June is my birthday month — and that means it's review season.
Every year, I encourage individuals to use the month before their birthday as a personal new year: a dedicated window to review, reflect, reset, and book those health checks. It's a ritual of clearing the clutter so you step into your next chapter with clarity and intention rather than momentum from the chaos.
Ahead of my birthday in a few weeks, I'm doing exactly that myself, and I want to invite you to do the same.
So if you're birthday month is not for some time, why not use mine as a gentle nudge to start working on your advance planning.
Why Summer is Actually the Best Time to Plan
We tend to think of September as the "fresh start" season. But by the time September arrives, busyness speeds up, the diary is filling fast, the year-end is looming, and the window for real reflection has quietly closed.
Summer, right now for those of us in the northern hemisphere, is that window.
It's quieter. There's a little more breathing room as schools wrap up, workplaces calm to a gentler pace while many take annual leave, and the days are longer and brighter, energising us all. This makes it the ideal time to gift yourself the space to reflect, and the focus to start your planning.
What do you actually have in place for the future? and what are you still putting off?
That's exactly what taking the Living Legacy Advance Planning Readiness Assessment will help you clarify this question and identify what's yet to achieve.
👉 Take the Assessment — it's free and takes just minutes
You'll get a personalised report straight to your inbox, along with gentle nudges over the following weeks to help you take small, manageable steps forward. No pressure, no overwhelm, just clarity.
A Word on Accountability
One of the things I hear most often from people who've engaged with Living Legacy's accountability supports is that they knew what they needed to do, they just hadn't made the space to do it.
That's what accountability is really about. Not being chased. Not ticking boxes. But having a structure that holds the space for you to do the thinking and planning that keeps getting pushed to "someday."
If you're feeling that pull — the sense that there are plans you keep meaning to put in place, conversations you keep meaning to have, or decisions you keep circling — then summer is your moment.
Reach out to me directly at [email protected] if you'd like to explore what accountability support looks like for you, whether personally or professionally. Further details are available at https://www.livinglegacy.ie/accountability-support
What Else Is Happening at Living Legacy
A few updates from the past few months:
- I recently spoke to Network Ireland's Women in Business branch in County Mayo on personal and professional legacy. To those of you recently joining us from that event, a very warm welcome.
- I'm presenting to Liffey Partnership's community groups in July.
- I've just been approved for the Laois partnership training panel asa well as the Gnó South West Skillnet training panel in Kerry, so if you are living in these areas please do reach to them to express your interest in participating in the succession planning programme.
- In an effort to bring advance planning island-wide. If you'd like to host an advance planning workshop or succession planning programme for your community group or organisation, I'd love to hear from you: [email protected]
From the Blog: The Museum of You
As part of my self-imposed 100 Day Challenge, I've been sorting through the boxes of my life: deciding what to keep, gift, or let go. I wrote about this recently through the lens of the museum we each carry of our own lives. If that resonates, you can read it here.
Currently Reading
I recently rejoined my local library in an effort to be more present and feed my brain and support local - a small but genuinely joyful act after years of defaulting to online orders. This past month I've been absorbed in two books exploring the experience of stroke. The brain and body continue to fascinate me, and both are well worth your time if you share that curiosity.
As always, thank you for being part of the Living Legacy community. This is exactly the kind of season where the most important thinking gets done.
Make the most of it.
Jen
Jennifer McConnell - [email protected] | livinglegacy.ie
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