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Take advantage of the Summer lull
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I live in Gainesville, FL, which is a college town featuring the University of Florida. And I would be remiss if I didn’t include this to celebrate our first College World Series National Championship: Go Gators!

But enough about how great it is to be a Florida Gator. Let me tell you about my #SummerOfFun.

Gainesville is a strange place because more than half of the city disappears every summer as students head home for summer break. All of a sudden the traffic dissipates, restaurant wait times collapse, and we locals have free reign for a few months.

This also means that most organized activities stop during the summer, and we’re left to our own devices when it comes to leisure time.

Fortunately, a few of my friends have pretty serious FOMO, which means we do something pretty much every night. Here are a few of the things we’ve done so far this summer:

  • Watched the NBA finals
  • Watched the NHL finals
  • Played Spades (we only got through like half a game before we…)
  • Played King of Tokyo, which is extremely fun and you should play it although I can’t ever seem to win (UPDATE: Winnar!)
  • Watched John Wick 2 (exactly what you’d expect)
  • Played Scattergories (Winnar!)
  • Played Cranium (Two-time Winnar!)

It’s a lot of fun. And that’s just a partial list from the past couple weeks—we’re only about half way home.

I realize your summer probably doesn’t quite look like my #SummerOfFun. But I do have a point!

Summers are different

There’s a distinct shift in tone and energy during the summer. Personally, this means #SummerOfFun ramps up for me. Professionally, I’ve noticed a similar lull as things just move more slowly.

People go on vacation. Deadlines become malleable. The office gets quieter.

It’s the perfect time to slow down and recuperate, and it’s a great time think about your plan for the rest of the year.

It’s hard to stop and take time to think about your career and what you’ll accomplish next. But the summer lull makes it a little easier to step back and make a plan.

Take advantage of the summer lull

This summer, take some time to do a little market research to see if your salary is in line for your industry. Maybe it’s time to start planning to ask for your next raise. Or consider the next move on your career path. Maybe it’s time to start planning for a promotion.

Take advantage of the summer lull to recuperate and make a plan as you head into the into the second half of 2017.

Not sure where to start when it comes to asking for a raise or promotion? Fearless Salary Negotiation will show you how to estimate your market value, and has a step-by-step process you can use to get your next raise or promotion.