Spring is the season of fresh starts and new beginnings. It symbolizes new life and growth. It’s the time when we clean our homes, prepare our gardens for seedlings and organize our lives. Much like the beginning of a new year, starting a new job or moving into a new apartment, spring offers us a “clean slate”, a time to start fresh.

Whatever happened last year, last month or yesterday is irrelevant to you now. It is not the time to say “Fuck it!” and give up. Right now is the only moment that matters.

What can you do this spring to wipe the slate clean and start fresh?

Start each day with a positive affirmation
Beginning your day with a thought like: “Today will be amazing!”, “I cannot wait to see what today will bring!” or “Today, I will find a way to make it happen!” will keep your focus on the present and boost your confidence in your ability to achieve your goals.

Let go of past drama
Drama and all the negative feelings attached to it, have a way of clinging on to us and dragging us down. So, let all that drama go… All of it. You’ll feel less stressed, be more positive and you will be able to handle whatever is coming. If you feel like you need advice and guidance, don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional.

Practice self-forgiveness and start a no “what ifs” rule
Obsessing about what might have been, what you could or should have done differently, not only keeps you up at night, it keeps you from moving forward.
Take some to time to write down or to meditate on these teachable moments in order to be better equipped and avoid such mistakes in the future. And then… Move on!
Help create and maintain that clean slate by forgiving yourself and realizing that you are human and you will make mistakes.

Clear clutter and remove visual reminders
Even letting go of a single box of junk can give you the amazing feeling that comes with moving on and starting fresh.
Furthermore, to really give yourself a chance for a clean slate, remove all visual reminders of whatever needs to be cleared away. If there are items, in your home, reminding you of negative situations or habits, now is the time to get rid of them. If the items in question are invaluable to you, store them away and if they’re not, donate or toss them.

Tackle projects you’ve been putting off
Start a spring cleaning list and write down all the things you’ve been putting off. From home repairs, to going to the doctor’s or having dinner with the in-laws; now is the time to prioritize and start making the necessary appointments.

Learn something new
Broadening your knowledge on a topic means taking your mind to a new fresh, undiscovered territory. So, google a question that’s been bugging you, open a book you’ve been meaning to read or enroll in a class. Whatever piques your curiosity will do: scuba diving, how to compost or grow the perfect tomato, the art of rabbit fur spinning or quantum mechanics. You are only limited by your imagination.

Celebrate your wins
At the end of each day, give yourself some major props for your accomplishments. The rewards of that work will motivate you to keep going beyond this spring.

Every day is a new opportunity for a fresh start. The beautiful thing about life is that it provides us with an infinite amount of erasers to wipe that slate clean. And remember, you’re not perfect and neither is the world around you. So, try to be kind to yourself, focus on the now and take a moment to appreciate the spring sun on your face.

You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.

Toni Morrison