Spring Cleaning Your Career

Something about blooming flowers, warmer weather and spring showers makes people want to clean up other aspects of their lives in preparation for the rest of the year. While spring cleaning is generally done at home and occasionally in the workplace, it’s also an important thing to do for more abstract areas of your life, such as your career. Taking time to reflect on your achievements and to consider what else you hope to accomplish in your career is an important part of job and life satisfaction, which is why spring is a great time to clean up your career.

Renew Your Resume

Resumes need cleaning up. Even if you aren’t looking for a new job, it’s a good idea to look at your resume each year and see if it needs updating. You may have received a promotion or received a reward since you last looked at your resume, which means there are new additions to include for your resume to be up to date. Keeping an updated resume will keep you from having to make massive changes if you find yourself looking for a job on short notice, and is also good to have if you receive a new unforeseen opportunity.

Analyze Your Career Goals

It’s easy to get so caught up in our immediate job that we forget what our long-term career goals are. Think about your current job: was it meant to be permanent or a stepping stone into a new career path? Are your daily tasks and responsibilities fulfilling what you are looking to accomplish in your career? If the answer to these questions doesn’t align with your goals, think about what you would rather be doing and how you could get there. Look for positions online and talk to friends you know who are working in those positions — they may have valuable advice.

Organize Your Work Process

There’s nothing like a clean, organized office to make you feel like the powerful business woman you truly are. Organizing your office, as well as your work processes, will lead you to reap the benefits of organizational change. Whether you run your business from home or simply work remotely, make sure you are running at full efficiency by incorporating any new technology that could streamline your work processes. If you have any business goals that are not being met, organizational change could finesse your workflow and create the adjustments needed to make sure your work is at its best.

Reorganize Your Space

While you’re getting rid of the clutter, take time to do some small but dramatic redecorating to maximize your remote working space. Clear windows to allow as much natural light into your office as possible; sunlight creates a bright and energetic atmosphere and awakens any room. Make sure your desk is positioned in a way that centers you in the room and works well with the direction of the light so that it’s comfortable for you. Organize your most precious office belongings in a way that highlights them, allows them to inspire you and serve as a reflection of you, your creativity,  and the work you produce.

Spring is a great time to deep clean the physical aspects of your life that are difficult to keep super tidy throughout the year, but it’s also an excellent time to reassess the direction of your life and what lies ahead of you. We all need to touch base with our lives and career goals, and give thoughtful consideration to what we’re still hoping to accomplish and what we need to do to get there. Dedicate some time this spring to prioritizing what you want out of your career and to take the necessary steps to get there.