No rush. No pressure. Just momentum in disguise.
There’s something strange about summer at work.
It’s not quite quiet, but it’s not business as usual either. Your calendar finally has white space, half the team is OOO, and even the Slack threads are…slower.
It feels like a pause. And that pause? It’s underrated.
Because while everyone else is waiting for things to “pick up again,” you can use this window differently.
Not to hustle. Not to get more done. But to get the right things in motion before the fall momentum kicks in.
Think of summer like the early morning hours of your career year: still, clear and full of possibility.
Here’s how to quietly level up during the lull without overloading yourself or turning downtime into a second job:
1. Dust off that “someday” project.
That slide deck you wanted to rework. The blog post idea scribbled in your Notes app. The process improvement you thought could really help the team.
Pick one and make a 1-hour dent. That’s it. Progress, not polish.
2. Rethink your digital first impression.
Your LinkedIn profile is your career storefront. Does it still reflect who you are and where you want to go?
A 20-minute refresh now can make a big difference when new eyes land there in September.
3. Invest in the skill future-you will need.
Pick something small but strategic:
✅ Watch one workshop replay.
✅ Try a prompt in ChatGPT that saves you 10 minutes a day.
✅ Read one article that makes you think differently about influence or leadership.
Small inputs now = big impact later.
Here’s the real magic:
When fall hits and everyone else is scrambling to “catch up,” you’ll already be moving with clarity, not chaos.
Because you didn’t wait. You built before the boom.
What’s one thing you could quietly work on now that would make September you breathe a little easier?
Until next time…
Mal
Founder, The Ideas Accelerator
Helping you grow your career with strategic insight and smarter tools.