The holidays came fast and furious and the rush will be over in a few short weeks. At the end of December before the New Year, I like to take stock of the year reflecting on lessons learned. Every experience you have as an individual, whether good or bad, provides an invaluable lesson. What seems like a tremendous challenge today may very well be looked back on as something that changed your life for the better.

Many of us will be taking stock of how to downsize and simplify our lives for the coming year. The economy has nudged many of us into simplifying. However, it may seem overwhelming and stressful to change our lives. Take it one step at a time and promise yourself to just choose one change a month. It is helpful to assess what is important to change. While you sit down and reflect on the past year, keep these ideas in mind!

• Okay, so you have written down what is important to you in downsizing, now you need to ask what is important to other family members. Realizing that you are on the same page when simplification occurs in your family is very important. There is nothing more frustrating than finding your children are not recycling when you have put that on your top ten list. Make sure everyone is on the same page.
• Promise yourself to change just one thing a month. They say it takes three weeks to change a habit, so do not rush and try to simplify in every way all at once. The changes will be more likely to stick if you take it slow.
• What areas of your life are in need of simplification? Is it health, romance, family, work, money, etc? Make a list of what you do each day. What provides you with the most satisfaction? What causes you undue stress? Look at those stressful parts of your life and brainstorm on how to change them. If it is working overtime every week and that adds stress to your family life, you may want to decide whether that extra work is really important to you.
• Does your house need simplification? I often find that spring cleaning comes early, that is, in January. I like to start each year fresh and invigorated. When my family has a few weeks off at the end of the year, I like to declutter, get rid of old clothes and junk, and make room for the new positive energy that will enter my life. Cleaning the house top to bottom with some essential oils also gets the air smelling and feeling good.
• Create a vision board. One of the most uplifting and joyful things is to create a vision board for what I would like to see enter my life in the New Year. Do a group vision board with your family and one for just yourself. Realizing each others dreams and goals can go a long way in bonding. Grab some magazines, a cork board, some glue, and fun markers and decorations and get to work! This is a fun activity that will get you feeling great and ready for a simple New Year!