10 Ways To Spring Clean Your Life

For many, the arrival of spring means that winter is finally dead for another year, and life will soon be in bloom wherever you look. For me though, the new season is about spring cleaning my life. It's about getting everything organized and setting goals. In fact, I don't really understand why anyone makes resolutions on Jan. 1, when spring is such a better setting to assess goals and begin anew. There’s just something about making promises to yourself in the dead of winter that feels like a recipe for failure, and frankly, we all deserve better than that. Why not set goals when you actually have a chance to achieve them, ya know?

So this spring, make sure you're setting yourself up for success by getting rid of the dead weight in your life. Embrace the people and things that allow you to think positively and love yourself, and cut ties with toxic acquaintances that put you in a gloomy mental state. Even taking little steps to organizing your life will help you reach your goals, because a little can go a long way. Here are all the ways to spring clean your world, and make the rest of 2016 the best time of your life.

1. Check in on career goals

You need to ask yourself if the job you have is making you happy. Will it lead to something bigger and better in your chosen field? Are you settling in order to remain safely tucked inside of your comfort zone? Now is the time to get real, because pretty soon a hoard of graduates will join the workforce and will be competing for the job you want, so this is the ideal moment to figure out your next move.

2. Reevaluate your relationship

Maybe you just did that, since Valentine's Day was only a few weeks ago. But it's much smarter to take a hard look at your relationship when you're not being force-fed societal pressures to spend too much money and make grand declarations as a way to compete with other couples. So ridic. Do it now when you have a clear head so you can figure out if there are areas you two can work on, or if it's time to call it quits.

3. Break up with toxic friends

This isn't going to be easy, but it will be worth it in the long run. Friends that make you feel bad about yourself are not friends you need. The length of time you've known them and the crazy struggles you've been through together don't mean anything if they always bring you down. Don't waste your time on anyone who treats you badly, and that's in a relationship, friendship, coworkers, and the like. Life is just too short.

4. Ditch all needless acquaintances

I understand the importance of having extended networks, particularly on social media. You never know when having a connection with someone could create an opportunity for you. However, there are some Internet connections that are worthy of being broken. Declutter your friends and follow lists if you're constantly faced with needless negativity, bonkers political views with zero facts to back them up, a stream of NSFW images without any warning, or really anything else that rubs you the wrong way. You scroll through your feeds A LOT, so you should be minimizing things that piss you off or bum you out as much as possible.

5. Declutter your closet

You KNOW you've got at least 10 items in there that you will never wear again, so it's time for those to go. Ditch the purses you've used and are nothing more than stray penny and old receipt containers now. Toss the trendy top from five years ago you were never in the mood to wear. Get rid of the cheap tees and tanks that are worn out, because those can easily be replaced. Clean, clean, clean, bb!

6. Toss the clothes that don't make you feel amazing

We all have a section of clothing that we keep because we think we might someday need it — but if those clothes aren't something you love wearing right now, toss them. If you have an entire closet full of items that you only ever feel amazing in, then you will never be at a loss for finding something to wear.

7. Organize your workspace

I can't focus on work when I'm surrounded by a tornado of random paperwork, and I'm guessing you can't either. Take an hour and make your workspace a place of minimalism, organization, and creativity. It'll be worth it, I promise.

8. Focus on your fitness

Create a workout plan as a way to feel stronger and gain more energy, and you'll be more likely to exercise consistently. Make a schedule, include something that's actually fun, and give it a go.

9. Sleep more

Speaking of balance, you need more sleep. How do I know? It's an easy guess, since most of us are overworked and overtired. Once you improve your sleep habits, everything else is just easier.

10. Cherish the quiet

There is so much needless noise in this world. And this is the perfect time to declutter that as well. With modern technology, we can always be listening to something. And there are many things that are educational, interesting, and ultimately worthwhile. But once in a while, you should give silence a try. Mostly because it's so rare, and thus, kinda beautiful.

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