Not only does a good spring cleaning seem to lift our spirits, it has actually been proven to preserve our home and office environment. Additionally, people tend to be more productive after a good cleaning.

Although inclination is to want to be outside as soon as great weather begins, by doing a good spring cleaning you are actually creating feeling of spring inside your home and office. It is also a great way to get entire family involved in doing something together. To do this though, it has to be viewed as a fun experience rather than drudgery.

If it is your office you are giving a good cleaning to you will find this to be a great team building opportunity. With pressures all businesses experience day in and day out, doing something out of ordinary will allow for a unique bonding opportunity that is sure to strengthen communication skills and team unity.

To make it enjoyable your attitude will set tone. If you view experience as fun, those around you are more likely to do same. Something that is sure to help is to start from a place of gratitude. Yes, gratitude.

For The Home Look around your home and realize you have a home to clean. What a gift this is. It doesn’t matter size of your home. What matters is what your home gives you. It gives you a place to enjoy time with family and friends. It gives you shelter from elements. It gives you a space to relax in. That is of course if you have created it to offer these things.

For Office Think about all ups and downs your business has been through in last few years. Ups and downs many businesses have not survived. And yet, you have. Get your team involved in process of acknowledging what it took to get to point you are at. It is amazing positive impact this can have.

The Process Before you begin, find some good music you can enjoy while you clean. It’s amazing what lively music can do for spirit.

1) Avoid meetings. Test importance of a meeting by asking, "What happens without it?" If your answer is, "Nothing," then don't call meeting.

2) Prepare goals. These are results you want to obtain by end of meeting. Write out your goals before meetings. They should be so clear, complete, and specific that someone else could use them to lead your meeting. Also, make sure they can be achieved with available people, resources, and time. Specific goals help everyone make efficient toward relevant results.

3) Challenge each goal. Ask, "Is there another way to achieve this?" For example, if you want to distribute information, you may find it more efficient to phone, FAX, mail, e-mail, or visit. Realize that a meeting is a team activity. Save tasks that require a team effort for your meetings.

4) Prepare an agenda. Everyone knows an agenda leads to an effective meeting. Yet, many people "save time" by neglecting to prepare an agenda. A meeting without an agenda is like a journey without a map. It is guaranteed to take longer and produce fewer results. Note, without an agenda, you risk becoming someone else's helper (see tip #6 below).