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Set a Summer Goal

These four teens are making the most of their summer breaks. Here’s how you can join them.

May 2025
Chava Pearl Lansky | Illustrations by Beatriz Ortiz

It’s the last day of school. You throw your backpack in the closet, kick off your shoes, and look forward to three months of freedom. But before you set your body and mind to “snooze,” how about picking a goal for your break?

Working toward a goal may sound like the opposite of relaxing, but there are actually a lot of good reasons for using your time off to learn a new skill or hobby or just get better at something you already do. 

For one thing, your summer break has a clear end date. It’s enough time that you can make real progress, but not so long that you’ll lose steam. It’s also likely you’ll have more time to devote to your goal during the summer. 

But how do you ensure you accomplish what you set out to do? “We used to think that reaching goals was about having willpower, being strong and resisting temptations,” says Ayelet Fishbach, Ph.D. She’s a behavioral scientist who studies motivation. “Now we know it’s about educating yourself about what your goal is and how you’ll reach it.” 

That means knowing what you want to do, how you plan to do it, and how you’ll overcome any obstacles. Read on for four teens’ plans to make their dreams a reality this summer and for advice on reaching your own goals. 

“I want to spend more quality time with my family.” 

—McKenna Chang, 10th-grader from California

Growing up, McKenna Chang valued spending time with her family. But as she’s gotten older, she’s found herself missing chances to bond with her parents and sister. “In the thick of the school year, it can be easy to be swept away by academics, extracurriculars, and friends,” she says. “I take my family for granted now, but once I’m off to college, things won’t be the same.”

How she’ll do it: McKenna’s goal is to do at least one family activity per day. “This could be anything from eating dinner, watching a movie, or playing a game together to taking a day trip to the beach,” says McKenna.

Staying on track: McKenna plans to document the time her family spends together by taking photos and videos on her phone. At the end of the summer, she’ll compile them into a short video.

Overcoming setbacks: McKenna knows that finding time every day that works for everyone might be tricky. To overcome that obstacle, she plans to make it easy for her family to spend the time they do have together. “For example, if we’re going to go on a family bike ride, I’ll pump our bike tires in advance,” she says. She also plans to help around the house so that her parents have more time to spend with her and her sister.

Expert advice: A goal can be tough to attain if it relies on other people. Fishbach says that if McKenna ends up missing a day or two of family time, she shouldn’t abandon her goal. Instead, she should focus on the progress she’s already made. “When we have setbacks, it’s better to look at the glass as half full,” Fishbach says. Staying positive will help McKenna feel motivated through the summer.

“I want to learn Korean.” 

—Grace Huang, 12th-grader from Wisconsin

This summer, Grace Huang and her mom are going on a week-long trip to Korea. Grace can’t wait to immerse herself in a different culture. “I’m excited for the bustling street markets, delicious food, and the ancient and modern wonders,” says Grace. She hopes to be able to speak at least a little Korean by the time of her trip. 

How she’ll do it: Grace is using the language app Duolingo. She’s also training her social media algorithms to include Korean language videos. In her free time, she watches Korean dramas on TV.

Staying on track: Grace is being realistic about how much Korean she’ll be able to learn. “Progress might be reading a few more words on my Korean moisturizer packaging or understanding more K-pop lyrics,” she says. Once she’s in Korea, she hopes to order food in Korean and understand some street signs. 

Overcoming setbacks: If Grace gets discouraged, she plans to reach out to a friend who is also learning Korean. “Maybe we can even improve each other’s Korean through conversations,” she says.

Expert advice: “Learning a language can feel like a chore,” Fishbach says. To make it fun, she suggests that Grace find more people to speak Korean with. “We have an easier time reaching goals when they’re in a social context,” Fishbach says.

“I want to learn new songs for harmonica and guitar." 

—Gavin Villepigue, 11th-grader from Connecticut

Brothers Gavin and Ethan Villepigue have different goals for the summer. Gavin hopes to feel confident enough to bring his guitar to parties to play for his friends. And Ethan wants to feel stronger going into the fall football season. 

How they’ll do it: Gavin has been teaching himself guitar and harmonica from YouTube videos. This summer, he plans to set aside two hours a day, Monday through Friday, to focus on his music. He’ll take lessons to learn new songs and improve his technique.

Over the summer, Ethan’s team will only practice occasionally. Ethan plans to pick up the slack by training three days a week. He’ll alternate between working on his foot speed with drills and runs, and improving his upper-body strength with exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, and planks. 

Staying on track: Gavin will use his phone to record himself playing, then listen back and identify areas in which he needs to improve. He’ll also use his phone to track how much time he spends practicing each day. Ethan plans to hang up a chart of exercises he wants to practice. “That way I’ll see it every day when I wake up,” he says. He’ll also time himself in drills and on runs, and record how many push-ups and pull-ups he does each week. 

“I want to improve my football skills.” 

—Ethan Villepigue, 7th-grader from Connecticut

Overcoming setbacks: Gavin and Ethan will help each other stay on track by making sure they are accountable to each other. “Ethan loves to point out when I make mistakes, so I’ll have him listen to me playing,” says Gavin. “He’ll give me feedback to help me get better.” Ethan hopes that Gavin will join him for some of his workouts. “Having someone to train with and push me will make it even more motivating and fun,” says Ethan. 

Expert advice: Fishbach says that the brothers’ plan to give each other pointers is a great idea. It will also help each of them with their own goals. According to her research, giving advice motivates teens much more than just receiving advice. But she cautions the brothers not to be too harsh with their suggestions for how the other one can improve. “An accountability partner should be someone who feels supportive,” she says. “Not someone that you feel like you need to impress.”

Gotta Get a Goal

Research shows that you have the easiest time reaching your goals when you’re intrinsically motivated. So pick a goal that matters to you and that you’ll have fun working toward. Here are some ideas:

Read one book a week.

Learn the butterfly stroke.

Throw a dinner party for friends.

Go running three days a week.

Volunteer at an animal shelter.

Bake the perfect cookie.

Knit a cozy scarf for fall.

Plant and care for an herb garden.

Learn to play chess.

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Life Skills
Goal Setting

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