Every spring, we fling open the windows, let the breeze in, and use the freshness of the season rejuvenate our home. But what if our inner world needs just as much fresh air and renewal?

Nature doesn’t rush into bloom. It unfolds slowly, with intention. So, this season, instead of just refreshing your home’s interior, consider tending to the garden of your soul to embrace a fuller and more joyful life using the IDEA method.

What Is the IDEA Method?

I developed the IDEA method using knowledge I gained from decades of clinical practice, my research that investigated wonder, joy, and well-being, and through writing my first book, Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired – Finding Inspiration and Well-being in a Wonder-filled World. It has since helped patients, friends, and families identify what brings them joy, how to gently detangle themselves from “stuff” that gets in the way (and we all know what that “stuff” is —old grudges, outdated self-talk, worry loops, guilt and shame, negative relationships, etc.), and how they can embrace and activate a life full of wonder, joy, and wholehearted living.

The IDEA method is not about fixing yourself. Rather, it’s about reflection, inspiration, and perspective, critical components needed for courageous well-being; topics I wrote about in my book.

Here is a summary of the IDEA method:

Step One: I = Identify

Find a quiet place where you can daydream and reflect on times you experienced profound wonder and joy. It can be the simplest of things, like watching fireflies at night, smelling fresh rain, or the comfort of holding a loved one’s hand. It can also be something more profound, such as the birth of your child, the first time you saw the Rocky Mountains or stepped into the ocean, or possibly, a religious/spiritual experience, etc. These moments will be different for each of us, but the emotive energy of these experiences is universal.

Reflect on the positivity and power of these emotions. Write down your experiences, and continue to reflect on people, activities, and places that brought (bring) you wonder and joy, and consider the many wonders and joys you dream about but have yet to experience.

Step Two: D – Detangle

We all have “stuff” in our life that restricts us from experiencing wonder, joy, and a wholehearted life. The key is figuring out how we can detangle ourselves from these (real or perceived) restrictions as much as possible. Try these gentle journal prompts as a start:

  • What factors are restricting me from experiencing wonder and joy?
  • What’s been feeling heavy lately?
  • Is there a belief I’m still carrying that doesn’t fit who I am now?
  • What am I holding onto out of habit rather than truth?
  • Are there people who support me and my dreams?

Add more as needed.

Next, look for relationships between your prompts – there will probably be quite a few interconnecting threads. Now, consider the various ways you can detangle these threads from one another. I promise you will discover interesting interconnections you may not have previously considered, new solutions that will help you overcome many of these real or perceived obstacles, and fresh and helpful perspectives about your life.

Sometimes, clarity blooms simply from paying attention.

The detangle step is also helpful because it: 1) Allows us to put a name to the dark and heavy baggage that prevents us from living a joyful and wholehearted life.

2) It doesn’t cost a thing (wonder, joy, and soulful renewal can be found in the simplest extraordinary ordinary occurrences), and 3) It doesn’t suggest you need to make major life changes – of course, notwithstanding toxic or abusive relationships. Its intent is to offer insight, perspective, inspiration, and creative problem solving.

Step Three: E and A – Embrace and Activate

Now that step one helped you identify what elicits wonder and joy in your life and step two offered ways to detangle the constraints which restrict wholehearted living, step three encourages you to embrace the plethora of wondrous and joyous experiences our wonder-filled world has to offer and activate a mindset that notices, appreciates, and seeks out wonderous and joyous experiences.

While I was writing Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired, a few themes resurfaced over and over again with individuals who scored highest for well-being and who were living joyful, wholehearted lives: Wonder, joy, frequent interactions with nature, and positive relationships with each other, other living things, and with “something bigger” (a phrase used in reference to God, a spiritual force, or awe in the science behind the unknown) were important factors in everyday life.

You may have a brown thumb, you may prefer a shopping trip over a weekend of camping, and you might find bugs and dirt disgusting, but your body, mind, and soulful renewal need the great outdoors to stay healthy and happy. Take a walk in the forest, a park, or garden. Listen to birdsong. Make time to notice the sights, smells, and sounds of nature which surround you. It will do you a world of good.

A Final Thought

Spring cleaning for the soul is a masterclass in renewal. It’s a process of paying attention. Of tending to yourself the way you might tend to a garden: pulling a few weeds, watering what’s beautiful, and trusting that new life will take root. You do not need to force growth; you just need to make space for it to happen.