For centuries it’s been said that “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” … and that’s absolutely accurate 50% of the time! Yes, March is unpredictable at best. It’s always been kind of the “mean month in-between months” time of the year as many grow anxious in their desire for warmer weather.

Those animals hibernating during the winter months are emerging in search of a welcome from the season’s first robin. The First Day of Spring arrives and Daylight Savings Time offers us the privilege of running all over the house to reset our clocks.

Basketball fans prepare for the tension and excitement of coast-to-coast March Madness as baseball fans keep an eye on Spring Training as they await opening day festivities on April 5th. This is the month of the Iditarod Race for those who simply can’t let go of winter.

The “Apprentice” and “Dancing with the Stars” return to heat up the competition for the annual TV Sweeps which have this year moved from February tto March. Add to that excitement the glitz and glitter of the Annual Academy Awards.

You can’t forget the “Ides of March” and the traditional journey to Easter festivities as families honor Palm Sunday and Passover.

The month of March also offers a wide variety of monthly, weekly, and daily celebrations for families, workplace promotions, and customer involvement. Take a moment to sit down with family and/or workplace associates to formulate a game plan to take advantage of the many March offerings.

Monthly Celebrations and Observances

• Academy Awards Month
• Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month
• American Red Cross Month
• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Month
• Deaf History Month
• Employee Spirit Month
• Ethics Awareness Month
• Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science & Engineering Month
• Honor Society Awareness Month
• Hoops Madness Month
• Humorists Are Artists Month
• International Expect Success Month
• International Idea Month
• International Listening Awareness Month
• International Mirth Month
• Music in Our Schools Month
• National Caffeine Awareness Month
• National Cheerleading Safety Month
• National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month
• National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month
• National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
• National Craft Month
• National Eye Donor Month
• National Frozen Food Month
• National Kite Month
• National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month
• National Kidney Month
• National Noodle Month
• National Noodle Month
• National Nutrition Month
• National On-Hold Month
• National Peanut Month
• National Sauce Month
• National Poetry Month
• National Social Workers Month
• National Umbrella Month
• National Women’s History Month
• Orlando Family Spring Break
• Optimism Month
• Play the Recorder Month
• Poison Prevention Awareness Month
• Red Cross Month
• Save Your Vision Month
• Sing with Your Child Month
• Small Press Month
• Spiritual Wellness Month
• Spring Month
• Supply Management Month
• Women’s History Month
• Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month
• Youth Art Month

Weekly Celebrations and Observances

• National Cheerleading Week: 1 – 7
• National Ghostwriters Week: 1 – 7
• National Write a Letter of Appreciation Week: 1 – 7
• Newspaper in Education Week: 1 – 5
• National Procrastination Week: 1 – 7
• Return the Borrowed Books Week: 1 – 7
• Universal Human Beings Week: 1 – 7
• YoYo and Skill Toys Week: 1 – 7
• Iditarod Race: 6 – 21
• Bubble Gum Week: 7 – 13
• Celebrate Your Name Week: 7 – 13
• Crochet Week: 7 – 13
• National Consumer Protection Week: 7 – 13
• National Words Matter Week: 7 – 13
• Save Your Vision Week: 7 – 13
• Telecommuter Appreciation Week: 7 – 13
• National Professional Pet Sitters Week: 7 – 13
• Read an E-Book Week: 7 – 13
• Teen Tech Week: 7 – 13
• Make a Referral Week: 8 – 12
• National Sleep Awareness Week: 8 – 12
• Universal Women’s Week: 8 – 14
• Campfire USA Birthday Week: 14 – 20
• National Poison Prevention Week: 14 – 20
• National Toad Hollow Week: 14 – 21
• National Agriculture Week: 14 – 20
• National Animal Poison Prevention Week: 14 – 20
• Act Happy Week: 15 – 21
• Wildlife Week: 15 – 19
• International Brain Awareness Week: 15 – 21
• Wellderly Week: 15 – 21
• American Chocolate Week: 15 – 21
• National Inhalant and Poisons Awareness Week: 16 – 22
• Clean Your Closet Week: 17 – 24
• National Bubble Blowers Week: 19 – 27
• Consider Christianity Week: 21 – 27
• Passion Week: 21 – 27
• World Folk Tales & Fables Week: 22 – 28
• National Cleaning Week: 28 – 4/3
• Holy Week: 28 – 4/3
• National Protocol Officer’s Week: 29 – 4/4
• Root Canal Awareness Week: 28 – 4/3

