I finally realized that while I was worrying about clients and sales goals, I was missing out on the most important part of my life… my daughter. She was sharing things with me and I couldn’t remember half of what she said by the time we got home.

Technology makes us ultra-available, but we have the choice to power down, turn off, and silence the demands on our time. The best place to start is with that little box you toss in your purse, strap to your belt or slide in your pocket. This is a plea for phone free zones. A plea for my safety and your peace of mind.

Phone Free Zones

Cars
If you only choose one place to stop using your phone, make it your car. I know you are a good driver. I know you think you can do everything at once, but there are dead and injured people out there that prove otherwise. The most important thing you can do in your car is drive. If you’ve ever been on a call while driving and arrived at your destination not remember a thing that you passed, or that happened on the way, you know it’s time for a change.

Don’t turn your phone to vibrate, turn it off and throw it in the backseat. If someone calls you with urgent information, they will leave a message. I have tried to do this halfway, promising not to use my phone in the car, but as soon as I hear it ring, I’m distracted. It’s unfair to me, my passengers and other drivers.

Cross walks
You may be able to walk and talk at the same time, but it is impossible to walk with purpose while you are on your phone. Those white lines may protect you legally from oncoming traffic, but they aren’t actual barriers. You have to pay attention to traffic even when you have permission to cross.

Restaurants
Friends don’t let friends talk on cell phones while dining out. When you answer a call while dining with friends, you are sending this message, “The person I am talking to on the phone is more important to me than you.”

If you are so busy that you can’t enjoy dinner with friends, don’t go. If you have a small child at home or a pending emergency, put your phone on vibrate and excuse yourself from the table if you need to take the call. note: confirming your next haircut is not an emergency.

If shutting down phones is new to your circle of friends, make it fun. Agree that the first person with a ringing phone at the table pays for dinner.

Grocery Stores
I don’t mind waiting in line, but I don’t want to wait longer because you can’t talk on the phone and pay for your groceries at the same time. When you are on your phone at the store or during any transaction, you are saying this to the person helping you and everyone waiting behind you. “I don’t value your time”.

Bed
Only 2 things should be happening in your bed, and phone calls aren’t one of them.

Movie Theatres
No explanation needed.

Bathrooms
This is mostly for your own health, and because it’s really gross.

A few notes:

• An earpiece or any other hands free device still requires your attention and distracts you from the task at hand.
• Any place I suggest not talking on the phone goes double for texting or any other use of your phone.
• You know what constitutes an emergency.
• Please eliminate iPads, computers, pagers and other distractions from your phone free zones.
• If you are reading this post on your phone while driving, please don’t leave a comment until you get home.

If you felt uncomfortable reading this post, you know what to do next. I didn’t realize how addicted to my phone I was until I stopped using it in the car. If you are rolling your eyes and thinking that “the car is the only place I have time to talk” or “I don’t have a problem” remember that like any addiction, denial is the first sign.

When you stop using your phone in the car, during social events and while generally living your life, you will start to relax, engage and realize what you’ve been missing, and it’s not a phone call.

Where will you declare a phone free zone?

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Be More with Less and connect with me on Twitter.

P.S. Registration closes for the goodblog project at the end of the week. Let me know if you have questions.

Take 1 minutes and 54 seconds out of your busy day, play the video and close your eyes.

When was the last time you felt that good? That relaxed? That groovy?

Life is serious. We are people, or know people who are sick, tired, broke, stressed, overworked and overextended. Those are just people in our neighborhood. If we aren’t worried about them, we are worried about the people in the world that are starving, suffering, and hopeless.

You can’t possibly watch the news or read the entire newspaper without feeling a bit of hopelessness and helplessness.

And then there are all of the little annoying things …

• traffic
• taxes
• chores
• bills
• cell yell

And then there is the joy. The goodness. The feeling groovy. Life is a mixture of the good, the bad and the groovy. Slowly, intentionally, we can begin to create more groovyness in our own lives.

Hello lamp-post,
What cha knowin’?
I’ve come to watch your flowers growin’.
Ain’t cha got no rhymes for me?

How to get your groovy on

Read groovy things
Happiness Is … a free ebook with groovy illustrations by Matt Madeiro
Live well … a joyful post by Leo Babauta

Go outside
When was the last time you turned your phone off, shut your computer down and went outside? It’s nice out there. You’ll see groovy stuff

News Fast
Stay informed, but not over informed. You can’t change the world by watching the news.

Don’t wait
The time to feel groovy is now. Not when you are debt free. Not after you lose the weight. Not after anything. The right time is right now.

Tell stories
Share your groovy life. See my life in pictures, share your view of the world and learn to write about your life with my groovy friend Ali.

Plan to be surprised
Make time to let life happen a little bit. That moment in the middle of all the other things you have to do and worry about is where the magic happens.

Multiply
If you want to double or triple the groovy in your life, surround yourself with people who enjoy life and make life for other people better.

Stargaze
Stay up late and watch cool things like the Supermoon and Meteor showers. Save the date for stargazing.

