“Spring is God’s way of saying, ‘One more time!” – Robert Orben
“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” – Robin Williams
Spring is a time for pruning, cleaning and getting rid of the dreariness of winter. Time to clean your life before the refreshing spring season gets into full swing. Follow these 10 ways to really get the benefits of new hope, love and adventure.
1. Declutter your space.
Imagine spending a whole year of your life looking for things. According to Harper’s Index, this is the time that Americans waste because they have not learned the art of decluttering at regular intervals. It becomes even more difficult when your partner is a hoarder.
Here are my top five tips for managing clutter, so you are not overwhelmed when you have to face a major decluttering:
- Use the ‘One in, two out’ rule. For every new thing you acquire, make sure that you trash or donate two objects you are no longer using. No problem here as regards clothes, as Americans are using a mere 20% of what is in their closets.
- Show no mercy with anything that is damaged or broken. It will never come in handy and it never did!
- Donate all the presents you never really liked, or even used, to the charity shop.
- Keep everything that you love and that you use very often. Anything else will have to go.
- Tidy bills and mail into labeled box files and keep them in the room where you actually deal with them.
Once you have that under control, you will save time, energy, and feel much less burdened.
“Clutter is stuck energy. The word clutter derives from the Middle English word ‘clotter,’ which means to coagulate – and that’s about as stuck as you can get.” – Karen Kingston
2. Get up early.
“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” – Ben Franklin
Being an early riser is a great way to get your spring renewal process off the ground. There are several advantages to it:
- You are much more energetic in the morning.
- You will be in a better mood.
- You are making more time for the best part of the day.
- You will be able to think more clearly.
- You can enjoy a more relaxed schedule.
3. Close toxic relationships.
If you feel that your partner is domineering and not allowing you space to grow as a person, this could be a sign that you are in a toxic relationship. It may be time to close, especially if you are miserable or uncomfortable. As the lack of support becomes more and more evident, it means that you are being deprived of energy, love and growth.
4. Find a passion.
Ask yourself this question: “How many of my friends tell me that I am great fun to be with and that they always feel better when they are with me?” Now if you answer that this never or rarely happens, it most likely means that you have not got a passion.
When you have a passion, the enthusiasm for it is infectious. You talk about it, and you tell your friends about your latest successes. This could be as banal as breaking your previous record in the marathon or getting your poem accepted for publication.
Spring is the ideal time to start looking for a passion that will get you out of a rut, which represents dullness, boredom and a lack of inspiration.
5. Time to forgive yourself.
Why do you hate yourself so much? Why do you criticize yourself for all those screwups you made? Anger, hurt and resentment are the results of this relentless self-criticism, which goes on night and day. The secret is to learn how to let the resentment go. It is when you no longer feel anger and pain that you have learned to forgive yourself. Lots of studies on forgiveness have revealed its healing effects and health benefits.
6. Get rid of grudges.
Think of the grudge you have against your boss, your partner or a friend who let you down. What are the feelings that are swilling round in your head? Here are a few:
- Spite
- Hurt
- Anger
- Malice
- Envy
- Frustration
- Unworthiness
- Loathing.
That list makes the acronym SHAMEFUL. Now that is a toxic cocktail! You may even be talking about it, too, and spreading the pollution via friends and close acquaintances.
Now here’s the thing. This negative cesspit is destroying you and not the person who hurt you. Even the malicious rumors you want to spread about that person are water off a duck’s back. In the meantime, you are the one who is drained, poisoned and exhausted. Time for closure. Let it go.
7. Time for new opportunities.
“Closed mouths don’t get fed.” – Kenneth Zakee
Tried that new recipe yet? Have you thought about taking up a new sport? Is your holiday destination always the same country or continent? How about changing your home environment? Get out of the rut before it collapses on top of you.
A great idea is to brainstorm with a friend and also to let them know what you are going to try. This also means that you have to report back to them, so it makes you accountable.
What is the bottom line? You want to rediscover new growth, joy, curiosity, and a sense of wonder. That is what spring is all about, isn’t it?
8. Create your own challenge.
Setting up a challenge is a great way to get rid of toxic things in your life and to replace them with something that is going to do you a lot of good. You can set the number of days to 15, 30, or whatever you like. You will be healthier, wiser, better humoured, and much more relaxed. Here are some ideas:
- Decide social media time; once a day for a set period of time.
- Cut out swearing – use neutral words if you can.
- Turn off your cellphone after dinner.
- Start walking every day if you are a couch potato.
- Limit your exposure to bad news – stick to one news bulletin a day.
- Phone a good friend every day.
- Do one act of kindness every day for someone less fortunate than yourself.
Set yourself some goals. Think: “By the beginning of summer I will have lost X lbs and will be much fitter.” “By the end of June, I will have my social media addiction totally under control.”
9. Manage your time better.
Spring is all about things growing quickly and energetically in a short space of time. Can you match that? If not, look for better ways to manage your time:
- Change your lunch break so that you can work better when there are fewer coworkers making noise.
- Consider changing your timetable, if you can. Discover what works best for you. Maybe an earlier start?
- Discover your peak time when you work best. Reserve that for the most challenging tasks.
- Prepare your morning stuff the night before. It makes the early morning exit a breeze.
- Make a list of doable, daily tasks and review them at the end of the day.
10. Motivate yourself daily.
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last, well, neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar
The secret of maintaining motivation is to be able to generate positive and upbeat thoughts about what you have achieved, every hour and every day. If you can do that, you will be able to shoot down the negative thoughts before they take over. Have a great spring!
“Yesterday ended last night. Today is a brand-new day. And it’s yours.” – Zig Ziglar
Featured photo credit: Springtime flowers/Bea via Flickr
