sign to retreat, but rather a signal to act. Action silences doubt. Confidence doesn’t come first, action does.
Every time you step out of your comfort zone, you’re rewriting your internal narrative. You’re building self-trust. So, send the pitch, introduce yourself at the event, post your thoughts online. No one ever felt ready before they began.
Here are three ways to overcome imposter syndrome:
- Instead of asking, Why me?, ask yourself, Why not me? Start affirming your wins instead of dismissing them.
- Shift from proving to serving. When you stop trying to prove yourself and instead focus on creating value for others, your mindset shifts. You’re not performing, you’re contributing.
- Celebrate small wins. Track your accomplishments, no matter how minor they might feel. Reflecting on progress builds self-trust and reinforces your value over time.
4. Redefine productivity as personal growth.
Too often we equate productivity with output. But summer is a reminder that growth doesn’t always come from working harder — it comes from working on ourselves. Not every win has to be tied to work.
Join a workshop or class, plan a solo trip, or volunteer in your community. These aren’t distractions from your professional goals: They’re how you build curiosity and emotional intelligence, which spill over into your professional life.
Give yourself permission to simply wonder this summer. Feeding your curiosity can lead to inspiration in ways you never thought imaginable.
Ask yourself these three questions:
- What’s one non-work activity you could pursue this summer that would truly enrich you?
- How might investing in your personal curiosity or emotional intelligence outside of work amplify your professional impact?
- Beyond tasks completed, what does “feeling productive” truly mean to you, and how can you cultivate more of that feeling this summer?
When you prioritize personal development, your professional life will thank you.
5. Find your voice and use storytelling to reflect and reconnect.
Your story is one of your most powerful tools, but it’s hard to tell if you haven’t taken time to reflect. Use this season to find and craft your narrative. What experiences have shaped who you are today? What strengths have you discovered in yourself this year? What values do you want to lead with in the next season of your life? Storytelling can help you make sense of your own journey. Your voice gets stronger the more you use it. The most important story you tell is the story you tell yourself.
Summer is more than a break: It’s a bridge. This is a time to explore who you’re becoming, try on new ideas, and build confidence through intentional discomfort. You don’t have to do everything, but do something. Because when fall arrives, you won’t just be ready, you’ll be renewed.
Now’s the time to find your voice and step into small growth with big intention.
So, here’s your challenge for the rest of summer: Act before you feel ready, block time for your growth like you do for your meetings, build the habits that will serve your future self, share your story — someone needs to hear it — and get comfortable being seen.
Bold confidence isn’t found; it’s built. One small step at a time.
