Ah, springtime. For those who hate winter (ME ME ME!), this is a wonderful time of year, when the snow melts, and the temperature rises. I'm not sure what it is about springtime, but I always feel extra motivated this time of year to clean out my life. Not only is it the perfect time of year to clean out your home, but it's also the perfect time to spring clean your military life in general.
Clean up your relationships.
I don't know about you, but I love a good Facebook purge. Sometimes it's nice to eliminate the drama and remove the "friends" that aren't actually friends. Cutting ties can feel so drastic, regardless of the medium, but when my newsfeed feels cluttered with drama or negativity, then I know it's time to purge. And, I feel zero guilt from this. It's refreshing to check your Facebook feed afterward and see only the content and friends you truly care about.
Next, focus on those positive, meaningful relationships in your life and let go of toxic people. Invite a friend out for coffee or reconnect with a friend you haven't spoken to in a while. Make these relationships even stronger, and cultivate those friends that become our family.
Clean out the military gear.
Chances are, your significant other has a ton of gear and uniforms scattered around the house, the garage and even in your cars. The clutter can have you seeing camouflage in your sleep, and half that gear either isn't needed, isn't used or doesn't fit. I can't even begin to tell you how many old uniforms my husband still had that had seen better days -- they had to go. We also turned the closet under the stairs into his "gear closet." Anything military-related (aside from uniforms) had to stay in this closet unless he needed it. This really helped to declutter the living areas a bit.
Shred old documents.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to get rid of old documents that contain sensitive information, such as your address, your social security numbers, birth dates and account numbers. All of this is information you don't want getting into the wrong hands, and with the amount of paperwork the military doles out, it can get quickly out of hand. If the document isn't needed anymore or is out-of-date, shred it!
Once you've gotten rid of everything, be sure to keep all the remaining documents in a safe place. I highly recommend creating a household binder or filing system for these documents. It's good to keep everything in one place so that documents are easy to access whenever you need them (especially when you get new orders).
Unpack those boxes.
You know what boxes I'm talking about, the ones that are still in the garage or the spare bedroom. The ones that haven't been opened since two moves ago. The boxes that are a complete mystery at this point because you've forgotten what's in them. Yup, those. Open them. If you don't need the contents, then hold a yard sale and get rid of some things. Now you have some extra space in your home!
Straighten out the finances.
Springtime is the perfect time to take a look at your finances and see what's working and what's not when it comes to your spending habits. Maybe you're completely on top of everything. If you are, then find a way to treat yourselves when you get your tax returns. If you could use a little bit of help in this department, then maybe those tax returns should go towards paying off a bill or setting aside in savings for something you're needing. Whatever the case may be, take a moment to craft a plan of attack as you move into the summer months.
These are only some of the many ways you can clean out your military life this spring. It's always refreshing to clean out your life and start new.
What do you plan to do with your spring cleaning?
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