Groundhog Day is an annual American and Canadian tradition celebrated every February 2. The story of Groundhog Day tells us that if the groundhog comes out of his home and takes a look around. If he sees his shadow, he is scared back inside his burrow and winter hangs on for another six weeks; if he does not, it is supposed to mean we are headed for an early spring. Given that whether or not the poor groundhog sees his shadow has more to do with whether or not the sun is out that day than anything else, the folk story could just be a way for those of us suffering through a long, cold, and snowy winter to hang on long enough to get through. The most famous of those ground hogs, and the one we pin all of our hopes on, is Punxsutawney Phil. This most expansive celebration of Groundhog Day takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. We all pin our hopes of spring on this little guy.
Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow this year, and if we believe in the wisdom of this fluffy symbol of Groundhog’s Day, we can look forward to an early spring. With spring nearby, our thoughts turn towards morning birds chirping, budding foliage, and warmer temperatures. A less pleasing sentiment that comes to mind with spring is the chore of spring cleaning. However distasteful the short of housecleaning is, the series of tasks is necessary to refresh the home, rid the environment of unnecessary tools and accumulated clutter. This is also a good time of the year to consider spring cleaning your business and giving thoughts to new ways of refreshing your business strategy.
During the winter months, homes become closed up and stuffy. It’s too cold to let in any fresh air; too wet to keep the floors clean, and too dark to early to get enough light. In many ways, our businesses suffer from the same winter dregs – we become preoccupied with the holiday season, focusing a portion of our attention on celebrating tradition and holidays. Schedules get shortened; goals get put off. We focus more on the Super Bowl than we do on achieving success. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. In fact, part of the reason we’ve all chosen to be entrepreneurs is so that we can have the work-life balance we wouldn’t get if we were corporate cubicle slaves.
Spring, however, is the time of year to reevaluate our direction. We sweep out the dust from our homes and rid ourselves of the winter muck in our houses, and we need to do the same with our minds and our strategic direction. Dust off your marketing plan, revisit your goals, assess where you are with where you want to be. Take stock of what has been working for you and what hasn’t, and make decisions about your next steps.
Entrepreneurs may not think of spring cleaning as anything more than a list of honey-dos that keep them busy on the weekends that used to be filled with football games. But Groundhog’s Day should become an annual event for entrepreneurs to start thinking about spring cleaning in a new way – as an opportunity to de-clutter, refocus, and get back on track to achieving the success that will bring about the lifestyle you’ve been dreaming of living.
Related posts:
