Look around and take it all in…trees are blossoming and bursting with greenery, bees are buzzing around all the wildflowers, streams are full of winter runoff. In short, the promise of life and hope for growth is in full view everywhere you look. We’re a month into spring…a season of rebirth and renewal for all our natural surroundings.
What has that meant for you? Many have already made and broken resolutions…but has this season of change inspired you to make any change in your behaviors, thinking, or planning?
RESET EXPECTATIONS IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE
How do you spend your free time? What do your interactions with family and friends look like? These are always a good place to start looking for renewal.
Shake up your routine and go new places where you at least have a chance of meeting new people. Do you find yourself going to the same restaurants and shops? Try a new place to eat! Look around for a new store to patronize! Whenever you do, you increase your opportunities to interact with others that have different backgrounds and experiences. Those interactions can enrich your life, making you more well-rounded.
Turn off the tube…and the streaming services! You can engage your brain so much more if you take some time every day to read. While you’re at it, try to fill your brain with a good mix of materials. Delve into different news sources rather than the one that makes you feel the most comfortable. Read about entertainment options that you normally wouldn’t enjoy. Learn something new in the science section. Maybe even pick up an old-school “paper” book!
REBOOT YOUR BUSINESS GOALS
In your business, your desk may be piled up with scraps of paper, mail, catalogs, and magazines. Spring’s the perfect time for cleaning, but also for a deeper kind of organization and decluttering.
Consider creating a Vision Board…a visual representation of your business’s goals and ideals. Whether it’s with a dry erase board on your office wall, a simple print-out from Word that you can pin above your desk, or even a list on your iPhone, getting your standards, values, and objectives in writing is the first step in making them happen for real.
Maybe you took the advice above and decided to shake up your routine by going to new places…but I would challenge you on the business side to make deeper connections with your clients. Instead of just communicating when they ask for something…or when you need to make a sale…invite them out to a casual lunch…just because they are a great client! Send them a gift basket or bottle of wine for their birthday. Just go out of your way to make them feel special so they have even more reason to speak highly of you to others.
RECHARGE YOUR BODY AND MIND
These days it’s far too easy to work every single day of the week. Even when you take a “slow” day, though, it’s not a substitute for an “off” day. If you don’t want to burn out, you have to change that.
Put a good deal of thought into your priorities and how they impact each other. If you’re reading this, career is obviously very important to you, but what are you willing to sacrifice to push it forward. Family, friends, and personal life make all take a hit from time-to-time, but you need to be intentional about what is most vital to your long-term physical and mental health and that requires not being too narrowly focused.
As I mentioned, there’s no good replacement for time off. Even if you have to work harder on the front and back ends of that time off, it is still crucial to plan for days of “No Work” so your mind has time to catch up. Spend the time doing something fun and engaging…or not doing much at all…mostly try to find an activity that isn’t in your normal routine.
Now it’s your turn…what are you doing this spring to shake things up and make a change for the better? We’ll be featuring some of your answers in a follow-up article…click below to leave a comment.