Spring Clean.

Growing up, I lived in a spotless home. Every Saturday morning, my mother would divvy up the chores to my sisters and me. From dusting baseboards to cleaning ceiling fans, the chores were always done before play ensued. On the surface, everything looked neat and tidy.

And then came the Spring. One would think there was nothing left to clean, right? Wrong.

Spring cleaning involved going deeper into the hidden crevices of our home to clear out the dust bunnies, throw away the junk and get organized around the use of that space. It was always a tedious, wasted weekend that usually got worse before it got better.

While it was never fun, I see now how it was such a necessary task. And frankly, had we dealt with those closets and crevices on an ongoing basis, the deep clean wouldn’t have been necessary.

As you deep clean your home (or don’t) this Spring, I invite you to deep clean your life.

What does that even mean? Where do you even start?

A great place to start is with this fun, short, guided meditation on how your home and your life are reflective of one another.

Or, if you want to dive right in -

Start with your beliefs and values.

What are your beliefs and values? What do you stand for? What are your character traits? Why do you believe them? Why are they important to you?

If the answer to any of these is “because it’s always been that way” or “that’s just who I am” then dig deeper. What you find when you dust off the cobwebs may affirm your belief or it might open your eyes to new ways of thinking, doing and behaving that’s more in alignment with the life you desire. Be open to new perspectives.

Next, move onto your relationships.

List the top 5 - 10 people you spend the most time with. Why do you spend time with them? Do their values and beliefs align with yours? Do you feel energized or deflated after being in their presence?

When you spend time reflecting on your relationships, you begin to notice which are still serving you and which are okay to let go of for now. People always get nervous when letting go of friendships or relationships. It’s okay! You aren’t a bad person for moving forward with life. For choosing people who are on the same page with you during this season of life. For letting go of toxic relationships.

And you know what, the people you leave behind, they aren’t bad people either! The two of you just no longer serve each other.

Lastly, take a look at your commitments.

Where do you spend your time? Are you a perpetual “yes” girl, taking on more than you can chew? How can you create margin in your life in order to bring in more of the commitments you desire.

When you really break down your calendar, you can see where you spend your time. I have a hunch that you know the meetings, dinners and volunteer commitments that you wish you’d said no to. You always dread going or participating in those activities.

Spring offers a great time to reevaluate how you give of your time and talents. If a commitment no longer feels like a fit, let the person or organization know that you can no longer serve. No further explanation is needed to justify your actions. Maybe you offer to help find a replacement? Trust me, the organization or person would much prefer to have an active participant who loves being involved rather than someone who dreads coming. You get to be the person who opens the door of opportunity for someone else!

Remember, anytime you clean, it always gets messy before it gets better! You have to take things off shelves. You have to sort through old junk. You have to determine what stays and what goes.

The same goes when diving into your soul. Sometimes situations get messy before they get better. You’re sorting through deep-seated beliefs, long-standing traditions, old relationships, and letting go of habits that no longer serve you. That’s part of transition and transformation. Only you can decide what gets to be put back on the shelf and be a part of your life moving forward. Stick with it! The end product is always beautiful, clean and exactly where you need to be.

And, in case you missed it above, check out this fun, short, guided meditation which parallels your home and current life situations. It’s such an interesting perspective. I’d love to know what you uncover. Tell me below!

Want to get away from the busyness of the city and family to relax, unwind, and recharge, while jumpstarting the deep clean on your life? Join me April 26-28 for SoulFULL | A Women’s Retreat where you can do just that! Registration closes April 10!