I have a post coming up at the Tommy Nelson blog this month about my word of the year for 2012, but I’ve actually picked two.
The one you’ll read about at Tommy Nelson is more a word to define the year.
The other word I’ve chosen for this year is something I can – and NEED – to act on ALL. YEAR. LONG.
That word is…
SIMPLIFY.
It’s not that I like things to be complicated or cluttered or busy – they just seem to end up that way! But not this year! We’re adding a baby and a doctor to the house and moving to top it all off, so simplicity in any areas of our life will be very welcome!
That’s where I need a little help from two main sources:
1. The hubby. He is all about organization and keeping things streamlined and simple. I’m grateful some of this has rubbed off on me in our 8 1/2 years of marriage, but I still have a long way to go!
2. Tsh from Simple Mom. Between her website, her book Organized Simplicity, and her newest ebook One Bite at a Time, Tsh is whipping me in to shape in the discipline of simplifying!
One Bite at a Time is my main focus right now – 52 projects to make your life simpler. Just one project a week – I can do that, right? After reading through the book, I think I can do it and here is why I’m excited about it…
Top Ten Reasons to Love One Bite at a Time
1. The pace. One project a week is not too bad, but you can really take each project at your own speed. One project may take you a day while another takes a few weeks – no worries as long as you keep going!
2. The variety. This book covers simplifying & organizing your money and space and time and mind and so much more!
3. The practical tips. You won’t be left figuring out how to finish these projects on your own!
4. The quote that inspired it all: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
5. The emphasis on forming good habits. Yes, there is a checklist involved, but many of these projects can be the catalyst to important lifelong habits. Morning and evening routines are the ones I need to work on the most.
6. The involvement of the whole family. Meetings with your spouse, dates with your kids, family cleaning – this ebook is about simplifying life for everyone in your household!
7. The intentionality. There are reasons behind doing each of these projects and that intentionality will help you keep focused as you work through the book. {I almost picked “intentional” as my word fo the year – I love it.}
8. The lists of resources. It’s not necessary for every project, but many of the projects have an extensive list of other places to find help for that project – websites, blog posts, books, and so on!
9. The connection between projects. These projects are not completely independent of each other. In fact, the whole book is working together to simplify your life. At the beginning of the book, the projects are categorized to help you see how they work together. In addition, within several projects, you will see another project mentioned that will help you with the one you’re on! It’s like teamwork!
10. The very first project listed: “Eat Your Frog.” This may be my biggest obstacle to overcome – I tend to put off that hard stuff and then it gets left behind. “Eating your frog” is starting your day with the hardest or least fun task on your to-do list. Everything after that won’t seem so bad and you’ll feel great having that task done!
So that’s where I’m starting. Today, I will eat a frog. And maybe you’ll join me?!
Let me share a few fun details with you…
*One Bite at a Time is regularly priced at just $5. Through January 10th, you can get $1 off when you use the code HAPPYNEWYEAR at checkout!
*Jeannett from Life Rearranged will be writing a monthly One Bite at a Time post on Simple Mom, encouraging community and accountability as she works through various projects from the e-book. You’ll be able to join in with comments, share how your projects went that month, or to link to your own blog with results from completed projects!
*You can win your very own copy of One Bite at a Time here and now! Just leave a comment telling me one area of your life you most need to simplify! Leave your comment before midnight CST TONIGHT {Tuesday, January 3} to be entered to win!
One winner will be chosen at random and notified via email Wednesday!
***GIVEAWAY CLOSED – Winner has been notified by email!***
Will you join me in simplifying in 2012?!
*This post contains affiliate links.
I'm Erin, a wife, boy mom x 3, writer, and runner in Nebraska! I'm excited to share all my favorites relating to faith, family, fashion, and fitness in this space! Enjoy! 
I’ve downloaded my copy of “One Bite at a Time”, but haven’t started it yet, since I also downloaded about a dozen other “get your act together” type ebooks within the last couple of weeks. I’m starting it today, though, because I agree with you – I’m ready to welcome simplicity!
