This summer could change your life

Plus: your anti-procrastination toolkit

British summertime: cloudy but wholesome

I have a childfree friend with no reason to live her life by term dates, but she uses them throughout the year to set herself mini goals and check in on her progress.

Autumn term: early September to Christmas.
Spring term: early January to Easter.
Summer term: mid April to the end of July.

With half terms in February, May and October, it’s six blocks of six weeks.

Six weeks is long enough to see progress, short enough to feel manageable. Also, it’s a flexible structure; she doesn’t have to deal with inset days and 3:25pm pick-ups. She can (and does) go on holiday during term time when it’s cheaper and quieter.

Which brings me to the best bit of her term life schedule: summer.

For those of us with school-age kids, the six-week break (or longer at some schools) can be a precarious balance of activity clubs and a tense game of annual leave Jenga.

For my friend, howeve…