I find that spring is a great time to pick up new habits that can serve as a “reset” button on both your career and life. Sometimes we need a reason to motivate positive change, and I’ve always thought that longer days and sunnier weather (not that it is ever truly unsunny in Los Angeles for long…) are a great excuse to take care of yourself.
Here are four things I like to do every spring to boost my personal and professional life:
- Get in an exercise routine. Ideally, this would stick year-round… but I think we all fall off our gym-going wagons during the dark days of winter. I’ve learned over the years that the number one factor in whether or not I stick to my goals in any given day is mostly dependent on whether or not I got some exercise in, especially in the mornings. Try taking a walk or a fun new class at the gym (I’ve recently become a certified Zumba-aholic.) It’s good for your health, you’ll feel better about yourself, and you’ll find that you feel more accomplished at the end of each day.
- Yes, actually clean your house. This is something I hate doing, but it absolutely changes my productivity levels. When everything in your house is in place and clean, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to get your daily tasks finished. Spend a weekend reorganizing your closet and decluttering your kitchen, your whole life will feel more in order afterwards!
- Try a new hobby, preferably one that takes you outdoors more often. Take tennis lessons, join a hiking group, or bring writing you’d normally work on indoors outside on your laptop. There’s no excuse not to enjoy beautiful weather and grab some vitamin D (but wear sunscreen, obviously.)
- Start that project you’ve been putting off. I don’t know a single creative person who doesn’t have a “one day” project that has been sitting of their mental shelf for months, maybe even years. Dust that idea off and take the first step to making it happen. Whether it is setting up a website, finishing a script, or making some calls to put a team together; the first step is almost always the hardest. While you’re revamping the rest of your life, give your career a little spring spruce-up. By the end of the year, you might have something amazing because you took that first step today!
What kind of “spring cleaning” (personal or professional) have you been doing this year?