Springtime is upon us, which means it’s time to tackle those spring goals! It is the ultimate season of symbolism. Rains bring life and rebirth, plants begin to bloom, animals awaken from a cold slumber, and everything else begins to renew. The word spring means to “burst forth, or to leap”. I don’t know about you, but I am certainly feeling an urge to leap now that the sun is shining after a long, cold, and dark winter.
I asked a few here at CIL what springtime means to them.
Erin said “Spring for me is a huge inspiration driver. I gain a lot of clarity about what’s important in my life. The ability to get outside clears my head and lets me dream a little more than in the winter months.”
Nora said, “Spring means fresh to me. Whether that’s clearing out the house of unused items, or cleaning, opening the windows and airing out the old stale winter air. It brings energy after a winter of hibernation—especially one that was a quarantine style hibernation.”
I feel similarly about spring as Erin and Nora. Once the snow melts and the sun appears again, I want to go after everything all at once, but that typically means my expectations are out of line.
Whether you have a hard time saying ‘no’ to your ideas and ambitions or you struggle coming up with them, here are 5 steps that can help you accomplish your spring goals.
Make a list of spring goals you want to accomplish.
I love lists. It helps me to put down on paper what’s floating around in my head. (Here are some tips for to-do lists)
It could be grabbing that book you’ve always wanted to crack open (Check out this list of books to read!) or finally painting that room since you moved in 2 years ago.
Whatever it is, write it down.
Schedule your list!
According to the Huffington Post, 50% of items on a to-do list are completed that day while a staggering 41% NEVER get completed!
Don’t just stick with a to-do list that may never get completed, schedule your goals and items from your list!
Prioritize your spring goals.
Some of the best advice I’ve been given is a prioritizing system that really helps with productivity.
There are 4 categories:
Re-evaluate old goals.
How well is your New Years Resolutions going? Did you fall off track? Does it need some adjustments? Maybe you need to replace your New Years Resolutions with ‘Springtime Goals’.
We always hype up New Year’s Resolutions since it’s the start of a new year and all, but I personally find it more challenging to do so in the winter. Spring is the time when things are birthed, they come to life, and naturally seem to be times when we would pursue things like resolutions.
If winter represents death in nature, spring represents life.
Look at your resolutions or other goals you’ve previously made, make needed adjustments, and schedule how you’re going to accomplish them!
Dream.
This one is hard for me. My husband has deemed me “The Dream Killer” because I am too practical and can come up with more reasons why something will not work before it’s even started. But I’ve had the privilege of learning from my husband that dreaming is a beautiful thing and leads to innovation, relationship, growth, and improvement.
Think back on some dreams you’ve always had but never pursued. Could this be the year you take that first step?
Here in Michigan, it is sunny and in the 60s with rains on the horizon. I have rooms I want to paint, closets I have to organize, and family outings I plan to take. I hope you can take the steps you need to today so you can look back in the heat of the summer and smile on your accomplished goals.
Check out what some of our employees plan to do this spring!
Erin: Whether you take it literally, like spring cleaning and Marie Kondo’ing it up – or figuratively – where I realize there are a ton of goals I’ve written down, and it’s time to start. This Spring, I’m going to get serious about starting a side project that feeds my soul. Digging into how to start a side hustle that marries creativity, sustainability, fashion, women, and content creation. Instead of just throwing ideas around, nailing the concept and just getting started.
Nora: I think a goal for our family is spend time outside – we like working on yard projects and this year I think we will be adding more flowers to our front yard by a split fence my husband built several years ago. A life goal I have is to have a cut flower supply for personal use. Every year I add some kind of perennial that could be used for floral arrangements (another hobby of mine). I have peonies, hydrangeas, and liatris. I am also trying to be conscious about planting plants that help bees.
