It’s the summer of making it happen. Read on for my top 6 things to do this summer to shape your future. They’re easy to fit around making the most of the sun and time with friends, so no excuses!

I also got some help from your favourite Apprentice Nation artists; they definitely know how to make the most of their summer 🔥 Let’s do this!

About Louis
As well as being a Skills Leader for Apprentice Nation, Louis is your go-to for personal development. He co-runs Revolution Hive, founded consultancy 7PK, is trustee for two charities, and a proud member of 100 Black Men of London.

1 . Seek out an event or environment where you will be out of your comfort zone

and ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE in the space.

How about:

  • Have your voice heard and help shape something you care about:
    Check out opportunities to share your opinions with your local council, join an advisory board like Youth Employment’s Youth Ambassadors, or Home Girls Unite‘s current openings.
  • Work Experience:
    Some easy opportunities are with Speakers for Schools. There’s plenty of remote 4-6 week placements available for you to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new.
  • Mentoring:
    Book in a Mentor Session with Apprentice Nation and try out your networking skills on an industry leader.

The opportunities are endless. Keep an eye on our Go Far List and Twitter for events you can join over the summer.

2 . Drop “I don’t know” from your vocabulary.

Even if it is true currently, the sentence is incomplete. Finish your sentence… I’ll leave that to you.

3 . Identify 1 area of your personal or professional life that you know needs improving and commit to a new habit to improve in that area.

If you don’t commit, have a forfeit that scares the heck out of you ready to do.

Need some summer reads? Check out The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People – also recommended by Krept & Konan’s incredible manager Riki Bleau.

4 . Carve some time out to do research:

Ray BLK knows the importance of knowing what is out there:

“First of all, do your research on what is available out there…Take your time to find where your skills would be best suited. And, try to connect with people who are like-minded. “

A great place to start is the Apprentice Nation Go Far page to discover handy sites like Creative Lives in Progress, as well as hand-picked job opportunities to help you find your ‘thing’, build your network, and carve out your path.

Need some advice to get you started? Louis’ got some top tips in his Quick Set ‘Mapping Out Your Journey’

5 . Turn up your creativity by mindfully taking in some inspiration

“There are so many things we don’t class as inspiring but when you look into it deeply, that changes. Mostly I’m inspired by conversations with family”

– Ghetts

Whether you think of yourself as a creative or not – reflecting on what keeps you inspired helps you stay motivated and grow your personal brand. 

How about following along with the Youth Advisors Network activities this summer? This month, they created playlists, tracks, collages, pieces of writing, videos, and more around the topic of purpose. Tag @apprenticenationuk and #youthadvisorsnetwork with your work and we’ll give it a share!

 “Be a sponge. Absorb and take in everything you see day to day. Those things are the most relatable too. So you have to stay active.”

– Bugsey

6 . Take some time out to recharge your batteries:

The final but most important step.

“It’s important to have balance, have a time to turn up, have a time to take care of yourself, have a time to rest, to re-up on your energy because for you to really excel in what you do, you need to be prepared and that takes discipline, structure, time and balance – so many things that people don’t see that all contributes to the result that you get.”

– IAMDDB

Explore what works for you. Get the chilled tunes going, download Viewranger to see walking routes near you, try something new like yoga or swimming, or try out mindful exercises with fellow Skills Leader Natalie.

There you have it. These 6 things to do this summer will have you feeling refreshed and ready to take on the next step of your journey.