Gold Stars
It is so groovy to let someone know that you love their work, that they make you smile, that you are proud of them. Tell them. Give them a gold star.

Love it or leave it
If you don’t have time to get groovy in a hammock, find a way to enjoy the hell out of whatever you are doing right now. If you can’t love it, make a plan to leave it.

Disco baby
What’s groovier than a disco party?

Pucker up
If life gives you lemons, make lemon tarts. Don’t forget to invite your groovy friends over for a taste. (waiting patiently for my invite Heidi)

There is worry and pain and stress in life but don’t let that overshadow the good and groovy. Once in a while, a moment passes where there is nothing in our field of vision but pure joy. Slow down and marvel in that moment. When you can really be in that moment, you can capture the feeling and recreate the groovy.

I’ve got no deeds to do,
No promises to keep.
I’m dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep.
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me.
Life, I love you,
All is groovy.

How will you get your groovy on?

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Be More with Less and connect with me on Twitter.

P.S. There is space for 5 more groovy people in the goodblog project. Let me know if you have questions.

We need to think more about how we can improve relationships, business and all circumstances by asking, “What is the one small thing I can do in this moment?”

You won’t be surprised to hear that I don’t think more is better in most circumstances. Think about how much better the first bite of dark chocolate tastes compared to the next (or the 20th). The shortest phrases like I love you, thank you and I’m sorry can move mountains and the simplest, smallest changes can result in the biggest improvements.

Sometimes, when we think about all the changes we need or want to make, overwhelm sets in. That is the easiest time to put change and growth on the back burner and start a favorite TV show or bag of chips. I’ve been there. I’ve gone there. (both places and others)

Once you are aware of when you are overwhelmed, you can begin to close the gap between action and awareness. Even better, you can calm the overwhelm, take a deep breath and remind yourself that one small change will do.

Real Life Examples

Mending Fences. If you’ve done something wrong and are overwhelmed by how to fix things, start with a simple, “I’m so sorry.”

Paying Debt. If collection calls and interest charges have you hiding under the covers, simply send all calls to voice mail and make a plan.

Losing Weight. Choose one apple or a walk after dinner instead of sending your body into stress mode by starting a big restrictive diet.

Real Business Examples

Getting it all done. If you are overwhelmed by everything you have to get done in a day, stop checking email first thing and do one important thing first. Use that sense of accomplishment to do the next. Read The Power of Less for simple ways to do better business.

New things. Afraid to jump into social media because you don’t know the difference between a timeline and a retweet? Read this and start a Twitter account. Tweet one helpful article or piece of advice each day. Just one.

Money. If you’ve recently started your own business or you’d like to earn an income from a new business, but are overwhelmed with the idea of asking for money, help one person for free and ask them for a testimonial. When you can see the value of your services through another set of eyes, you can begin to ask for money and feel good about it. You are worth it. If you are selling something good and helpful, you deserve to make money.

The Good Blog Project

I recently began selling something good and helpful and am excited to share it with you.

This is a course/consulting/collaboration project all in one and is only open to 10 people

This 5 Week program is for you if:

• You have a blog and are ready to grow your readership.
• You want to take things to the next level but don’t know where to start.
• You want to collaborate and support other bloggers but haven’t formed a strong network.
• You want to generate revenue without spammy ads on your site.
• You want to create multiple revenue streams from your blog.
• You want your blog to support your existing business.
• You want to simplify your workflow.
• You want to create and contribute with a blog that is good and does good.

If that sounds like you, read on for more details…

There will only be 10 participants in this 5 week project. These 10 bloggers will become your network, your circle and I’ll teach you how to help each other. You won’t all be in a similar niche, but you will all strive to help others with your blog topic. We’ll be working collaboratively through Google Docs, as another opportunity to connect.

As one of the 10 participants, you’ll receive …

• 2 thirty minute 1:1 coaching calls with me
• unlimited email support each week
• 2 blog reviews before/after
• weekly homework assignments
• writing assignments with open critique
• 4 weekly live webinars to elaborate on the week’s topic and time for Q&A
• all course materials listed here.

Each week will have 3 overall objectives: 1. Grow Readership. 2. Generate Revenue. 3. Do it simply and honestly.

Bonus: I know I am starting to sound like the Ginsu knife guy, but I want this to be productive and fun, so I’ll also be sending you …

• a weekly music mix
• a mini-exercise routine to help get the creative juices flowing
• my best writing practices

If that’s not enough, with your permission, I’ll include you in a special case study post on Be More with Less for business. I want to show you (and the world) that you don’t have to be an expert in anything or make massive change to succeed. You only need to know enough about what really matters. Instead of getting lost in the details and fear of technology, let’s make progress and do good!

After signing up, you’ll receive a survey so I can better assess your needs.

Moving forward this program will be offered for $995 or more, but for the first session, I’m offering a reduced rate of $750. Email me for more information or buy now to get started on May 21 …

 $750

Not sure if this is right for you? Ask me.

