Spring Clean Yourself!

Spring is fast approaching with its warmer weather, brighter evenings and lambs frolicking in fields without a care. Spring is the time of year that everyone comes out of their winter hibernation and starts anew, trying to feel like they have their lives together and making sure everything is squeaky clean!

The phrase "spring clean" traditionally means to clean your house in order to improve air quality in your home. After all the dust and stagnant air that has collected in your house during winter due to closed windows and cold temperatures etc, it's time to give everything a clean!

Spring cleaning has many origins, including the Persian New Year, the Jewish tradition of cleaning your home before Passover and also the Catholic tradition of cleaning the church alter before Good Friday.

However, no matter what tradition origin you believe in, I feel as though everyone should have their personal spring cleaning traditions, and not just for cleaning your house!

Spring is a great time to regroup with your goals, emotions and dreams and consider what you can do to help yourself create a better life. For lack of better word, spring clean yourself!

Now, I bet you're thinking "Leigh, there's too many things I want to improve on!" or "I just don't know where to start!", but do not fear...I have a hack that will help your life be more organised and will help you better yourself in time for summer!

Let me introduce the Rule of 3!

The Rule of 3 is something I have come to live by, and I created this structure for myself at the start of 2021.

Do 3 things that will better yourself.

This one I consider as focusing on my spiritual journey into becoming the person I want to be, and also the person I need to be. I picked three things that I believed would better myself as a person, from a personal point of view.

My 3 things are: Learning a new language, working towards getting my drivers licence, and working out more often.

These three things help me become a better person physically and mentally. As a person who is monolingual, I want to add a new tool to my skillset. I've decided to take up learning French on the app Duolingo and it's going really well. My studying and my practise for my drivers licence means I'll no longer have to rely on others and I will no longer feel like a burden. Working out more often keeps me fit and healthy, and it's a good reminder that I should try to better my body as well as my mind and skillset.

So, if you're not sure where to start, just pick three things. Do you want to perfect your rollerblading skills? Do you want to start learning how to bake bread after seeing lots of bread TikToks? Then put those things on your "do 3 things that will better myself" list, and you're good to go!

Do 3 things to organise yourself.

Okay, so you've got three things you want to do in order to better yourself, but how are you going to remember to do them? Life isn't always easy and we don't always get the chance to do what we want within our busy work schedules, so we have to keep organised!

My 3 things are: creating monthly calendars, using a diary, and making my bed every morning.

I create a monthly calendar for myself using good old fashioned pen and paper, but you can use apps like Google Calendar or websites like Trello just as easily! In my calendar I add when I'm going to do my three activities to better myself, and I make sure to schedule them evenly across the month and fit in my work schedule too. I use a diary to keep track of any important phone calls or appointments I have, as well as jotting down any random things like "having takeout for dinner" just so I don't forget! I also make my bed every morning so my room is just as organised as my day to day plans!

When working from home, the last activity is super important. Consider that when you're figuring out your "do 3 things that will organise myself" list! It can be anything, from as simple as opening your blinds each morning, or planning each minute of your day! At 10am I will clean my teeth...at 10.02 I will go to the toilet...at 10.04 I will shower...That may be a bit much, but if it works for you then do it!

Do 3 things that will treat yourself.

No matter how many times you clean your bathroom, no matter how many times you schedule in your new pilates class into your diary, none of it matters if you don't remember to treat yourself too! The Rule of 3 is a key reminder that balance is important within your spring clean. You deserve to treat yourself after all your hard work!

My 3 things are: Watching "Best Cake Wins", watching/listening to the podcast "Oddvice" and scheduling in reading time.

I'm not sure if any of you have seen "Best Cake Wins", but it is a very American show in which two bakers have to compete in making a child's birthday cake where the child picks which cake they want more. As a Brit, this show is light-hearted and funny to watch. If you have time, go watch an episode because they are cheesily brilliant!

I also watch the podcast Oddvice, which is hosted by Kristen McAtee and Alex Koot who are best friends who give their audience advice, and share their odd and wonderful opinions, stories, and life details. This is the only podcast I watch and I also consider it very educational as well as entertaining. These two girls are like the sisters I've never had, and manage to give great life advice as well as making me laugh. I love this podcast so much I'm going to link it below, because I believe everyone needs Oddvice in their lives!

The last thing I do to treat myself is schedule in time to read. I'm an avid reader and I love challenging myself to see how many books I can read in a year - as well as enjoying them, obviously!

As you can see, I've talked A LOT about the three things I do to treat myself because I believe they are the most important thing in the Rule of Three. If you work hard and create three things to better yourself and three things to organise yourself, then make sure you work just as hard to find your "3 things that will treat myself" because a spring clean isn't a spring clean unless you reward yourself too!

So, give yourself a spring clean this spring and take care of yourselves this year! 2020 and the start of 2021 have been rough, and I'm here to remind you that no matter what you decide to do this spring - whether you use the Rule of Three or not - you're doing great! Maybe you don't do three things, maybe you only decide to do one thing, but doing that one thing is a positive step forward towards change, and that's great! I'm proud of you.

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Thanks for reading, see you soon!