#334 spring cleaning

Over the weekend, Mother Nature finally thought it was spring so I was able to go to the nature preserve with my dogs.  In the distance, I could see the landscape peppered with large patches of black.  As I approached, I could see that the acreage was charred and a covering of black soot was all that remained.

The tall grasses, brush and weeds that formerly occupied that land were intentionally removed via a "controlled burn," an ecological strategy to periodically clear the area of overgrowth and allow for new life to break forth. The trees in the space remain, but all the undergrowth and shrubbery are burned in the process. The charcoal residue actually serves as a fertilizer of sorts and the ground reclaims it growing with a renewed vigor.  

The rangers tended to this land in a manner of "spring cleaning" that will allow for more robust growth after the fact.  The burn cleared out dead materials and prepared the land for revitalized sprouts.  It looks dismal now, but in a short period it will be covered with new life and be better off for having been burned.

Could your organization take a lesson from the rangers and do some spring cleaning of your own?  Are there policies and practices that should be cleared out so new thoughts can emerge?  Is your physical space draining your creative thoughts due to clutter and remnants from past projects?  Is it time to shred those files, refocus your calendar and utilize the natural energy of spring to jump start new growth in your organizational or personal life?

Sometimes we need to rid ourselves of the old before there is a clearing for the new.  Don't be afraid to do a controlled burn of your own to fertilize your thoughts in this spring season.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
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