P.S. If a payment plan is helpful, let me know!

“What is the one small thing you can do in this moment to make a difference to you or someone else?”

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Be More with Less and connect with me on Twitter.

My father is an entrepreneur

When I was 12 years old, my dad quit his corporate job. He quit his job to open his own restaurant. The restaurant opened somewhere near my 13th birthday. I only remember that because the restaurant billboard by the street said “Happy 13th Birthday Courtney”. I was famous.

I was famous and employed at a very young age and usually loved working. I thought it was really cool to have a paying job at such an early age. It sparked my entrepreneurial spirit and formed my strong work ethic. I loved being that girl who could bring pizza to events and meet friends for lunch (for free). When I was in highschool, I still thought it was great to have a job, but being the owner’s daughter meant that if someone called in sick and a last-minute replacement was needed, I was the easiest to reach. Even if it was on the night of a dance or other event that was more appealing than work. It was then that I realized when it’s your business, you get the good and the bad.

There are pros and cons of growing up in a family business

• You spend a lot of time with your family
• There is always restaurant food to eat
• People think you get special treatment as the boss’s daughter
• You get special treatment as the boss’s daughter

Each of the above statements are pros and cons.

While I always admired my dad for going out on his own and realizing a dream, I was determined to work for someone else. I didn’t want to be so invested. I wanted to pick up a paycheck and go on my way. And that’s exactly what I did until last fall when I realized that I still cared even when it wasn’t my business. I was still invested and I wanted to direct that towards my own business. I didn’t do it for more money, and I don’t think my dad did either. I did it for freedom, for time, for creativity. Yes, I want and need to make money, but it wasn’t the driving decision maker for me to make a change.

Times have changed

In 1982, when my dad’s restaurant opened, being your own boss meant getting a loan, finding a store front, ordering inventory, hiring staff and then trying to make a little money. Today, being your own boss means having an idea, building a platform and opening your computer in a coffee shop to check your email, write a blog post and connect with clients via Skype. (I’ve grossly simplified both scenarios here)

I do not believe that there are people destined to own their own business any more than I think some people are supposed to work for other people. Circumstances, desires, openness to change and opportunity all shape the decisions we make for the life we want to live.

The following advice can be used for a home based microbusiness and a store on main street.

Everything You Need to Know to Start a Microbusiness

Pay Off Your Debt
Before you leave your day job and declare your independence, be debt free with $1000 emergency fund. That doesn’t mean wait until that happens to get started, but I suggest waiting until that happens to quit your job. I chose to save 2 months of income so that I wasn’t pressured to make money immediately. I didn’t want to start a business with the anxiety of where the next dollar would come from. If I hadn’t paid off my debt, I never could have saved the money.

Assess Your Income Needs
You may want to make a lot of money, but to get started think about how much you really need to make. Your Money or Your Life and Smalltopia to define that number.

Dream
Maybe you don’t know what you want to do. You might be so overextended and burnt out with your current job and lifestyle that you have no idea what interests you. I just started reading The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte. If you don’t like what you are doing, but don’t know what’s next, this book is next.

Brainstorm Business Ideas
In The $100 Startup, Chris Guillebeau says “To start a business, you need three things: a product or service, a group of people willing to pay for it, and a way to get paid. Everything else is completely optional.” I’ll add that it will help if you know and love what you are selling. That makes you much better at what you do and takes the sting out of asking for money. When you know you are offering your very best, and that product or service will help someone else, you will feel good about getting paid for it.

Visit an Accountant
There are plenty of tools online like outright.com to help you manage your business finances, but I recommend meeting with a local expert. Understand tax laws, organize your business and have a friend in your local area that can help if problems arise.

Develop a Platform
Every client that I’ve worked with found me as a result of this blog. They may have found this blog from twitter or another blog, but they didn’t find me because my face was on a billboard, or magazine ad. Each person found me because I showed up on this blog and wrote helpful information consistently. Building a blog will be your number one way of developing new ideas and connecting with clients, business partners and investors.

With my history in the advertising industry, I can tell you with no uncertainty that times have changed. Your business will not grow because you throw thousands of dollars at TV spots and magazine placements. Your business will grow because you will take time to let people get to know you through a platform like a blog. It will grow because you help people and they will tell other people that you helped them.

Keep Your Day Job
The early stage of new business planning is not the time to leave your job, unless money is no issue. The early stage of new business planning is the time to hustle. I launched this site 2 years ago and quit my job 7 months ago. There were 13 months of writing nights and weekends, staying up late, waking up early and working extra hours. The beauty of it was that it wasn’t exhausting. It was exhilarating. I knew I was building my future work. I knew I wouldn’t be attending anymore weekly meetings. I knew I wouldn’t be writing reports or be chained to a desk or a cell phone from 8-5. I knew I wouldn’t need a committee to make a decision and that I would have an opportunity to do some really cool stuff.

