Here in the Pacific Northwest, it's Spring! I love the changing seasons, and for many, Spring is the season of hope, renewal, and a re-energizing of life. Often, in our homes, we might take on spring cleaning as a weekend activity and tackle the garage, basement or extra room that has become a repository for stuff we aren't using, or things we're not sure about recycling or throwing away. Our businesses need spring cleaning, too, and often you can energize your business practices by shaking out the dust of past months and creating space for new opportunities, new clients, and new business growth.

Here are Four C's to consider for making room for positive change: 

CLEAN: Some of you have garages and basements. I have neither, but that doesn't mean I don't have spaces and places that have become the repository of the detritus of my business life. I still remember one colleague of mine who was so proud of recycling 40 boxes of files that he had been storing under his house! I remember, with great incredulity, my bookkeeper telling me I had to keep all those receipts for seven years! As business people, we can become great hoarders of stuff. Clean it out! Create a system for reviewing what's necessary to keep, what you can scan and store electronically, and what needs to be shredded and recycled. My bookkeeper's wishes aside, there just are very few papers, files, client files and old project outlines that I will really ever need again. Prioritize, glean the essential learning, and let the rest go.

CLEAR: This is about your calendar! You need to clear space on it that is absolutely, positively sacred. I can count on one hand the leaders with whom I've worked who have created a successful discipline of allotting time for their creative, innovative, strategic work. They are forever sacrificing it to yet another meeting or a potential client call or dealing with their overstuffed in-boxes. It feels counter-intuitive and it's one of the most challenging dilemmas I face as a successful entrepreneur, but there isn't anything that will refuel your business, your success, than clearing time on your calendar for this kind of uninterrupted work. A day a month, an hour a week--- you'll know the magic formula and you may have to experiment. One thing I have my coaching clients do is to just try it for 30-60 days and see if it makes a difference. It always does. Do it now: go to your calendar and for the next 30 days set aside one perfect hour where you are going to think big, dream crazy and pull out the stops for your creative work.

CLOSURE: I always talk about lists. I'm a list lover who gets great delight in crossing things off. I like the closure of it, the sense of accomplishment, the notion of moving forward on something that's either necessary, important or I just want to be finished with. I have a confession to make (I considered making confession the fifth C so we could be honest about what we needed to spring clean . . . ): there are a few items that have been on my list for months. I think there's one that's been on there a year! Seriously, who am I kidding? If it were that important, I'd have done it already! I love David Allen's approach to the "in box"--- if you can do it in 2 minutes, get it done now, otherwise, delegate it, get rid of it (i.e. let it go), or turn it into an official project and identify the next important step. There's a psychology of defeat with a long list that never seems to be completed. Or, if you're not a list maker on paper or your PDA, some of you do it in your heads. Get closure on prospects or potential clients you've not been able to connect with. If you're not willing to give them up entirely, put a date on the calendar to check in, and mentally move on. If you are finding that you've put off an important decision or conversation because you're not sure what to do or how to approach it, but it's taking up precious space in your thinking or emotions, it's time to move on that. Get closure, let it go, or move on.

CELEBRATE: After the proverbial garage has been cleaned out, you've made several trips to Goodwill or Salvation Army, everything is in its proper place, doesn't it feel grand? It's time to actually go for the ride on the bike you've unearthed from the back of the garage or fire up the barbecue for a family cookout, now that you can get to the lawn chairs and picnic table. In your business, what can you celebrate in this new season? What about engaging in a team gathering to identify and celebrate the successful things you've overcome in the past couple of years--- they've been tough for many. What about taking some time to recognize employees for their service, loyalty, consistent performance or innovative ideas? What about identifying your own personal gratitude list and reflect upon what's good about leading in a recovering economy? Celebrate courage and remaining positive in tough times. Have a lunch, pot luck or happy hour time for people to get together and imagine what you will be celebrating this time next year!

Seasonal changes are always a good time to Clean up, Clear out, gain Closure and Celebrate. Something new is definitely around the corner, and you can be ready to take advantage of opportunities if you have created the space, state of mind and time to lead well.