That is my word for the year, also!
I REALLY want to simplify as it comes to my calendar. Intentionally choosing what I spend my time on!
I’m working on simplifying the toys & baby clothes! It’s amazing how much my 20-month-old has! His wardrobe is about four times the size of mine (thanks to generous family…it’s just too much!)
The toys… 🙂 They can get out of hand so quickly!
I need to simplify my closet! There is so much clutter in there.
I’m looking forward to digging into this book soon. Life As Mom is doing it with her Booking It 2012 program!
My husband says “animals make piles, not people”. Sounds like I need this book for sure!
Oy, I need to declutter my whole house, but if I had to choose a single area, I’d say the kids’ toys. Out with the old, to make room for the new!
I’m not sure where to start, but I need to simplify everything to make time to do things just because I wanna. Like play the piano, crochet, etc.
I am continually working on simplifying my life, period.
Since the end of 2010 I have been praying and slowly working on removing things from my life that aren’t helping me be the best me.
It has been difficult as I let go of a husband who didn’t truly love me and was unfaithful and unsupportive. I have had friends come help me remove tangible clutter from my home and began seeing a therapist to help me recognize & remove the emotional clutter.
As I sit here my home is messy and, I’m ashamed to say, even dirty in some areas. My depression makes it difficult to deal with the most simple tasks or make any decision. I think the structure offered in ONE BITE AT A TIME could help me as I continue on my road to re-claiming my life and health in 2012.
I am learning to simplify my thinking. I am learning to let go of my perfectionism and all-or-nothing attitude that is self defeating and paralyzing.
I left my schooling behind when I fell into a deep depression after admitting there was no hope for my marriage. I am still having trouble admitting that despite the divorce and his treatment of me that I am still lovable. While my home is a mess I can not think straight or focus on my schoolwork. Everything takes so much more energy.
So, I am working on simplifying my environment, which is difficult with my bad habits and small apartment- plus the fact that I have children and their things as well. I want them to learn better habits from me than what I have been modeling for them. I know that when I simplify things- and I’m learning that this is a life style change for me, a metamorphosis, and I can feel like sunlight coming into my home and my soul it will help my family to heal.
Last year I did let go of a lot that was holding me back and in 2012 I will continue to let go and simplify so I can rise like a phoenix from the ashes and soar again.
I love Tsh’s other book, Organized Simplicity! I feel like I do a pretty good job at keeping life simple, except when it comes to my kitchen. It seems like I just have too much in it and I never have enough space for what I need to do. Many times I lack the motivation to cook because of the lack of space. I need to figure out what works for my tiny kitchen space and simplify things there before I go crazy!
I would really like to simplify my wardrobe.
We already live a fairly simplified life but one area I would like to have more organized would be playtime/craft time with my kids. It is just kind of an unplanned mess at the moment.
I will say organizing in general. I hope that having a home for every. single. thing. will make cleaning and finding things easier. I have a daughter is just as unorganized is me and I want to teach her this year how to be more organized, for both of us 🙂
What doesn’t need simplifying in my life? I’m a mess right now! Too many toys, too many boxes of baby clothes, a closet I can’t get in!
I need to streamline my kids clothes- seems like we always end up with way more than they wear and then have to manage it every change of seasons.
I’d love to simplify my cleaning routine. It just gets so sporadic and I forget to do laundry until Big A is out of socks or jeans. :S eek.
And intentional is my word for the year.
I would love to get our finances more organized!
I am really working on getting the home in order which means that I must simplify all the “things” that can bog us down. Right now, I am working on our home office. I find it a challenge to make into a productive work space when it must function for both home, business, and homeschooling. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to win this!!
I need to simplify my own clothes. I have clothes from 10 years ago and in several different sizes. I cannot see the floor of my “walk in” closet. Would love some of Tsh’s advice.
TOYS! My girls have so many toys and I really need to simplify it for them because I do think they get overwhelmed and a lot of stuff just doesn’t get played with. So those and papers! We are over-run by paper clutter!