Set a Date (or several)
I set 3 different dates before I pulled the trigger, but each date gave me hope and motivation. My first date was May 2011 but I wasn’t ready, then July 2011, and my dog needed an expensive surgery that depleted my jump ship fund, and my 3rd date at the end of September 2011 stuck. Setting a quit date will be a reminder that this isn’t a pipe dream or a hobby. This is your life.

Read and Connect
There are people out there doing what you want to do or doing something that can help you do what you want to do. Meet them, work with them, learn from them and read their stuff. I’ve learned from the best in my field, Leo Babauta, Pam Slim, Chris Guillibeau, Darren Rowse, Seth Godin (+ many others) have all helped me with in person meetings, phone consultations or through writing amazing content that shaped my business. If they didn’t have a blog, I never would have found them.

Hire Someone
A consultant or business coach can help you brainstorm and organize your ideas, streamline your business and put an idea into action. Yes, you can hire me.

Use Virtual Partners
You don’t need a staff to run your business, instead, use free or paid microbusiness resources.

Recommend Responsibly
One source of your microbusiness income can come from recommending other products. When you purchase a product I recommend, it is sometimes through an affiliate link and I receive a commission. The commission can be anywhere from 4-80% depending on the product and the partner. While this post has several affiliate links, I know that each recommendation is valuable. If I started linking to popcorn makers, credit card deals and furniture, you’d see that the recommendations don’t fit the message and you wouldn’t trust future recommendations or ideas that I share.

Full disclosure is necessary legally and in terms of building trust. If you visit my I love page, you can read my disclaimer at the end of the page.

Test. Fail. Repeat.
Not everything you do will work. Fortunately, you are out of debt, building your platform, connecting with new people and will try something new. The benefit of a microbusiness is that you can try again. You won’t be filling your garage with millions of dollars of widgets that won’t sell, leaving you broke. Instead, you can create on demand and give your people what they want.

Get Real
You won’t be working from the beach everyday, even though some people do. I like the beach, but I also have a family to take care of, grocery shopping to do, bills to pay, and a child to pick up from school. None of that changes when you own your own business. The romance of location independence work can be alluring, but instead, think about how working for yourself would benefit your lifestyle. I love that I can walk my dog in the morning, exercise in the afternoon and work when I like instead of when an office is open. I can also work when I travel.

Treat People Like People
If you start your own business, you will be working with people. Care about them. Help them. Support them.

Switch Directions
Matt Madeiro used to blog about simple living, then he switched direction, focusing on health and Paleo eating. This week he is launching Make Everyday Count and changing direction again. Sometimes you start something and your interests change, or you want to try something new. Don’t be afraid to switch directions and do what you love. Don’t worry about what people will think or even what they say. Trust that you know what to do to do your best work.

Partner
I am not a fan of partnering on a business, but I love partnering on business projects. Working with Leo Babauta on theclutterfreecourse.com and Tammy Strobel on Your Lovely Life has been fantastic. We share the workload, get to know each other better and learn from each other.

Dump Perfection
I am sure that there is a spelling or grammar error in this post and someone will email and tell me about it. That error and my general lack of perfection does not dilute my message. If you make a mistake, you can correct it. If you wait until things are perfect, nothing happens.

Start Now
This isn’t your someday business. The right time is right now. You don’t need a mission statement, marketing plan or quarterly projections to get started. You don’t need a degree in business or a special certificate. You just need an idea, a taste or tolerance for uncertainty and a good sense of humor. Supportive friends and family help too!

Is this really everything you need to know about how to start a microbusiness? It’s everything you need to know to get started, and the rest … you don’t know what you don’t know and you won’t completely know what you need to learn until you get started. My business is different from what I thought it would be, and I know next year it will change again. The only constant in our lives and business is change and we need to embrace it.

Starting a business is not for everyone and if it’s not for you, this post was probably not that helpful. If you know someone who is thinking about starting their own business, please share this with them. Remember that a microbusiness can replace your current job or be a side business. It all depends on what you want out of your life and your business.

What do you want to know? What don’t you know right now? What do you need to get started? What are you waiting for? If you have your own microbusiness, what did I miss?

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Be More with Less

I’d like to add a few virtues that you will develop and strengthen from blogging.

Patience
Writing may come naturally, but the behind the scenes technology of blogging does not. I’ve become more patient with every website crash and tumble.

Gratitude
With every reader click, email, tweet, and feedback, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. When I had 10 readers, I was grateful for each comment and amount of time that someone spent with my words. With thousands of readers, that hasn’t changed. If you think you are only capable of a certain amount of love and gratitude, I want to tell you that your capability is limitless.

Humility
I say “I don’t know” a lot. I laugh at myself. I trust others to help and am honored to be helpful.

Confidence
Before I send the note or a blog post into the world, I ask myself if it’s good enough. Sometimes I think it is, but I never really know until you tell me. Over time, I’ve become more and more confident that what I write will matter to someone and that makes it good enough for me.

Resilience
Writing for a growing blog and developing other projects for a sustainable business takes resilience. The words don’t always come easy, bad ideas get in the way. Limitations, excuses, fear and a host of other things will try to keep you distracted. You will fall and fail and then you get back up and go again.

