According to Wikipedia, spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime. According to Martha Stewart, it’s a bit more detailed with a three page checklist celebrating the satisfying rite of the annual clean.
Once upon a time, I was enamoured of all things Martha. What? Don’t look so surprised!
But then I grew up and realized picture perfect cakes and anal-retentive holiday decorating was not my style.
So why am I talking about Martha?
Because underneath the surface of all that spit-and-polish, handmade, homemade OCD there are nuggets of wisdom to be found – kind of like finding that favourite shoe that’s been missing for months under the couch!
Her spring cleaning checklist suggests going through your home, room by room, with a detailed list of tasks. And while that’s all good, and I’m sure my home could use that kind of attention, my mind-body-spirit could use it even more, so that’s where my cleaning strategies and I are focused.
A new perspective on spring cleaning!
Spring Cleaning from the Inside Out
Mind / Office
One of the great things about working as a life coach is the opportunity to continually do my own inner work.
For me to give my best, I have to make sure this ‘room’ is spacious and clear. That doesn’t mean I have to be perfect and have everything handled, but that I regularly take a look at what’s working and not working in my own life and business.
Working with Jenny Bones in creating the Summer Camp for Solopreneurs has presented this kind of opportunity. As we’ve created the Camp’s curriculum, I’ve uncluttered my schedule to make time for more work I love, and am in the process of clearing physical space in my office.
While I’m amazed at what I get done with the stacks of books and materials around me, I also know I’m more productive and intuitive when my physical world is clean and clear. This creates room to move, and space to breathe and create.
Body / Kitchen
They say the kitchen is the heart of the home and growing up in Mediterranean family, food played a leading role in my life. One of my first memories is of sitting in my grandma’s kitchen waiting for fresh bread to come out of the oven.
Food was how we nourished our family, not just our bellies. We connected and worked things out over the dinner table, shared and celebrated major events. It’s how we showed we cared; food meant being with comfort and love.
This is a tough ‘room’ for me to clean because it does have such strong ties to memories and family. But the time has come for this ‘room’ to get some tough love of the self-care kind!
The body doesn’t lie and my body has been asking for the same kind of love and attention I give my mind, and spring is the perfect time to begin.
Say hello to a month-long detox and cleanse – the best kind of cleaning from the inside out. One of the tools I’m using to support this is my friend Farnoosh Brock’s upcoming Green Juicing Intensive Clinic. I’ve raved about Farnoosh’s work before (remember the Invigorator?) and am excited for this next adventure.
Spirit / Living Room
This IS my favourite room to tidy up and the best tool I’ve found to do so is a silent retreat.
But I’m super busy right now having just launched the Summer Camp for Solopreneurs, so a great alternative is to meditate more consistently.
I’ve just begun reading Tim Brownson’s guide to medition because I can never read enough about this profound practice. I’ve also received a copy of the Reawakening, a guided meditation program from Angela Artemis and Steve Aichison which I’ll be trying out. I am always on the look-out for products that align with my values; stay tuned for updates.
When this ‘room’ in my house is clean, my message is clear, and life seems lighter. Not like the challenges disappear, but rather I have the resources to handle anything that comes my way.
Now wisdom has it that the best results are produced when we take on just one habit at a time, and for the most part I agree. But I’m a bit of a rebel and right now, my intuition is telling me to strike while the iron is hot!
Over to you:
Join me! I want to hear about your challenges and what you’re taking on. If you’re a bit crazy like me, take on all three and let’s support each other. If not, choose one and get real with it.
Tell me in the comments and let’s get cleaning!
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson
I need to focus on my kitchen more! Like really. i don’t diet but i know I need to lose weight to be healthy and I’ve been neglecting it!
@Glori It’s easy to get sidetracked by baggage around weight loss! I’ve found for me it’s much better to focus on healthy and vitality. And dancing! Imagining myself on the dance floor keeps me inspired 🙂
I need to focus on my kitchen more! Like really. i don’t diet but i know I need to lose weight to be healthy and I’ve been neglecting it!
Sandi,
I really enjoyed this. I too have given up the ghost on ever being “Martha Stewart.” Once I got divorced I vowed never to be pretend to be what I am not ever again! I’m much more into keeping the mental pipes clean than cleaning house.
Thank you for sharing the information about The ReAwakening Guided Meditation Program too.