Daily Celebrations and Observances

• 1 – Share a Smile Day
• 1 – Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
• 1 – St. David’s Day
• 1 – Peace Corp Birthday
• 1 – National Pig Day
• 1 – Plan a Solo Vacation Day
• 1 – Refired, Not Retired Day
• 1 – Beer Day
• 2 – Old Stuff Day
• 2 – Namesake Day
• 2 – NEA’s Read Across America Day
• 3 – Peach Blossom Day
• 3 – I Want You to Be Happy Day
• 3 – National Anthem Day
• 3 – Peace Corps Day
• 4 – Benjamin Harrison Day
• 4 – Courageous Follower Day
• 4 – Holy Experiment Day
• 4 – International Scrapbooking Industry Day
• 4 – March Forth – Do Something Day
• 4 – Hug a G.I. Day
• 4 – National Grammar Day
• 4 – Toy Soldier Day
• 5 – Saint Piran’s Day
• 5 – Nametag Day
• 5 – World Day of Prayer
• 5 – Employee Appreciation Day
• 5 – National Salesperson Day
• 5 – Multiple Personality Day
• 6 – U.S. Snowshoe Day
• 6 – Iditarod Race Begins
• 6 – Dentist’s Day
• 6 – National Frozen Food Day
• 7 – Academy Awards
• 7 – Daughters’ and Sons’ Day
• 7 – National Be Heard Day
• 7 – National Crown Roast of Pork Day
• 8 – Day for Women’s Rights
• 8 – Fun Facts About Names Day
• 8 – International Working Women’s Day
• 9 – Get Over It Day
• 9 – Organize Your Home Office Day
• 9 – Panic Day
• 9 – Unique Names Day
• 10 – Learn What Your Name Means Day
• 10 – International Day of Awesomeness
• 10 – Mario Day
• 10 – Money Day
• 10 – Registered Dietician Day
• 10 – Salvation Army Day
• 11 – Dream 2010 Day
• 11 – Johnny Appleseed Day
• 11 – Worship of Tools Day
• 11 – World Kidney Day
• 11 – Girl Scout Day
• 12 – Plant a Flower Day
• 12 – Stop Smoking Day
• 12 – Middle Name Pride Day
• 13 – Donald Duck Day
• 13 – Ear Muff Day
• 13 – International Fanny Pack Day
• 13 – Genealogy Day
• 13 – Jewel Day
• 13 – Good Samaritan Involvement Day
• 13 – K-9 Veterans Day
• 14 – Check Your Batteries Day
• 14 – Daylight Savings Time Begins
• 14 – Learn About Butterflies Day
• 14 – International Ask a Question Day
• 14 – National Potato Chip Day
• 14 – National Pi Day
• 15 – Brutus Day
• 15 – Buzzards Day
• 15 – Ides of March
• 15 – Napping Day
• 15 – True Confessions Day
• 15 – Dumbstruck Day
• 15 – World Consumer Rights Day
• 15 – Everything You Think Is Wrong Day
• 16 – Freedom of Information Day
• 16 – Lips Appreciation Day
• 16 – Everything You Do Is Right Day
• 16 – St. Urho’s Day
• 16 – Wellderly Day
• 17 – Campfire Girls Day
• 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
• 17 – Submarine Day (the boat)
• 18 – Incredible Kid Day
• 18 – Awkward Moments Day
• 18 – Companies That Care Day
• 18 – Supreme Sacrifice Day
• 18 – Forgive Mom and Day
• 18 – National Biodiesel Day
• 19 – National Chocolate Caramel Day
• 19 – Poultry Day
• 19 – Operation Iraqi Freedom Day
• 19 – Swallows Return to San Juan Capistrano Day
• 20 – Great Amercian Meat Out Day
• 20 – Kiss Your Fiancé Day
• 20 – International Earth Day
• 20 – National Ag Day
• 20 – National Quilting Day
• 20 – Snowman Burning Day
• 20 – lst Day of Spring
• 20 – Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day?
• 20 – Corn Dog Day
• 20 – Maple Syrup Day
• 21 – Memory Day
• 21 – Children’s Poetry Day
• 21 – National Common Courtesy Day
• 21 – Single Parents Day
• 21 – Fragrance Day
• 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
• 21 – As Young As You Feel Day
• 22 – International Day of the Seal
• 22 – International Goof-Off Day
• 22 – World Water Day
• 22 – National Sing Out Day
• 23 – National Puppy Day
• 23 – Near Miss Day
• 23 – National Chip & Dip Day
• 23 – World Meteorological Day
• 23 – American Diabetes Association Alert Day
• 24 – Kick Butts Day
• 24 – National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day
• 24 – World Tuberculosis Day
• 25 – Letting Go of Stuff Day
• 25 – Waffle Day
• 25 – Pecan Day
• 26 – Legal Assistants Day
• 26 – Make up Your Own Holiday
• 27 – Celebrate Exchange Day
• 27 – Education and Sharing Day
• 27 – Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day
• 28 – Palm Sunday
• 28 – Weed Appreciation Day
• 28 – Something on a Stick Day
• 29 – Knights of Columbus Founders Day
• 29 – National Mom and Pop Business Owner’s Day
• 29 – Passover
• 30 – National Doctors Day
• 30 – Pencil Day
• 30 – I Am in Control Day
• 30 – Take a Walk in the Park Day
• 31 – Bunsen Burner Day
• 31 – Tater Day
• 31 – National Clam on the Half Shell Day