Sharing
Writers ask me for permission to share a post that I’ve written and my answer is always the same. “Please feel free to use any of my work to share with your readers.” Sometimes people use my work and call it their own. That used to really bother me, but now, I know it doesn’t hurt me in any way and I’m glad the words are out there. I borrowed the idea for this post from Joshua Becker without asking. Sharing is good for the person sharing, the person borrowing, and everyone else involved.

Collaboration
Coming from a very competitive sales background, I was excited to embrace the collaborative spirit of blogging and entrepreneurship. With that, I’ve developed life long friendships and savvy business partners. I was raised up in the unfamiliar territory of blogging by people who in any other atmosphere would have been my competitors. Today they are my friends.

Openness
Before I decided that I would quit my job and run my own business, I had my work life well-defined. Now I don’t know what things will be like this time next year, or next month. I am open to opportunity, uncertainty, and giving things time and space to unfold.

If you have thought about starting a blog, I highly recommend it. Write about things that you care about, from your experience. With your unique perspective you will inspire, inform and entertain and learn more about yourself than you ever thought possible. If you have a blog, thank you. Thank you for sharing, thank you for writing, thank you for giving your gifts to the world.

In other simple news …

• Make Time, a lovely course to help you find time to do the things you love begins on Monday, May 7th. Registration is open.
• From only72.com - 18 Courses, 1 Hardcover Book (shipped anywhere in the world), valued at over $1000 for $100 available for 72 hours. I’ve read several of these books and paid much more buying them individually. Check it out.
• The Goodblog Project is open to 10 people, with 8 spots left. The course begins on May 21st and is a combination of video and written materials from me and guest experts + 1:1 consulting and collaborating. I want to help you use a good blog to develop or support a good business. Get in touch with me to see if this would be a good fit for your blog and business.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Be More with Less

It seemed like a ridiculous idea to a lot of my friends and family.

For a week I was going to avoid screens, both televisions and computers, and not use a cell phone.

The reason: I wanted some space from technology and constant electronic communication. I wanted to reset my need to check my email, my dependance on technology for entertainment and a chance to step away from the white noise of television and the Internet.

It was an eye-opening experience and I’ve learned some valuable lessons from disconnecting.

Great Sleep is Free

My week offline was filled with early bed times and restful sleep. I put my son to bed between seven and eight o’clock and then read for an hour or two. I fell asleep much faster than I usually do as my body and mind were ready for bed.

I’ve known for years that watching a screen in the evening, be it a television or computer, interrupts the natural rhythm of my body readying itself for sleep. This experiment just reinforced to me that I need to make screen free evenings a daily habit rather than an occasional one.

Great and plentiful sleep is not only vital to my health but greatly affects my mood. I’m a happier mother and wife, a more prolific writer and the best version of myself when I get good sleep. I also have a young child so when I get the opportunity for uninterrupted sleep I need to take it – not give it away for an evening of Mad Men episodes.

A Lot of “Urgent” Information is White Noise

My husband was traveling while I was on my digital sabbatical. Normally I would check his flight status and look for email updates from his layovers. Worrying about his travels, if he made a connection, if his flight landed safely, would occupy my thoughts for the day.

Without access to all of this supposedly urgent information, I went about my day as normal. I was engaged in my activities and the people around me instead of having my thoughts filled with flight times, time zone math and checking for updates.

Ironically, my husband had a difficult journey and got food poisoning on a trans-Atlantic flight. I was filled with sympathy for him when he landed safely and told me his tale of woe. But I was also thankful I hadn’t heard about it ten hours earlier via email or Skype. I would have spent my time worrying and fretting about his illness when there was nothing that I could about it.

So much of what we now concern ourselves with is what-ifs. With so much information and ways to communicate at our fingertips we are free to let our time and energy be consumed with thoughts about a lot of things we can’t control. Things that have no bearing on our day-to-day activities or long-term happiness.

After a week offline I feel a renewed commitment to limiting the white noise in my life and taking a step back from social media and constant electronic communication.

24 Hours Are Enough

So often I hear the phrase, the day is just too short. If only the day was 30 hours, instead of 24, we would do all of those things we say are really important to us but that we don’t have time for.

As soon as I went offline I found the time and motivation to get up early and go for a run. I’ve been inconsistent with my exercise in the last few months but during my week of being offline I ran or lifted weights most mornings before breakfast.

It wasn’t that challenging. I was well rested and woke up early ready to start my day. I wasn’t distracted by checking my email or a website first thing in the morning.

I also took better care of myself. My legs were shaved, I flossed and I did all those personal care items that a parent of a young child often skips because they don’t have a lot of time to themselves.

There is enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do. I just have to put the things that really matter, the things that give back to me and others, ahead of mindless internet surfing, television and text messaging.

My week offline was nourishing and a wonderful way to reset.

I’m now taking at least one day completely offline every week, checking email less frequently and doing more of the things that I love but struggle to find the time for: reading, writing and working out.

