I’ve presented several tools for planning your life, getting more organized, and just generally maximizing your life on Midlife Rambler. Here they are organized in one place so you can plan your amazing year! What will you be focusing on in the new year?
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Bookmark this page! We’ll be adding several new posts over the next weeks to help get 2021 off to a great start and we’ll keep updating this post so everything is nicely organized in one place.
How to Pick a Word of the Year
I like to pick a "Word of the Year" rather than focusing on New Year's Resolutions. If you're interested in doing something similar, these posts can help. Plus, you can get a free downloadable workbook to help you find the perfect word of the year that's right for you along with a list of words to help you brainstorm ideas.
Why You Should Ditch Your New Year's Resolution and Pick a Word of the Year Instead
Your “word of the year” provides an intentional framework for all your actions throughout the year by giving you a single word on which to focus that embodies the vision you have for your life. It’s your one word that provides a theme for your year; a map to guide all the actions you take. Here are some ideas on choosing the word that’s right for you this year and a printable workbook with a list of words to help you choose the word that’s right for you. (Updated for 2020!)
300+ Ideas for Your Word of the Year with Free Printable
This list of words has over 300 ideas to help you brainstorm qualities so you can pick the word that’s right for you. Plus you can download a printable version of the list along with a set of questions designed to help you determine just who you want to become this year.
How to Create New Habits
How to Create a Vision Board for Your Year
I've been creating vision boards for years that have been truly effective in helping me reach my goals and desires. Here's the process that works for me, along with a free Vision Board planner to help you create the perfect Vision Board for you.
How to Make a Vision Board that Really Works
A vision board is a collection of images designed to help you focus on a dream or goal you have for your life. I’ve been making vision boards that really work for years and today I’m sharing my process for creating powerful vision boards that deliver results. You can also grab a free vision board planner with printables and inspiration and tons of quotes to help you manifest your dream life. This post has been updated and expanded for 2020!
5 Reasons Your Vision Board isn't Working and How to Supercharge Your Vision Board for Success
Are you disappointed in the results of your vision board? Wondering why everyone talks about how powerful a vision board can be for manifesting your goals while you stay stuck where you are? You might be making some of these mistakes when you’re creating your board. Here’s why your board may not be working and how you can create the perfect board to get the results you desire.
How to Make a Digital Vision Board Online (with Free Template)
Whether you call it a vision board, a dream board, or a goal board, creating a vision board is a powerful visualization tool that helps you achieve your goals and dreams. I’m sharing today how to use online tools and apps to easily make the perfect digital vision board to manifest your dream life. Plus I’m showing how to create your digital vision board, step-by-step, and including a free template to help you get started.
55 Inspirational Quotes for Your Vision Board
I’ve been on quite the vision board kick lately: sharing my secrets on how to create an effective vision board, some tips on why your vision board might not be working, and how to make a digital vision board online. Today I’m sharing my one of the most powerful elements on any vision board I create: a beautifully illustrated, meaningful inspirational quote.
How to Treat Yourself with More Compassion in 2021
A lot of us struggle with treating ourselves as nicely as we treat the other people in our lives. Here's why we should and a mantra to help you remember.
Why You Should Resolve to Be a Nicer Person to Yourself in 2017
I came down this morning, took one look at my crumb-covered kitchen counter and said out loud, “Oh, God, I am such a messy person.” Do you see what I did there? The kitchen counter was undeniably messy, but I took that one fact and used it to malign my entire personality. In fact, I said – out loud – something I would never, ever say, or even think, about another person.
This Simple Phrase Can Help You Practice More Self-Compassion
I realized recently I have a problem treating myself nicely and so I’ve been researching ways to treat myself with more self-compassion. I came across a book I’d recommend to anyone struggling with the same issue, “Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself” by Kristen Neff, Ph.D.
