A New Approach to “Spring Cleaning”

March 2, 2026

We always enter the new year with a tremendous amount of “to do’s” and self-improvement goals, and then we get stuck with the reality of our busy lives. So, I want to suggest a new way to approach the idea of “spring cleaning”. Look at your list from January and reset it right now so that you lock in the top three things that you really need to prioritize.

There are so many distractions in our lives, and creating change and investing your time in the right things is often a function of simple prioritization. Once you’ve clarified what you need to do, then it all comes down to executing on it.

So right now, take out your pen and write three things that you want to do over the next 90 days that you were really focused on, but have yet to really commit to. And make sure an investment in something creative is at or near the top of that list.

Follow this plan and come summertime you will be a happy camper.

Matt Ross

Matt Ross is the Founder of One River School of Art + Design. Since 2012, One River has grown from one location in Englewood, NJ to fifteen schools in six states with a goal to “transform art education” across America. Prior to One River School, Matt was the CEO of School of Rock, where he built the company into the world leader in music education for kids. Prior to his experience with School of Rock, Matt held a variety of management positions in broadcasting, working for diverse media companies such as Clear Channel, CBS and Viacom. He is also active in promoting Autism awareness and supporting emerging artists and is passionate about collecting Contemporary Art with a focus on painting, mixed media and drawing.