Rachel Jonat writes about a rich life with less stuff at The Minimalist Mom. She is a Canadian currently living in the Isle of Man, a rocky windswept island in the middle of the Irish Sea.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Be More with Less

If you need with a big unplug, consider Make Time, a lovely course starting on May 7th.

(this video is only 30 seconds and will make you smile. If you can’t see it in email, click here)

Super cool is a super power that we all possess, even when we can’t see or feel it. Even when we can’t recognize it or say it out loud, we are super cool. Why don’t we say it out loud? Why don’t we wear t-shirts that read “I am super cool and so are you”?

We don’t do that for 2 reasons

1. We don’t believe it.
2. We don’t want other people to think we believe it.

This video (may not be suitable for young or sensitive ears) made me think about all the times we support someone we love. We encourage them, we celebrate with them and we make them feel better when they fail. Why don’t we extend that same generosity to ourselves. I want to remind you that you are talented and funny and sexy and amazing. You really are super cool.

You are super cool because you …

• know that if you are having a bad day, tomorrow will be better
• started an indie book store to support authors like me, and you asked Lauren Conrad on a date
• know that 30 isn’t the new 20, 40 isn’t the new 30 and 50 isn’t the new 40 and you are grateful
• you support crazy talk
• fit into your skinny jeans
• make cookbooks beautiful
• don’t fit into your skinny jeans, gave them away and bought jeans that fit you.
• are a wonderful business partner, amazing friend, beautiful writer and caring daughter.
• know when to follow the rules and when to make your own
• run on plants
• say no
• do serious things without taking yourself too seriously
• take the SAT every year to help kids raise their SAT score.
• you support artists
• are listening
• know that admitting weakness is a sign of strength
• make time to do one thing, not everything
• let rainbows, thunderstorms and blooming flowers amaze you every time
• are a rebel mama
• dance
• have a goodblog
• understand that to be confident, you have to be vulnerable
• included a picture of you on your home page that makes readers smile
• are starting to recognize what matters
• you are debt free or are becoming debt free
• you are an artist
• you are clutterfree or becoming clutterfree

You know those little quirks and unique traits you have? They make you – you and what’s not super cool about that? And, the way you treat people, the way you treat animals, the way you treat the planet… that’s nothing short of super cool.

Reminding yourself that you are super cool is not boastful or indulgent, it is super powerful. So go on, say it. “I am super cool!”. Then call someone you love or send them this post and tell them, “You are super cool!”

When people start to fully grasp how super cool they are, super cool things start to happen, so let’s spread the word.

quick note: you are super cool if this blog stuff is new to you. Those blue words up there are links to other super cool blogs, video and people I think you’ll like. And, if you receive this post in email and can’t figure out how to comment, just click this little blue link and you can leave a comment at the end of the post.

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Comment below letting us know why you are super cool and why someone you know is super cool. I’ll start…

You can plan your life away, and even try to overplan it, but you cannot plan the weather. Today’s dreary day in Salt Lake City reminded me of my recent trip to San Francisco.

San Francisco is one of my favorite cities to visit and I recently had the opportunity to stay there for a week with my daughter. The only thing on our agenda was dance classes for her. We agreed not to plan much of anything else. We didn’t even plan our plane tickets, opting to fly standby instead and save $500. (Thanks Mom!)

We landed in Oakland late in the evening and took BART into town to find our hotel. We woke up to a Sunny day, and then a rainy week and did anything we wanted.

With no plans you can…

• Rest when you are weary. We did some afternoon napping.
• Eat when you are hungry. Some days we had 3 meals, others more or less.
• Sleep when you are tired. We didn’t have a bed time and rarely set an alarm.
• Get lost. We walked in the wrong direction several times, but instead of frustration, we enjoyed our unplanned detours.
• Visit the same place twice. If we had a list of places we had to visit, we never would have eaten at First Crush 2 nights in a row.
• Disconnect. My phone was my camera and a map and little else.
• Go slow. We weren’t rushing around, so we got to enjoy our surroundings instead of hurrying from place to place.
• Learn to use public transportation. We got around with BART, busses and lots of walking. If we had scheduled the trip too tightly, we may have spent more on taxis or a rental car.

When my daughter was dancing, I was working. We spent 2 days in Oakland, 1 day in Berkeley and 4 days in San Francisco.

What to do in San Francisco (or any city) in the rain.

Rain on vacation isn’t ideal, but it isn’t a deal breaker either. We decided to enjoy the city rain or shine, and that is exactly what we did. If your next vacation is rainy, don’t stay inside. The city takes on a whole new look and feel and in the rain and it’s yours to enjoy. I remember a trip to Hershey Park, PA when I was 12 or 13 and in my memory, the whole family is wearing rain gear and all smiles.

