Jumping Gently into a Brand New Year

The beginning of a new year holds promise and excitement. The anticipation of new challenges and adventures always gets me excited to jump in!

I want to jump in to

• exercise
• cleaner eating
• new projects
• crazy ideas
• more less
• healthy habits
• volunteering
• creative ventures
• changes in life and business

As exciting as a new year is, I’ve been known to jump really high and then come crashing down two months later, drained and depleted.

This year, I still plan to jump, but I’ll be jumping gently and lightly. Jumping gently still comes with great determination and momentum, but it also invites grace and intention. It’s slower moving, but even more powerful than the jump in, do it all fast and burn out method.

My friend Ali recently opened her One Little Word workshop and my one little word for 2013 is Light.

I want light to be part of my everyday and transform my …

• body
• heart
• spirit
• conversations
• relationships
• ideas
• business

One way I’ll be jumping gently is that instead of implementing the changes I want to make in my my life and business overnight, I’ll be using the entire month of January to shift some things and the whole year to gently strip down to the essentials and discover what matters most.

To make room for new, exciting projects and adventures, I’ll be letting go of things too.

Here’s a glimpse …

Going out

• One Million for Good. I’ll be closing this site and reinventing how art can change the world.
• Simplicity Sessions. I’ve been working with some beautiful people using simplicity to make big changes, but the Simplicity Sessions will be going away at the end of January. If you want to book sessions now, you can use them anytime in 2013.
• Simple Ways to Be More with Less for less than a dollar. I’ll be bringing the price back up to $2.99.
• Book Bundles. I might get rid of all the extras and offer a much lower rate, more in line with Kindle pricing. I’d love your thoughts on that.
• The Project 333 Quick Start self study course. This 2 week self study course closes on January 8th. There will be live courses to prepare for April, July and October sessions of dressing with less, but if you are ready to go right now, jump in before January 8th.
• Result oriented success. I won’t be measuring success by how or when I arrive at certain goals or measurements, but instead in how I move through the transition. If the process is full of grace and intention it will be called a success regardless of the outcome.

Coming in:

• A Facebook Page for Be More with Less (simplicity for life and business). I have spent a lot of time complaining about Facebook, but now, instead of complaining, I want to add inspiration. We can choose what we allow into our digital lives. If you use Facebook, use it for good, and unfriend/unfollow the rest. That has made a huge difference in what information I receive and publish. I promise only inspirational and helpful updates. Join me.
• Daily and weekly digital sabbaticals. I’ll be spending more time with my computer closed.
• Archived Posts on Pinterest. I share a few things here and there on Pinterest, but I want to be more intentional about what I’m doing there. I’ll continue to share great work that other people are doing, but I’ll also be creating new inspirational images and sharing archived posts, books and recipes I love.
• A new book or book series. I have been working on a book proposal for a book/book series and it’s time to start writing the book. I’m not sure if I’ll self publish or work through more traditional vehicles, but I’m ready.
• Speaking and connecting face to face. I love meeting you here, but I want to meet you where you are too.
• Be More with Less on Kindle. This blog is now available on Kindle. You can continue reading it right here for free, but if you prefer to read blogs on Kindle, that is an option too. I would have liked to offer it on Kindle for free, but Amazon requires a minimum charge of .99.
• New offerings. I had so much fun with my recent 31 Days of Gifts You so Deserve program that I’ve been dreaming up new and creative ideas to share with you.
• Doing it anyway. Too often our busy minds get in the way of action. I hope you will join me in walking and working through fear, uncertainty and anything else that comes between you and your best work and dreams. Use this uncopyrighted image as a reminder to do it anyway.

Before welcoming 2013 with open arms and heart, I want to say goodbye to 2012 with love, thanks and celebration. It was an amazing year of growth and connection in my personal and business life and in great part to you. Your presence, encouragement, kind words, lovely suggestions and willingness to share my work introduced the beauty of less to thousands of new people in 2012. Thank you so very much.

The best posts of 2012

These aren’t the most popular posts or the posts with the most comments. Instead, I chose the following as the best posts because of a single heart-felt reaction through a comment or email. Just one makes all the difference.

1. Be Wonder-full
2. Immediate Gratification is for Sissies
3. How to Reclaim the Lost Art of Lingering
4. Simplicity is Freedom
5. Why you Can’t Measure Self Worth by Net Worth
6. How to Have Your Own Simplicity Summit
7. The Myth of Ownership
8. Hello I Love You
9. The Difference Between Simplicity and Minimalism
10. A Wish for Comfort & Joy

Other reasons for gratitude and celebration:

SXSW. In two months, I’ll be speaking with my friends Joshua, Ryan and Joshua about how minimalism is changing entrepreneurship. I’m excited for the opportunity to spread the message that doing work you love is available to anyone that is interested.

Best selling books. All three of the books I’ve written are on Amazon Best Seller Lists in categories like: Happiness, Healthy Living and Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement. You can find each of the books through my Author Page on Amazon. If you’ve read any of my books and would leave a review on Amazon, I’ll be so grateful.

Happy new year friends. Take time to celebrate your 2012 and let us know what you are most looking forward to in 2013.

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

P.S. I’ll be sending a short, informative email everyday this week about my 4 week blogging course beginning January 7th. If you are interested  in doing work you love and learning more about The Goodblog Project, sign up here.