How to Get Organized Using Marie Kondo's KonMari Process
I'm a huge fan of sparking joy with Marie Kondo's KonMari Process. I became a convert in 2016 and it's the only system of organization that's stuck with me because I've become addicted to looking around and feeling the pleasure of seeing a serene home where I'm surrounded by things I love.
If you're interested in embarking on your own KonMari Tidy Up, these resources - plus the giant 34-page downloadable Tidy Up planner - can help.
Here’s Why Organizing Your Empty Nest with Marie Kondo’s Konmari Method Really Could Change Your Life
You’ve been back from college drop-off for a few weeks, or even a few months, and while the house seems quiet and too empty, it also seems as if it’s filled with the ghosts of your children and the life you once shared. Every corner of your house seems filled with their possessions. There’s your kid’s hockey gear in the foyer. Your pantry is filled with snack foods. And the upstairs bath still has all the makeup and bath products your daughter left behind when she flew the nest.
How to Organize Your Clothes Using the KonMari Method
Here’s a Detailed How-To Guide on Using Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method to Clean Out Your Wardrobe, Organize Your Clothes and Make Sure Everything You Wear Every Day Brings You Joy!
5 Reasons You May Have a Hard Time Staying Organized and How to Get Past them
Your big reorganization is complete and you’re loving how neat and tidy your house feels. But how can you keep from backsliding into your old habits this time? Let’s investigate some of the reasons why you might have a hard time staying organized and talk about how to get past the barriers that have held you back in the past.
My KonMari Tidy Up One Month Later
When I blogged about organizing all my clothes using the method outlined in Marie Kondo’s The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, I promised an honest accounting of the results one month later. Well, yesterday was one month and I’m very pleased so far. I have noticed a bit of backsliding on my part: a recent t-shirt gift just got shoved into a drawer with some leggings and today I took a purse strap that I’m not using right now, but I want to use later and folded it neatly and put it with my belts because I just couldn’t think what else to do with it.
Using the KonMari Method to Spark Reinvention in the New Year
I’m sharing a significantly updated version of a post I wrote back in April about the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I used the methods in this book to finally wrangle my clothing into a semi-organized status and I’m applying the principles now to my kitchen area in preparation for one of my 2016 goals: decorating my downstairs living area. I thought it would be helpful to revisit Marie Kondo’s overarching principle’s, particularly since I can now throw in some extra insight from living with the results of my last reorganization project for eight months.
A Sneak Peek into My KonMari Kitchen Cabinet Reorganization
My kitchen cabinets are pretty much done and I’m already reaping the benefits of a more thoughtfully organized kitchen. Every time I need a kitchen towel or pot holder and find it right where I need it to be, instead of having to walk across the kitchen and pull it out of a drawer, I smile and mentally pat myself on the back for being so smart. An equally valid reaction would be to shake my head at why I lived for over two years with the kitchen towels across the room from the sink, but I take my validation where I can get it.
Why I'd Never Organize Photos Using Marie Kondo's KonMari Method
The author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up has great tips on getting rid of clutter, but here’s why I’ll never listen to her advice about organizing photos.
Decluttering and Organizing the Kitchen with Help from Marie Kondo
Two years ago my husband and I combined our households into a smaller home with an open floor plan that seems to highlight every bit of clutter left out.
I read Marie Kondo’s book in April and began a bit of a home purge and the results have been amazing for this former hoarder and messy person. I’m loving the results of keeping only those items that spark joy and having an organized place for every item. Following this process has truly made my life more serene.
My KonMari Clean Up One Year Later
Here’s what worked for me – and what didn’t work – after a year of following Marie Kondo’s KonMari method of organization from the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
5 Tips for Tidying Up You Won’t Learn from Marie Kondo’s Netflix Show
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Hi- just discovered your blog and I’m loving it! A few days ago I stumbled upon your list of 12 books that helped you along the way. A book a month basically, starting with “ The Road Back to You”. I’ve searched and searched but cannot find the post with the 12 books you read listed. Help!!