It's well into summer, and without homework and co-curricular commitments, you find yourself with all of this free time to do anything you want to. You could write a novel, finish a high school scrapbook, start any Pinterest-inspired DIY project and read all those books that have been put aside when you had other more important stuff to do.
But, unfortunately, most of the time, when you are home, you are overwhelmed with crippling laziness and a lack of motivation. During the hours that you are home, all you really want to do is not get out of your comfy bed as you alternate between watching an almost shameful amount of Netflix and napping.
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But when you are forced to go back to school in two months, you don't want to regret how you "wasted" away your summer. You do want to be productive and do all those things that have been on the bottom of your priority list since last September. After all, you probably won't get the chance to do them for at least another year.
By the end of this summer, you want to have read at least four of the books on your list, finished your high school scrapbook that you started way too long ago, and create a few DIY wall decors for your new dorm. You are also dying to know what happens on season three of that show you have been binging on all month.
So, combine it all. Create your own reward system. If you want to watch an episode (or three) of the new season of "Orange is the New Black," then you must do an hour's (or three) worth of work that will help you reach your other goals. So, for every hour of work of progress and productivity that you incorporate into your day, you can allow yourself to watch an hour of Netflix. (If you are not an enthusiastic Netflix watcher, you can replace it with another reward, something you that really enjoy yet it is not as productive as some of the stuff you have to do.)
Netflix will become a well-deserved reward for your productivity, hopefully erasing some of the feelings of shame and guilt that usually follow those hours sitting engulfed in yet another mind-blowing TV show. And, if you stick to this system, by the end of the summer, you quite possibly may have accomplished the goals that can make you feel that you had a productive and worthwhile summer.
Plus, if you like how it works, you can always extend this reward system into the fall, rewarding yourself for all those long hours of homework, studying and other responsibilities with enjoyable, relaxing, and somewhat healthy Netflix binging.
