Sometimes it's an event more than a date that defines the beginning of a season. Our town has an annual "Summerfest" that begins with a parade leading into the village center. This festival marks the unofficial arrival of summer. Traffic is closed to moving vehicles so pedestrians can wander freely. The streets are filled with booths of things to eat, vendors selling trinkets, live music, families and friends mingling with one another, air castles, tag sales, flip flops and shorts.

As my husband and I walked into town, the mouthwatering BBQ scents wafted towards us. We met up with our friends and enjoyed some food and conversation in this happy, relaxed atmosphere.

After a few hours, we returned home to do some work. It was difficult getting started as I was still in the summery, playful mood that the fair inspired. Slowly I got to work. The "fun" break helped me to approach my list in a less frenzied way. It reminded me how important it is to enjoy yourself and take breaks.

As your gears shift into summer, find your right balance between work, fun and relaxation. When in doubt, take a break. You will return refreshed.

When you look around your home or office, what do you see? Does your environment support or distract you from working, relaxing and moving through your day? It's easy to have the days flow one into the next without taking the time to step back and look.

With the arrival of spring, this is a perfect time to regroup and look at things from a new perspective. For some, all that's needed are some minor adjustments to create a level of order that’s right for you. Some might want to make bigger changes.

If you're feeling stuck, think about breaking your plan into small, doable steps. The steps should be so small that they don't frighten you into inaction. For example, if you want to tackle that mongo pile of desk papers, a small step could be working on a one-inch stack. If you want to declutter your closet, a small step could be removing all empty hangers. Smaller steps equal greater likelihood for completion of your project or goal. Each small success encourages more action.