March On In
I have a love-hate relationship with the month of March. I am a Pisces, so I am supposed to look forward to this month because I get to celebrate my birthday, but it feels like such a long month. There are no holidays to break up the weeks with a long weekend and that makes it drag on even more. And what about the weather! If you’re from New England you know exactly what I mean. March teases you from one day to the next. One day you’re wearing a winter coat and the next day you are wearing a short-sleeved shirt. The only solace for me is knowing that the cold days are coming to an end and if you pay attention, you may catch a glimpse of Mother Nature warming up with a siting of crocus or daffodils assuming the conditions are right.
Since I can’t change the calendar or the weather, I am going to focus on things I can change and that is my attitude. March is really the tipping point for Mother Nature to usher in spring and all the wonderful newness that comes with that. I always feel a sense of exhilaration when I can go outside and feel the warmth of sun on my face. The air smells crisp and clean and plants begin to push through the dormant earth. It’s a great time of awakening and for that I am grateful. March holds hope and promise of things to come. It should be revered instead of chastised for its uncertainty. I can be wishy-washy myself when I am not sure whether I am coming or going, so I’ll cut March some slack this year.
March is a State of Mind
March is a state of mind. We are not quite out of one phase while experiencing bits of another to come. They say that variety is the spice of life and March is certainly a month that offers all that. Maybe embracing the influx isn’t such a bad idea. For those who love winter, you still have time. For those wishing winter was over, you know there’s an end in sight. So how do we navigate the ups and downs of March to our advantage? March is an opportunity to take inventory of our lives. What do we want to accomplish in the coming seasons? March is the time to dust yourself off and start creating your checklists. Having a plan is critical for success. Are you a gardener? Are you planning a summer vacation? Are you looking for summer work?Are you taking advantage of the good weather and planning a project? Are you thinking about going back to school in the fall? Are you one of those go-getters who is planning for the holidays months in advance? Are you getting married or having a baby? March is your time to figure it out. Whether you realize it or not, spring will be gone in a flash, so taking advantage of March’s temperament will help you enjoy the months ahead more fully. I would much rather work on a game plan when the weather was keeping me indoors than missing out on the limited amount of good days I can enjoy being outside.
“List”ful Thinking
Maybe you aren’t a list person, but lists are the fabric of my existence. I make lists for everything. I have paper lists and calendar lists, but my most useful lists are drafted on my chalkboard. I write down all my to-do items and cross them off when I am done. There is something to be said about the power of crossing chores off your list. If you have never done it, I urge you to try. It helps to keep me focused on the things I know need to get done and holds me accountable for completion. They’ve done studies about list makers and how it truly makes a difference. It works for me, and I am confident it will help you too.
Lists don’t have to be complicated or specific. You can keep it easy and write a list on a piece of paper or save it on your phone. This is ideal for shopping lists or as a reminder of things that need to be done daily. If you are a visual person, you may consider a white board for tackling lists that are monthly or ongoing. Large desk calendars work well for this too. It is important to keep on-going lists visible. Writing them down and putting them in a drawer will serve no purpose. They must act as a visual reminder every day. If your lists are more for planning purposes, I suggest getting a notebook or journal and separating it into sections that make sense to you. Notebooks are cheap and having all your ideas and necessary information in one place is a huge time saver. This information is not limited to list-making either. It can hold important dates, phones numbers, contact info, websites, or visual aids that help you reach your intended goal. Consider it a planner or sorts, which helps you break down your lists into manageable chunks. Keeping everything in a notebook or journal also eliminates the risk of losing parts of your list that may get misplaced or thrown away. Even though I make a lot of lists, I can’t tell you how many I have lost because I wasn’t careful about where I wrote them down. Writing on scraps of paper, sticky notes, or the back of envelopes is not a good idea. Trust me! My goal this year is to keep a notebook for everything other than my shopping and chore lists. Organizers and planners are a big deal these days. If you want to get fancy, I am sure you can find something practical and pretty if you shop online or at your local stationary store. It’s up to you how much you want to invest and what kinds of lists you will be creating. As much as I love beautiful journals and planners, sometimes it is just as much fun to create your own with pictures, markers, and Washi tape.
So, what are you waiting for? Start making those lists and get organized and clear about your intentions for the rest of the year.