Spring Cleaning for the Board-Bound Soul
Yes, I know this newsletter is Bound for Boards, and I promise, we’ll get back to governance best practices and strategy soon enough. But here is a little secret about boards: they meet quarterly.
And between those meetings, there’s space.
So today, let’s talk about something seasonal and personal: spring cleaning.
Lately, I’ve been bitten by the bug. I mean really bitten. Closets, drawers, dressers, cabinets, you name it. After 25 years in my home, it hit me: when was the last time I truly cleaned out? Not just tidied, but cleared, sorted, and let go.
Some things had been sitting untouched for years. Pushed to the back. Gathering dust, literally and metaphorically.
And while I haven’t quite made it to my office yet (that is next on the list), I have been digging through paperwork and old financial files. In the process, something surprising happened: I started to feel lighter. Not just physically, but creatively. Emotionally. Mentally.
That space we create when we let go of clutter? It turns out, it makes room for other things to grow.
For me, it brought up memories of joy, sketching with colored pencils, painting, entertaining, travel to fun places and of course physical activities. All the little creative, human things that make life rich and connected, outside of work and leadership.
So, here is my gentle reminder to you, whether you are actively on a board or preparing to join one:
Your life outside the boardroom matters.
Your creativity, your home, your joy, these are not distractions. They are foundations.
And if you have caught the spring-cleaning bug too? Here’s my tip:
Start with one drawer.
Seriously. Just one.
Make three piles:
Keep
Give away
Toss
Give it 30 minutes. You will be amazed at how much lighter you feel. And even if the boardroom is calling, so is your inner world. They both deserve your attention.
Spring is a natural time to renew, to sort, to reclaim.
And it is okay if it begins with a single drawer.
