Whew! I Made It!

We did it! It’s finally springtime, my favorite time of year!

Here in New Jersey we experience very distinct seasons and during the winter everything dies, or at least it looks like it does. Then spring comes and the earth magically comes back to life. The snow melts, the branches of the trees start getting fat, buds appear and the first flowers begin to break through.

It’s time to wake up.

Many people use January 1st, the beginning of the calendar year, as a date to spur them into action but I find spring is when my brain really kicks into gear.

I was thinking about what I needed to do to get myself in gear for my next stage of growth and I realized that what I do for myself and business is like fertilizer for my brain and they are exactly the same four things I do to help my garden thrive.

1. Clean up the debris. First you have to set the stage. In your garden you get rid of the branches that fell during storms, leaves that came down after the last raking and the shells from the acorns that the squirrels munched on during the winter. In your business, it’s a great time to look at what’s gathered too. What’s been sitting on your to-do list? What’s gathered on your desk? Are the things and ideas you have around you going to help your business thrive or did they just end up there?

2. Prepare for new growth. You break up the earth and spread fertilizer in the garden. Now is also the time to prepare your workspace, mind and calendar. Are there programs that you want to invest in to help you grow? Are there any things that you are in the middle of that you want to wrap up so that you are ready to move on? Are the things you are doing, thinking of doing and have around you fostering creativity or stifling it?

3. See what’s growing. You check to make sure that your plants have survived the winter and that you still like what you have growing. Now is the time to look around at the things you have around you including the projects that you have lined up and make sure that they still make sense for you. Was the idea a good one when it was planted? Is it still a good idea? Is it time to let it go? Is it time to give it all you’ve got to make it flourish?

4. Decide what you want to grow and see if it fits. None of us have endless space, what’s more is even if you do have room, the space doesn’t always suit the things you want to grow there. For instance, my yard has very little direct sunlight so technically I have room to plant tomatoes but since they need a lot of sun they won’t grow well. Alternatively, you may have plenty of sunlight but not much physical space. So while you look over the things that you want to do, see if they fit into your plan. Do you have the time, space and environment you need to devote to these projects to make them grow? Does it make sense for you to spend your time and energy on these things?

Now here’s the most important piece…do you have the help you need? My garden will not look the way I want it to without someone to help me mow the lawn, move rocks and keep up the beds. My business and life would not function the way I want them to if I don’t get the help I need there too. Some of the help I use is a coach, a support network, equipment and training in skills that I may be lacking or want to brush up on.

What help do you need to help your business and life run better? What skills do you want to learn or sharpen?

When you give your calendar, to-do list and things a good spring cleaning you will set yourself up for a business and a life that thrives and makes you happy.