The subject of spring cleaning can bring many things to mind. Often, people may think about all the tasks that they feel should be done. Spring cleaning often means that the home gets a thorough cleaning. It’s also a time to clean out all the winter sludge that can build up in the garage. It can seem rather daunting.

It’s also a good time to declutter. When there are things that have collected all winter, we get to take another look at them and make decisions to keep, sell, or donate. Maybe there is someone who would really use and like what is getting cleared out. Yes, when it’s done, we can feel good about it.  Now spaces are organized, look better and we can find things easily. Life is simplified, giving more space for other things to happen in life.

Besides spring cleaning, there are lots of other things that can happen in spring. We were sitting out on the deck eating dinner. Instead of enjoying the beautiful weather, we got thinking about all we have yet to do. At that moment we realized we should take that time to just enjoy the feeling of being in the moment. We weren’t cleaning, we were sharing a meal together. The weather was perfect. The birds were singing and the frogs croaking, all sounds we enjoy. Peter Walsh would agree. He says, “Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a list of dreaded chores.”

This relaxing time allowed us to think about what other things, good things, come with spring. We started thinking of past spring seasons. I (Lynn) remember childhood, living on a farm where winters were cold, dark, and long. When spring finally came, my mother would always say:

“Spring has sprung.
The grass has riz.
I wonder where the flowers is.”

Mom and I wondered where the flowers were, too, so we took action. My mom and I made crepe paper flowers and hung them on the bare branches of bushes outside the old farmhouse. Patches of snow were still on the ground, but the brightly colored flowers made the joy of spring come a little earlier in our hearts.

Yes, one of the great things about spring are the flowers. A neighbor of ours has a beautiful liIac bush. The fragrance from it carried into our home. That scent reminded me (Doug) of springtime while attending St. Olaf College. The campus was, and still is, covered with a variety of different types of lilac bushes. Each spring, that wonderful fragrance wafted over the entire campus. I still have wonderful memories of the sights and smells from those fragrant blossoms.

As you’ve probably figured out, we also believe that spring cleaning can go beyond the physical cleaning we do. We all have memories that bring us happiness and peace. Then there are also memories that bring us unhappiness and angst. It’s a good time to clean out the memory bank, too. Get rid of the bad memories and save and relish the good memories. As Jennifer L. Betts said, “Spring cleaning is more than just decluttering your space; it’s about decluttering your mind and soul.”

It may be beneficial to clean up other areas of life also. One area we need to address is cleaning up our digital life. Our computer and smart phones need to be decluttered of emails and other digital files that are no longer needed. One study showed that we can spend 45 minutes a day searching through useless digital information just to find the information we really need.

What about you? What could be cleaned out or “spruced up” in your personal and professional life? What needs to be discarded or renewed? Also, what areas do you want to explore and grow?

Don’t overwhelm yourself with all the spring cleaning of just the physical stuff. Take time to assess your life and what’s important to you. Just like the physical stuff, what do you want to get rid of in the different areas of your life and what do you want to keep? What memories do you have that you want to toss and what ones do you want to keep and cherish? Spring cleaning in the different areas of your life, as well as your home, can help give you more space to make decisions for what you really want for your life. Happy spring cleaning!

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@TheBalanceCenter.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2023 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.