Things To Eliminate in the Coming Year and Tips for Successful Resolutions
Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and leave a review in the iTunes store! It helps others find the show! Thank you!

Main Topics  
Dan's Topic: Some Things to Eliminate in the Coming Year
I'm not a big "New Year's Resolutions" guy, so in keeping with the Exupery quotation I've discussed in previous shows and use to guide me on our simplicity journey, I thought I'd give resolutions a little twist. If you recall, Exupery said, "Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add, but nothing left to take away." So let's resolve to remove some things that add no positive value in our lives. Only you know what applies to you and what's right for you, but here are some suggestions for consideration…

Stop wasting opportunities:

Opportunities to grow are all around us



Grow by Learning...Education is a great way to invest in yourself

Take a class (online or in the real world)…lots of places offer Adult Education classes
Or teach yourself! Check your local library to see if they have how-to or self help books






Other Great Resources:

Also check http://www.khanacademy.org for classes
I watch CreativeLIVE.com for free courses given live by experts. After the live class is over the classes are available for purchase.
Screencastsonline.com has great tutorials for Mac and iOS-based platforms. Run by Don McAllister
Lynda.com has all sorts of courses, from business, photography, videography...the gamut of software for Mac, PC and others (you can also get 7 days free unlimited access here)
Izzyvideo.com for video tutorials
If you're a podcaster, Cliff Ravenscraft's classes are great! Find them at PodcastAnswerman.com and use discount code SIMPLE for up to $500 savings on Podcasting A to Z!






I have or had paid memberships in all of these and see them as an investment in me and our businesses




Grow by Experiences such as

Volunteering
Getting active in your children's school or after school activities
Mentor someone in your chosen profession or a student studying for your profession
If you belong to a church, see if your church needs help with something you're skilled at




 Stop letting what you already have go unused:


The first thing that comes to mind is Experience and Expertise and that ties in with the opportunities to grow we just mentioned


Look around and see if you are using technology to your advantage


If you're not sure how to use some of your tech, there are tons of free How-To tutorials on YouTube to help out.

Stop "holding on"…some stuff is just not necessary any more:


If you have unnecessary "stuff" you can donate it, sell it, give it away to a friend or post it on freecycle.org (complete listing for all countries where Freecycle operates at SimpleLifeTogether.com/freecycle


But there's probably more than "stuff" you need to get rid of...

Bad habits
Same old routines- If they're not working for you it's time to let them go
Work situation: If you're ready for a change than check out Dan Miller's 48 Days Podcast



Stop Letting Others Dictate How You Use Your Time:


DVR your shows or "cut the cord" and watch online on sites like iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, in the US.



Outside the US, just Google TV Steaming sites to find those available in your area, such as the BBC's iPlayer.
Don't forget to check your local network sites to see what streams they offer, too.



Another way to control your own time is to:

Choose Podcasts over radio. Podcasts allow for time shifting your favorite content. You can listen to podcasts as your walk, run, work, commute, travel, do chores…whenever you want?
Break free of the 10 to 20 minutes per hour devoted to advertising on commercial broadcasting stations.
iTunes University has free college-level classes, tying into the education suggestion mention earlier.