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

A few weeks ago I wrote ”To Ask or Not to Ask … That Is the Question!” which offered a dozen questions you might want to consider asking yourself in a refreshing exercise of truth and revelation.

I received some interesting e-mails and even phone calls providing very positive feedback as a result of this challenge. So much so, in fact, that I’m expanding the list of provocative questions.

As in the initial exercise, find a comfortable seat and make certain you have a legal pad and pen at your disposal. Take a look at the following questions and choose a few which you feel might address a current challenge in your life. While doing this alone, you should have no fear or reluctance in answering each question truthfully. Failure to do so would certainly defeat the purpose of this exercise.

Read your question of choice, think about it for a few moments and then jot down all thoughts which may come into your mind. Don’t evaluate your responses at this point, just record them. Upon completion, you may want to add additional notes or revise some content upon further thought.

If you are perfectly honest in your answers, I can assure you that you’ll discover some personal insight you might find not only find revealing but, in some cases, even surprising. Your data may lead you to additional research, conversation with a trusted source, or even more professional couseling should you feel it necessary.

Here are some additional questions you might want to consider:

1. How much time are you actively spending to increase your knowledge?
2. What is it you’ve been putting off and KNOW you should do right now … before it’s too late?”
3. What is one thing that I can do for someone else who has no opportunity to repay me?
4. Have you seriously considered where you want to be and what you want to be doing five years from today?
5. Would you be willing to allow someone to videotape your personal life and then use that tape as a training resource for others?
6. What are the most important characteristics you would like to be remembered for?
7. Must your children, grandchildren, and/or spouse fight to get your attention?
8. If I neglect taking action on my most critical challenge, will it get better or worse?
9. Have you clearly defined your personal and/or professional goals? (Don’t discount this one … it can produce life-altering results!)
10. Who could you write to or phone this weekend to give a “boost of encouragement” to?
11. What time-wasting activities can you eliminate or drastically reduce?
12. When was the last time you complimented your family or staff members?

By the way, you may not like the answers … but you need to hear them!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.