The weather is warming up, the days are growing longer, and there’s fresh, green growth everywhere—yep, these are the telltale signs that spring has officially settled in. But apart from the physical signs of spring, this new season also tends to bring an undeniable energy for change.
Maybe it’s because we see transformation happening all around us in nature. Or maybe it’s the chill of winter leaving our bones. Either way, spring has a way of motivating us to declutter, refresh, and prepare for all that’s to come.
While a deep purge of our home never fails to satisfy, have you ever considered that spring cleaning isn’t just physical? Clearing our mental space can be just as powerful. When it comes to writing, letting go of what’s holding you back can be what makes room for your best story. So, this season, let’s take a different approach to spring cleaning—one that refreshes your writing life.
The 3 Steps To Spring Cleaning Your Writing Life
Step 1: Preparation and Decluttering
Just like you wouldn’t deep clean your house without a game plan, you shouldn’t approach your writing life without one either. Before you get into the nitty-gritty, you’ll first want to prepare and declutter your spaces. We’re talking physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Clean Your Working Space
Remember this: A cluttered desk is a cluttered mind.
We long for our homes to feel warm and inviting, so why wouldn’t we want our working space to feel the same? When I wrote my first book, I needed a quiet, clean space to write in. We decided to turn our dining room into my office and it became my clean slate to create. Funny enough, it’s also where my business started!
Find where you’re going to work, declutter it, and make it your creative haven.
Declutter Your Projects
Once you’ve identified where you’re going to be writing, it’s time to declutter your actual work. Get a big picture of everything you’ve been working on (and I mean everything). Are there half-finished drafts? Ideas that no longer excite you? Do you need to organize your notes into folders? It’s time to sort and make space for what is going to help push you forward.
Try this method out:
✅Keep: Everything that still inspires you.
🗑Toss: Stories, drafts, or notes that no longer fit your vision (it’s okay to let go!).
✍🏻Revise: Anything that still has potential.
Purge Your Limiting Beliefs
Once your workspace is clean and your projects are sorted—it’s time to clear out any limiting beliefs that are holding you back. You know, the ones that say you aren’t a real writer or you’re not qualified for this.
These thoughts do not serve you or help you progress. If we don’t eliminate those thoughts, they’ll stop us from ever reaching the finish line. Find something that silences the big bad bully in your mind—whether it's going for a drive, a long walk, journaling, meditating, praying, or practicing breathwork.
We’ll always stay in the same place if we aren’t actively striving to grow.
Step 2: The Deep Cleanse
Now that you’re officially prepped, it’s time to deep-clean your creative process.
Scrub Away Old Habits
“I’ll wait to do it next week.”
“Let me just pause my writing to do the laundry.”
“I need to feel more creative before I start writing.”
These are the big three—procrastination, distractions, and perfectionism. Trust me, these habits can pile up so fast if you don’t clear them out.
Identify the habits that are getting in the way of your writing time and clear them out. Maybe it’s setting a timer to keep you focused, putting your phone in another room, or giving yourself permission to write imperfectly just to get words on the page.
Polish Your Perspective
If you wait for the perfect moment to start writing, well—you might not be writing too often. Being a writer means showing up for yourself, even on the hard days. Thinking about what people are going to say or not feeling qualified until you hit a certain achievement is only going to keep you right where you are.
Wipe that thinking away. You are a writer. Continue to show up for yourself—and your future readers.
Refresh Your Creativity
Being creative doesn’t always come from staring at a blank page. In fact, I would argue that it’s the exact opposite. Try reading something new, exploring a new hobby, baking something from scratch, or visiting somewhere new. You never know what creative outlet will spark a new idea.
Step 3: The Final Touches
Okay! Your writing life is refreshed and ready to flourish. Let's make sure it stays that way.
Create a Routine
How do you make sure your clutter doesn’t pile back up? You stay consistent. This might be setting aside time to write every day, dedicating one evening to writing, or devoting one weekend each month. The key here is to find something that works for your schedule.
Be Intentional
Just like you may intentionally decide to keep the pantry clean after a deep purge and organizational reset, set the same intentions with your writing. Whether it’s finishing a first draft, finding an illustrator, or simply deciding to write again, commit to something. When you’re intentional about how you want your writing life to look, you'll find ways to create space so that you can move forward in your journey.
Reminder:
“You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.” — Louise Smith
You were given your dreams for a purpose and you are more than capable of achieving them. Don’t allow your limiting thoughts or cluttered writing life to stand in the way of accomplishing your goals. This spring, clear space for what matters. It’s time to let go of the things holding you back so you can grow into being the best writer.
Think back—when have you had a goal where obstacles stood in your way and you had to push through? With our Children’s Book Masterclass we’ve swept away the confusion, cleared out the guesswork, and laid out a clear roadmap to publishing your children’s book. You could say we’ve ‘spring-cleaned’ the process. This way, you can focus on bringing your story to life—in less than three months!