Reflection: Life’s been busy these last few weeks with program design and delivery, travel, visits with family and friends, and springtime in the garden. All good things – yet challenging, too.

And so it felt good over the long weekend to experience the positive impact of tidying up. Not in a Marie Kondo ‘tossing things out’ kind of way. The experience was more about making things right – which in turn made things light.

On Friday, my last act in the office (which happens to be in my home) was to clear the desk and stash the miscellany. Everything done? No way. But without visible piles and papers, there was nothing calling my name each time I passed by.

On Saturday, I moved the lawn, trimmed shrubs and weeded a few perennial beds. Finished? No. But a whole lot better than before.

On Sunday, I transplanted flowers sheltering in the garage into pots and planters around the garden. Complete? No. But the garage is empty and that feels great.

On Monday, I tackled many loads of laundry, while dusting and vacuuming the house. Through neglect and spring doings, the place was a disaster from one end to the other. Perfect? Hah! Nothing will ever pass the white glove test in my world! But good enough – with no more garden grit underfoot.

And so, as I write this on Tuesday morning, I’m feeling grounded for having brought a bit more order to my world, and I’m ready to welcome the tasks of the week ahead.

Action: What simple acts of care-taking ground you?

What completions and clearing of the decks will help you feel more energized for what lies ahead?

Quotes Of The Week: I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. – Helen Keller

Accomplishments give you a sense of confidence and encouragement. – Catherine Pulsifer

We are more than what we do, much more than what we accomplish, far more than what we possess. – William Arthur Ward

Resource Of The Week: I’ve profiled Theresa Amabile’s work on the Progress Principle in a previous message. It bears repeating here. So if you missed it the first time around, I highly recommend her article and video on The Power of Small Wins. This concept is every bit as applicable in our personal lives as it is in the workplace.

Need a little more encouragement to celebrate small accomplishments? Check out Marquita Herald’s article: Why You Should Always Acknowledge Achievements.

Readers Write: In response to the recent message, Get To The Root Of The Matter, Pause reader DL writes: Funny that you chose as your reflection this week ‘getting to the root of things’ and wrote about dealing with your consternation instead of letting it eat at you.

I was struggling at work and at home this week with two different root problems. I finally said enough is enough and tackled them both. They are almost complete and I am more at peace for it.

We sometimes resort to a band-aid solution in the hopes it will get better by itself. While that might work for a small cut on your finger, it usually doesn’t work when faced with most challenges in life.