In between dance classes this is what we did without planning …

Oakland

• Tamarind. I’ve never spent any time in Oakland and didn’t know what to expect, so it was a lovely surprise to find a beautiful Mexican restaurant in walking distance from our hotel. Our simple meal of Plantanos Fritos & Guacamole con Totopos was amazing.
• Cock a Doodle Cafe . Not the healthiest breakfast, but we couldn’t say no to fried eggs benedict. I had mine with spinach and tomato, topped with a lemon hollandaise sauce, but the best part of breakfast was my daughter’s strawberry lemonade.
• Chinatown. Oakland has it’s very own Chinatown and walking through early morning was great. Most stores had sidewalks full of  fruits, veggies and other fresh food. This kind of grocery shopping beats the rush at the mega-mart every time.

Berkeley

• Crepes a Go Go.  A sweet spot on Telegraph Ave. to start the day.
• Hair Wraps. This man wrapped my daughter’s hair. That is not her in the picture I found, but that’s him. We heard about him long before we left for our trip. He’s got great word of mouth, a simple set up on Telegraph and the low down on Berkeley.
• UC Berkley. We walked the campus of UC Berkeley and wandered along a little stream until we hit the Farmer’s Market.
• Farmer’s Market. Thanks to our new hair wrap friend, we found the Berkley Farmer’s Market and the sweetest little baby oranges. They weren’t tangerines or kumquats, maybe mini-mandarins. If I knew what they were and remembered the farm name, I would order them. They were that good.

Union Square

• First Crush. This tiny restaurant was a block away from our hotel and we could not stay away. I had a little crush on First Crush along with their small plates and Terra d’Oro Zinfandel.
• E&O Trading. My daughter remembered the edamame here from a previous trip so we escaped the rain one afternoon and shared a bowl.
• Puccini and Pinetti. Bar hopping wasn’t our scene, but that didn’t stop us from sharing a late night Tiramisu at an Italian restaurant steps from our hotel.

The Mission

I had the best tour guide in The Mission and know that my day there would not have been the same without him.

• Samovar. I love tea, but I don’t know much about tea. Our server at Samovar explained what to expect and how to enjoy our tea tasting. I passed on the  walnut chèvre-stuffed dates but could not resist the  handmade vegetarian squash dumplings with tangy dressing.
• Gracias Madras. This restaurant offers a combination of two of my favorite cuisines, Mexican and Vegan. Relaxing with a mid-day glass of spicy red, wonderful company, and not having to ask “is there meat in that?” made this lunch not only delicious, but one to linger over.
• Street Art. From the ever-changing art on Clarion Alley to the beautiful murals on the The Women’s Building, we were inspired by the beautiful colors and bold images of local artists.

What else?

We walked through North Beach and past the Italian cafes and bakeries. We walked through Chinatown and found our way to the Golden Gate Cookie Factory for some fresh, hot fortune cookies. We walked up (way up) to Coit Tower, getting lost on the way. Views from the tower of the rainy city were beautiful. On the way down, we walked through the Telegraph Hill neighborhood. The staircase we found led us through backyards and gardens lush with blooming flowers.

We took the bus to Haight-Ashbury and checked out albums at Amoeba, browsed through shops and walked the neighborhood. We didn’t eat at Magnolia Pub, but I highly recommend it.

On the waterfront we visited the sea lions at Pier 39, shared a delicious lemongrass tofu and vegetable stir fry at Out the Door in the Ferry Building and thought about a ferry ride to Alcatraz. Every evening, our bellies were full, legs were tired and spirits were high.

We saved money by flying standby, taking public transportation and sharing meals. We had a chance to visit lots of great restaurants, but rarely had a full meal at any of them. Instead we shared an appetizer and dessert or an entrée. In all 7 days, we only made 2 tiny mistakes:

1. Booking a hotel that seemed too cheap for it’s location. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for … and we did.
2. Visiting the MOMA on a Wednesday. They are closed Wednesdays.

With all that we did and saw, my most memorable part of the trip was sharing a small umbrella with my daughter. After a few days of walking in the rain, and hanging our drenched clothing to dry each night, we finally bought one. We chose a bubble umbrella so we wouldn’t worry about running into people, but trying to walk in sync under the little dome and stay dry was hilarious. We were bumping into each other and laughing so hard. I’m not sure the umbrella kept us dry, but it did make things more interesting.

I’ll go back to San Francisco, next time with my husband. I hope we get to share a bubble umbrella too.

Have you ever vacationed in the rain?

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P.S. I just announced The Goodblog Project to help you use a blog to support your business, or develop a business from your blog.

I know some of you are thinking, “Courtney, Twitter has been around for years. Everyone already knows all about it.” I used to think the same thing, but when I spoke to 60 really smart business women last Fall, less than 5% of attendees had a Twitter account. A handful had heard of Twitter and the rest looked at me like I was crazy taking about twits and tweets.

What is Twitter?

According to Wikipedia, Twitter is an online social networking service and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, known as “tweets”.

Why should you consider Twitter?

