Spring cleaning is a term that has always interested me. When I was a child there was some actual cleaning that took place in my house during the month of May. Cupboards were emptied and scrubbed out, walls were washed and closets cleaned out. None of that happens on an annual schedule in my house!
Do you have any spring rituals?
I see spring cleaning as a metaphor for shaking off the bleakness of winter and moving forward into the sunshine. In my business spring brings different work — tax season is over and we move on to non-profit audits and corporate year-ends. In our personal lives changes happen in spring as well, more daylight, more outdoor activities, a general lifting of the mood!
Spring is a time of renewal and new growth. It is a good time to pause and think about where you are in the year. How is 2017 shaping up for you? Do you have a comparison of where you expected to be when a third of 2017 had gone by?
I like the idea of thinking about your year in thirds — so every four months it is a good time to take stock of where you are with your annual plan. Organizations might find that thirds are a more manageable chunk of time to do this type of review than quarters. Managing quarter to quarter can feel like a short term strategy but three times a year is not so onerous to do a review.
Take a look at where you are with your strategic plan as we move from winter to spring. Different seasons require different strategies.
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