Spring is the season of renewal, and many of us are grateful for the early signs that are just around the corner.
We officially mark the start of spring on March 20 each year-the equinox. The day there is a balance between the length of the day and night. We might consider it a day where we center ourselves on the goals that we have set. By now, many people have lost focus on their new year’s resolutions, so this might very well be the second chance at making the new year wildly successful in achieving our goals!!!
I first read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey in the early 1990s. The intensity struck me in the simplicity of the habits he outlined. While all of the seven habits have supported me over the past three decades, Stephen Covey’s Habit Begin with the End in Mind has been the most impactful on my career and personal life.
For as long as I can remember, my habit each spring has been to organize, purge, and renew. Each of these habits is critical in working towards a fresh new start to achieve my goals.
I clean out my closets and purge anything that is not serving me anymore-in most cases, because I no longer chose to wear it. The shame attached to those clothes is released when I gift them to those who might find joy in wearing them. When I remove the shame in my closet, I can experience a new level of empowerment.
I go through the cabinets and drawers to find things that I no longer use or need, and I donate them to others who might find the value in having them in their lives. The purging of stuff from the cabinets and drawers feels like freeing up feelings that no longer serve me. I find a new sense of freedom in the organization.
I have an aversion to clutter and do my best to eliminate it throughout the year. In the rare circumstance when I do have clutter in my life in the springtime, I do my best to put things in order. The order leads to having clearer thoughts and opening space for new ones to come in. The clarity is refreshing and almost always supports me in finding new ways of looking at things.
It might be that the literal of the closets, cabinets, and clutter doesn’t resonate with you; please find a set of metaphors that might lead to you finding how you can open the spaces in your life for renewal this spring.
The habits, rituals, and traditions that we incorporate into our lives support our abilities to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves. What are some that have worked for you in the past? What new ones might you take on?
I am grateful to the leaders, coaches, and mentors who shared with me their best habits, only to have them for my own.
The importance and value of being coached during more than 30 years of my professional career must not be undervalued or understated.
A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.
-John Wooden
Will this be the spring you Organize, Purge, and Renew to achieve your goals?
With much gratitude.
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This post is republished on Medium.
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