Everything You Need to Create Your Most Amazing Year Yet

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!)

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.

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!

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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