It’s that time of year where we all find ourselves needing to declutter our lives. We think this applies to not only our homes and offices, but our careers.

Here are five ways to spring clean your career:

1. Set clear goals and boundaries

You may have set new year resolutions but now is the time to revisit and reassess. It allows you to make any changes and review your progress to ensure you remain on track for the rest of the year. It’s also a great motivator and may kickstart new goals to work towards!

2. Update your resume

It’s so common to update our CVs only when job hunting, which makes it a huge task to remember all of your career achievements, especially if it’s been a few years! Regular CV updates to clean up your accomplishments, career developments and objectives will make it much easier down the track. It’s also a positive reminder of everything you have achieved over the last few years.

3. Freshen up your WFH space

With most of our workforce now in remote or hybrid work, transforming parts of our homes into dedicated workspaces is a must. While most of us love to work from home, it does come with its challenges. Refreshing your home office space is crucial for maximising productivity and creativity. Organise storage for essentials like technology, stationery, and printers, ensuring they’re within easy reach without cluttering your personal space. Prioritise ergonomic support and consider upgrading uncomfortable furniture such as your chair or even a standing desk. Creating an efficient work-from-home environment contributes to productivity and performance.

4. Clear out your inbox

We’re all familiar with the accumulation of emails in our inboxes. Yet, digital decluttering is often overlooked. Establishing an effective system can significantly improve your workload management and ensure no emails slip through the cracks.

Just as you wouldn’t keep unworn clothing in your wardrobe, there’s no need to retain emails that no longer serve a purpose. Unsubscribe from irrelevant newsletters, organise emails into dedicated folders for easy access, and delete those with no ongoing value.

5. Check in with your network

As spring arrives after a busy start to the year, it’s an ideal moment to reconnect with contacts from past networking events, maintaining meaningful relationships within your field.

Investing a few minutes to send emails or LinkedIn messages to professionals you’ve engaged with ensures the continuity of these valuable connections. The significance of these relationships might become evident down the line, so keeping them alive is beneficial.

If you follow these five steps to ‘Spring Clean’ your career, it will give you the chance to declutter and refocus for the rest of the year!