Spring has finally arrived in southeastern Michigan. It feels like I’ve been looking at brown grass and bare tree branches forever (but then again, don’t we all always feel like that!?!). But now the earth has tilted, and we turn our faces to that warm, golden light and embrace the hope of spring.

This is the time in business when the seeds planted in the fall are finally showing green shoots, letting us know that the long winter is over and now is the time to get out there! It’s time to do the groundwork (literally!) that will set you up for a successful summer and get you free time – to spend with your family, pursue your passions or start something new.

These extra hours of daylight have me waking with the birds, getting in a workout before I get down to work. My boys are playing baseball and soccer and seeing them practice fires me up to get outside and active. My entire family is just waiting for the warm mornings to kick in so the morels will start popping and then it’s Bing-time baby! I just can’t wait!

I’ve got turkeys to hunt, Morel mushrooms to find and deals to close; spring is the perfect time to get it all done. What are your goals this spring? What is firing up your Hunt? Give yourself a small challenge to complete each week until summer and you will find you are on your way to hitting your targets. Here are a few “spring cleaning” tips from your pal, DFarbz, that will get you ready for the Hunt ahead:

Get Outside

Connect with nature; the trees, water, sun, wind gets you out of your head and into the game.

Get Real

Denial is a powerful trick of your mind, and you waste enormous energy keeping up with the judge. By acknowledging what is going on and getting above and clear, you will recover vital energy you can use for good!

Get it Out

Write it down. Words on a napkin, a note on your phone; sometimes just getting thoughts out of your head can set you free.

Happy Spring, hunters, let’s raise a cold beer, lemonade, the drink of your choice, to Mother Nature and the gift of a new season of success!

Just to start off: I do not typically talk to people on planes. Which is ironic, since I started HealthRise based on a conversation I had with a seatmate on a short flight from Chicago to Detroit. But this just goes to show that you never know what life is going to bring you, or who Delta is going to put in the seat next to you.

A few weeks ago, I was flying home from DC, where I had spent several days at the 2016 AIPAC Policy Conference, an annual event to strengthen US-Israel relations. I was fired up from all the incredible people I had met and the ideas we had shared. I was also exhausted and looking forward to a 90-minute nap before getting home to my family. I found my seat and settled in; earbuds in place and eyes closed.

And then there was a rustling next to me. When I opened my eyes to check it out, there she was…Miss Gaylee. Now remember…I’m nap-ish…sleeeeeepppyyyyy…but as this lady got settled I knew we were getting into something. Gaylee is the mother of four, all home-schooled and a devout Christian. She is a big believer in signs and miracles and Jesus. So we agreed on one thing. After all, I am Suzy Farbman’s son, and if my mother taught me anything, it’s that signs are everywhere. Our job is to see them.

So there she was, the biggest, blinking neon sign I’ve had in a while. Gaylee and I spent the entire flight figuring out that we are so much closer in our beliefs than either of us could have realized. We treasure the same things: family, faith, nature. Our language of love and understanding crossed over any boundaries and her wisdom and warmth melted over me; she was the jolt I needed, not the nap I wanted.

As Gaylee and I said our goodbyes with a hug and a smile, I realized just how quickly and importantly she had impacted my life. Gaylee looked at me and said, “David, I can’t remember the last time I talked to someone next to me on a plane. I didn’t see this coming and now I wish the flight wouldn’t end.” And as cheesy as it sounds, I felt the same. Gaylee was the perfect ending to the AIPAC conference, as she and I, on two divergent paths, found common ground and shared values just through thoughtful conversation. Close quarters and good intentions build bridges quickly.

Each hunter has favorites: favorite spots to hunt, favorite gun to shoot, favorite boots or gloves or even socks. Favorites are great: comforting, warm, even lucky. We run into trouble when favorites become habits, and we get stuck in a pattern that is no longer taking us closer to our targets. The past can be sneaky because it’s comfortable, like a ratty old college sweatshirt you just can’t throw away, even if your spouse hates it and others say “Dude, it’s time.”

The past is often hard to shake, both the good and bad parts of it. When you spend your time looking back, it’s impossible to spot the trails that can take you to your future. Even dwelling on past successes will not keep you fully in the hunt. When I get caught up in the past, I have a few down and dirty, kick in the pants and get back on the trail tricks I use to regain my focus on the here and now:

Learn from Past Mistakes
So often, the judge, that inner voice, starts circling like a vulture, poking and prodding and playing “What if” with your mind. When this happens, I tell myself “Farbz, you cannot change the past. What can I take away from this and do better next time?”

Break the Cycle
When you find yourself dwelling on the past, change the channel. You are in control of your feelings and your mind. We have a yoga class at the office every Friday, and the teacher is fond of saying “if you can control your breath, you can control your mind.” So take a deep breath in, and let it out to a count of five. Do it again. When you return to your breath, your mind finds calm in the present.

Trust Your Gut
I’m a feeler. Man, I sometimes think my gut is crazy. But more often than not, my first instinct is the right one. Many things from the past that creep up on me now I could have avoided if I just trusted myself. So trust yourself. Typically, you’ve got your back!

Look for Change
What’s new? What’s different? Keep your eyes open and your senses alert; the pivot you are waiting for is likely hiding just behind the thing that’s holding you back. Let go and let’s go.

Be Inventive
Shed your preconceived notions and start thinking like a kid. My sons see the world from an entirely different perspective than I do. The more time I spend with them, the more playful and open I can feel myself becoming.

It’s hard to relive the past when there is so much to see and do right now. So take a few words of advice from a hunter who knows: the past is not going to put a big buck or a business deal or even a cup of coffee in your path. You’ve got to be in the present to see the future.