Like any social media platform, Twitter is not for everyone, but you’ll never know unless you try. Here are a few reasons to consider …

• Twitter is simple. You don’t have to read a book or hire a social media expert to use Twitter. I think it’s much more user-friendly than Facebook or Google +.
• Twitter isn’t time-consuming. Like anything else, you could spend mindless hours on Twitter, but if you follow the rules of engagement, use Twitter for good, and then get back to work, it can add value instead of steal time. I typically spend less than 20 minutes a day during the week on Twitter.
• You can meet people on Twitter. If you like celebrities, you can see what they are thinking and ask them questions. Ok, bad example. You can connect with politicians. Uh, scratch that. What about authors, teachers, and specialists in fields that you care about? See who is talking about traveling, cooking or learning to knit.  I love meeting new bloggers, simple living advocates and writers. They are all 140 characters away.
• People are nice on Twitter. Just like the grocery store, the people you meet on Twitter are usually nice. They can also be smart and helpful. When you encounter the opposite, a simple “unfollow” will suffice.
• Twitter can help your business. This simple sharing format lets your clients/readers/people share the good (and bad) about you and your business. It’s word of mouth on fire.
• Twitter replaces headline news. I hear about breaking news on Twitter before anywhere else. At that point, I can go deeper for details or move on.
• Consuming information is manageable. If you follow 5000 people, you will experience information overwhelm. If you follow 50, you can manage what your tweeps have to offer. I suggest starting small. You can see who I follow here.
• It’s easy to search on Twitter. Don’t know what to cook for dinner. Search for #dinnerideas. Need a little inspiration, search #inspirationalquotes.
• It’s easy to share on Twitter. You don’t have to attach pictures, accept friends, create albums or anything but type up to 140 letters about what you would like to share.

You don’t have to be a social media expert to learn twitter, or know much at all, but here are a few common terms that will help.

I love Twitter for many reasons, but mostly because it’s simple and accessible and forces you to consider what you say. You can’t be wordy. If you are new to Twitter, say hi to me @bemorewithless, or ask a question. If you are a regular on Twitter, I want to hear from you too. If you don’t comment here, this blog can become a one way conversation. Twitter can change that.

Like most anything in life, you can make Twitter as simple or complicated as you like. Keep it simple and get started! If you have a Twitter account, please comment below with your Twitter profile url and description and what you think about Twitter so readers can connect with you too!

in other simple news …

• We chose 3 winners for the make time course and registration is now open!
• Check out the Simplify Your Family Life sale. 35 ebooks for $28.35 books may not sound simple and you probably won’t want to read them all, but if 3 or 4 look interesting, it’s worth the investment.
• I’m announcing something new and different and exciting next week on my business site. If you are a blogger with a business or have a business with a blog, you won’t want to miss this. Subscribe here to be in the know.

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Without debt you can…

• spend money without guilt or worry
• save money at a faster pace
• give money away to people and causes you care about
• do work that you love instead of work that pays the bills

If you’ve had enough of bill collectors, full mailboxes, ridiculous interest payments and living paycheck to paycheck, take the first step and pay your smallest debt off completely. Let’s back up one step. I am a Dave Ramsey girl, so I have to recommend that you save $1000.00 first. That emergency fund will keep you on track during your debt repayment and protect you from emergencies. (Applebee’s is not an emergency. Neither are shoes.)

4 Steps to Kill Debt

Honest Inventory. Once your $1000 is safely tucked away make a list of your debts. Don’t include regular monthly bills, just the other stuff. Include old medical bills, car loans, credit cards, student loans and anything else that you can pay off and be done with. Keep your mortgage separate if you have one. You can go after that later.

Think Small. Next, organize your list of debt from the smallest amount owed to the largest amount owed. Don’t worry about the different interest rates, or the most aggressive bill collectors. They’ll all be gone soon enough.

Attack. Pay your minimum monthly payment on each bill each month, but allocate any additional funds each month to your smallest debt. When it’s paid in full, get notification from the biller that your account is paid and closed and save that documentation in a folder or digitally.

Dance. Now it’s time to celebrate. You may have 9 more debts to clear, but you just paid one IN FULL. Do a little dance, and then use your excitement of accomplishment as momentum to start on the next smallest debt. Repeat until you are finished. (no matter how long it takes)

If you are determined and intense about your plan to be debt free, you won’t be dining out much or shopping while you are paying down debt, and that’s ok. Your consumption habits will change as a result, which will help you from incurring this debt ever again.

Read motivational books and blogs while you are paying down debt to stick to your commitment.

• The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
• Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence: Revised and Updated for the 21st Century
• Wake Up: Break Free from Advertising Influences

When people ask me how I quit my job and started my own business, the first thing I tell them is that I paid off my debt. It was the most important step. Because I am debt free and choose to live with less, I can do what I love, work with amazing people and write.

Please support each other in the comments section of this post. If you are debt free, encourage those that are getting started. If you are getting started, ask questions, make a commitment, and get ready for a new life.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Be More with Less.

P.S. If you are expecting a tax return anytime soon, use it to set aside your $1000 emergency fund and start on your smallest debt. The weekend getaway or new _______ can wait.