By the way what of Mediterranean background are you? I’m Greek which you can probably tell from my name.
@AngelaArtemis So nice to see you here Angela! My background is Italian & Portuguese, so food was a huge part of our socializing. I’m sure you can relate!
As for keeping the mental pipes clean, I’m looking forward to using your program. Hoping it helps me be a bit more consistent in my practice!
Can’t wait to have you in the clinic, Sandi. We will have SO much fun. Just this week, I discovered another new delicious recipe. Five years of juicing, and I am still discovering new things. 🙂 Can’t wait to share it all. xoox!
@ProlificLiving I’m excited Farnoosh! The clinic is just what I needed to get me in action, and without the fear of doing it alone! Perfect timing my friend!
I walked into my office this morning and said to myself, “Carol, you’ve got to clean this joint up and clear the decks for the S’mores Solopreneurs Summer Camp.” So that’s the physical spring cleaning I’ll be doing. The other major spring cleaning I’m going to be doing is sorting through the stories I tell myself and throwing out the ones that don’t serve to expand me and lift me up and inspire me to go for it. That may be the most important clearing the decks I can do in preparation for camp. It’s definitely the most important when it comes to going after my dreams.
@Carol Hess Those old stories are like dust bunnies in the corner and it’s time to blow them away with a breath of fresh air Carol!
@Carol Hess Those old stories are like dust bunnies in the corner and it’s time to blow them away with a breath of fresh air Carol!
As a budding Life Coach I love that I not only *want* to but *have* to keep my mental pipes clean. That being said, my body needs some serious self-care :/.
@Jen Vertanen {The Wholehearted Life} Sometimes we do the work and teach what we ourselves most need to learn 😉
Welcome to the world of coaching Jen!
@Sandi Amorim Isn’t that the truth! And thank you :).
I’m clearing out space all around me. Space to be gentle with my Lizzie. Space to not have all the answers. Space to eat and nourish my body in the way it functions best (grain free, sugar free, legume free, whole foods). Physical space in which to create–clutter shuts me down and distracts me. The part I’m having a hard time clearing right now is my gut that feels like I ate a couple of doughnuts and they’re sitting there like lead–so many changes coming between me and my husband, and I need my gut to be clear for intuition rather than OMGTHESKYISFALLING when it really isn’t.
@Ellen Berg Oh my, it’s the Chicken Little syndrome! Clearing the gut is hugely important. Now I may be singing a different tune once the detox begins, but I also know we have to get through the discomfort to get to the breakthrough on the other side. And space IS on the other side of this work.
And remember my friend, you are not alone! And neither am I 🙂
@Sandi Amorim The not aloneness is HUGE. And I’ve never been alone, exactly–Greg is the bees knees, but I think sometimes someone so close to us is not as useful as those outside our family circle. This class/experience is coming at the perfect time which I do not believe is a coincidence.
What I mostly say to myself these days is, “Am I really doing this? I’m REALLY doing this! Holy shit!” And *that* is a good thing. 🙂
I recently went to a Sound Healer and in our session drew the card for Sweat Lodge – which could literally mean I would be exploring that practice in my own life or it could be a more subtle purification. I’m still tuning into what intuitively feels right but rest assured you will not be alone in this “spring cleaning!”
I’m also looking to sign up for a 6 week meditation course in May as I’m also continually looking for ways to reconnect with a quiet mind, and I will check out the books you’ve listed above as well! I’m looking forward to your insights on them as you work through the processes as well!
Yes, Yes! I had a breakthrough w/ Gene last night actually, regarding my stories around sex.
Today, I cleaned the house and felt good for actually finishing things–the garden fence, fertilizing, planting grass seed, exploring a bike trail to its end, and am in the process of addressing the save the dates.
Not finishing things completely makes me feel bad about me, and perpetuates the internal story of “flaky” Jeanie.
@jwitcraft I remind myself that I have LOTS of stories about me and that frees me up to choose another one. Then, I can pick fun-lovin’ Sandi and have some fun instead of bitchy Sandi who brings me down!
Yes, Yes! I had a breakthrough w/ Gene last night actually, regarding my stories around sex.
Today, I cleaned the house and felt good for actually finishing things–the garden fence, fertilizing, planting grass seed, exploring a bike trail to its end, and am in the process of addressing the save the dates.
Not finishing things completely makes me feel bad about me, and perpetuates the internal story of “flaky” Jeanie.