After deciding to participate in a year of less, (less spending, less collecting junk, less materials) I also decided to add something into my year. Each month I’ll have a focus that I believe might improve my life in some way. Maybe it’s for my physical health, or my mental health, maybe it’s a means of working towards a dream or goal of mine, maybe it’s just finally checking something off the big to-do lists I keep in my head. Everything I chose for each month will be purposeful and personal to me.

I can do anything for 30 days, right?

This little “project” is a means of keeping myself busy and healthy. A way to build habits that serve me and a goal to live a more purposeful life. While doing these new things I’m still saving money through the means of a shopping ban. My specific goals are to pay for a yoga teacher training and to finally take my daughter to Disney World (which we’ve been saving for about a year now).

Every Sunday I plan to check in with both goals (year of less – spending less & year of more – doing more). How is it going? Am I confident in my ability to continue it? Has anything changed? At the end of each month I want to record what I learned. This will help me decide how much impact the past year has had on me when I finish August 31st, 2020.

Lastly, this is me pushing myself. I can be a quitter. I have goals, ideas, dreams that never come to fruition. When the going gets tough, sometimes I lie down. I have poor follow through, and I want all of these things to change. In a way, I am hopeful this year is the beginning of the rest of my life. Stepping into a more purposeful, mindful, healthy, and determined person who knows anything is possible if you keep moving forward.

Here are my first 6 month goals (See the year of less for shopping ban info):

• September: De-clutter my house, my computer, my life! I am minimizing and committing to being minimal.
• October: Run at least 15 miles EVERY week of this month.
• November: Focus on parenting. Practice yoga 3 times a week.
• December: Read all of the books I have started, but not yet finished.
• January: Participate in Veganuary (vegan diet) for the month. Meditation 3 times a week.
• February: Social Media Detox!

I am going to keep posting about this to hold myself accountable. And I encourage anyone reading this to consider their own version of a year of more and/or a year of less. Or you can be like me a do both! You know what they say, less is more. 😉