When the weather starts getting warmer, the first thing many of us want to do is fling open the windows and get some air.
And that fresh feeling often brings a recognition: It’s time to clean!
Spring is the ideal time to dust off the blinds, clean out the closets, tend to the garden or finally get to those million household to-do items that you’ve let go during a cold and lazy winter. And we all know the feeling that comes with finally checking off those tasks and getting to enjoy the fruits of your labor—a clean and organized house!
The energy that abounds in springtime, and all the positive results it yields, doesn’t have to just be spent sprucing up the house—you can certainly harness it to improve your physical health, your mental wellbeing, your career focus and much more. Here are just a few ideas to get you started uncluttering, reprioritizing and facing the spring with your best foot forward:
Invest in self-care
Winter is a time when it’s easy to curl up on the couch, veg out and snack—and springtime is the opportunity to bring those habits with some healthier self-care! Take up running outside in the warmer weather, check out local yoga classes (bonus points if they’re outside!) or even recommit yourself to a new hobby. No matter how you define “self-care,” it’s all about making what motivates and fuels you a top priority. And when you do that, you’ll see the rewards across the board—in your physical and mental health, energy level and how you show up for the relationships in your life, including in your career.
Take stock of your professional picture
As you’re organizing your drawers this spring, spend some time also thinking about how you’re organizing your professional world. If you don’t have a LinkedIn, now’s a great time to set one up; and if you do, give it a full refresh to make sure the information and experiences aren’t stale. Similarly, dust off the resume and use your springtime energy to fill it with new ideas and maybe even an updated look. Join online professional networks in your field, or a field you’re looking to break into, and give yourself a crash course in the business news about your organization or your industry. Even if you’re not on the hunt for a job now, you’ll want to be ready when the opportunity comes along.
Set some new goals
At this point in the year, New Year’s resolutions may be falling by the wayside. But who says personal and professional goals can only be set in January? Give your start-of-2023 goals a fresh look—maybe some you can drop, others you can tweak and perhaps you’ll think of some new ones to add. Be realistic, have ways to measure your progress but, most of all, be excited for these new opportunities!