“The beginning of spring brings with it excitement and energy, a time for reflection. Just as it's important to make your space beautiful by spring cleaning and decluttering your home, it's also important to spring clean your life and get your spirit back into shape,” says Lori Milner, wife, mother of two and brainchild of the successful initiative Beyond the Dress.

Specifically aimed at corporate women, Beyond the Dress is an initiative that acknowledges the lifestyle, challenges, and ever changing roles of the working woman: ‘The Professional’, ‘The Individual’, ‘The Home-Maker’, ‘The Wife’, and ‘The Mother’.

“The concept of spring cleaning is to get rid of the things in your life that are ‘weighing you down’ so you can make space for new and wonderful things. So how can you use the natural energy of spring to renew your life? The first place to start is changing your thoughts and replacing negativity with positivity,” says Milner. “When you catch yourself going down a negative spiral stop yourself and thought replace immediately. Remember confidence is key to tackling any challenge or obstacle. If you're not a confident person by nature, follow the tune of Amy Cuddy – Fake it till you become it. You don’t have to know what the end looks like in order to start. Just trust yourself and go for it.”

When it comes to some professional ‘spring cleaning’, first impressions in the workplace are key. “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have,” says Milner. “Your colleagues, bosses and superiors need to see you fitting the role you want in order to achieve it. Spring is the perfect time to revamp and update your wardrobe and start dressing for success. Invest in a few trendy basics from pretty patterned dresses, to bold blazers and tailored trousers. Just as it's important to dress for the part, it’s also important to brush up on your communication skills in the workplace. Before you send an email, a whatsapp or post anything make sure your dad would be proud to read it out loud. (And don't forget to check your spelling). Use every meeting as an opportunity to promote yourself; always prepare ahead of time; it will give you an edge over everyone else.”

Spring can also be a time to think about who or what is holding you back from achieving your goals. The best approach, says Milner, is to take personal responsibility while also acknowledging and then releasing people who are associated with pain, frustration and trauma in your life. “Just like cleaning out your closet, the first step to spring cleaning your relationships is assessing what you want to keep, store or throw away. Nurture the positive relationships in your professional and personal life. Always try and add value to relationships whether it's phoning a friend on their birthday, or sending your partner a gift, or simply telling your children how special and loved they are. Now is also a good time to scale back on relationships that take away your sunshine and leave you feeling drained. While you can't get along with everyone, all the time, you can distance yourself from relationships that just aren't working.”

Spring is new chapter and an opportunity to review what isn’t working for you. “One of the biggest challenges of the working woman is learning how to balance work and life. While this juggling act can be difficult but not impossible. Work/life balance is a mind-set,” says Milner. “It can be achieved when you accept how you define it and what it looks like for you. Stop comparing yourself to others. You can have it all; just not at the same time.”

When it comes to failure and disappointment one can take a lesson from the joys of spring. “Winter robs trees of all their leaves, leaving them naked to the elements, yet when spring rolls around bringing with it warmth and growth even the most barren landscape can grow. Failure can leave us feeling isolated and depressed yet it is a fact of life...and also a gift,” says Milner. “Failure is a great teacher. The adage we learn from failure is true. The lessons are there for you to understand and do better next time. Think about what you have done right, what you can do better and what you should stop doing. That is one of the easiest ways to analyse how to learn from failure.”

Most of all, says Milner, spring is the perfect time to find your passions and what makes your heart sing. “It cannot only be about work, all the time,” she says. “Put yourself on your priority list. Don't wait for the time to just magically appear. It won't. Schedule 'me' time in your diary and have the discipline to keep the appointment (with yourself). Book a class that you've always wanted to take just for fun whether pottery, yoga, baking, or gardening. Go for a walk in the park and soak up the joys of spring. Take 10 minutes out your day to read a book, or just lay on the couch, close your eyes and visualise what you want for yourself. It's not so much as what you're doing that counts, but that you're doing it.”

For more information on Beyond the Dress, visit beyondthedress.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.