Simplify your life in 2012 by making time for yourself, even amidst a busy schedule. You can use the time to relax, meditate, practice yoga, breathing techniques, read, just catch up on things you never got to finish in 2011, and anything else that makes you feel peaceful.
You know about nutrition, exercise, balancing everything from your budget to your personal and professional life - now just do it.
Keep everything succinct and let go of anything that upsets your emotional balance. Don't live in the fantasy that self-help gurus process will brings results. Know your issues and shortcomings and how you can keep yourself balanced in light of everything going on around you.
2012 will not be an easy year, so prepare for the worse, and find something that grounds you. People are burning out and seek high purpose. It will come.
Always keep everything as simple as you can ... and don't forget to laugh every day.
8 ways to simplify your life in 2012 CNN - January 2, 2011
Streamline your workouts, your morning makeup, even your resolution list. Here are eight New Year tips on how to look better and improve your health for 2012.
1. Focus your New Year's resolutions
Pick the one thing that matters most. You're most likely to succeed if you stick with a resolution (or two) that is compelling and inspiring to you. How to tell what's a keeper? Pretend it's 2013: Are you grateful you made this change? If your answer is "eh," drop it.
Think big picture. That old advice about making resolutions specific and measurable? Not quite spot on. You could, after all, check off your goal of exercising 30 minutes each day, then help yourself to a second piece of cake -- not consistent with your true overall desire to be fit. "Rather than an outcome like losing 20 pounds or saving $10,000, identify a value, like health or financial security, that becomes your focus for the new year," McGonigal says.
Give yourself a break. Think about what you're pretty sure you can do -- then cut it in half. So if you want to save 10% of each paycheck this year, aim for 5%. And if you don't always hit the mark, don't get discouraged: Even if you saved only 2% this month, that's still in line with your overarching goal (financial health), so onward and upward!
2. Simplify your schedule
Four ways to get control:
--Book like a therapist. Make appointments 50 minutes long, leaving 10 minutes of flex time to return calls or make up for running long. "Without that cushion, inevitably something will put you off schedule," says Carter.
--Get real. If it's time to trim obligations, but everything feels essential, ask yourself: What was my original goal? If you signed up for marathon training to be more active, but now you're so achy you spend every night on the sofaÑthere's your answer.
--Be single-minded. "When you get pulled away from a task by email, it takes 16 minutes to return to your previous level of productivity," says Carter. Plow through work faster by turning off all bells and whistles until a project is finished.
--Pencil yourself in. Slot in time for yourself, even if it's just a 10-minute walk in the sun. "Then," says Carter, "don't cancel it!"
Go big. Apply blush with one swipe of a large powder brush. "A traditional brush puts too much on a smaller area, so you spend time blending," Carmindy says.
Highlight key spots. Sweep pale-vanilla shimmering shadow under brow, on inside eye corner, and on cheekbone top. "The contrast makes you look as good as if you were wearing more makeup," she says.
Skip the blowout. Every other day, swap your shampoo and blow dryer for a de-greasing powder. "Brush this through and hair's perfect again," says Carmindy.
Use no-chop ingredients. All you need for a great homemade meal in 15 minutes is a quick-cooking, minimal-prep protein (chicken or fish), whole grains (whole-wheat pasta, brown rice), and veggies that are already bite-size (snow peas, baby arugula). "I love garlic basil shrimp with cherry tomatoes and orzo -- you don't even need a knife," Krieger says.
Swap shortcuts. You might automatically grab a tub of shredded Parmesan, then head to the fresh produce section for veggies. But rethinking which ingredients you buy premade can cut time and boost flavor. "Frozen peas and spinach are easier and just as good as fresh in many dishes," Krieger says. "But there's no substitute for freshly grated cheese. Plus it has more flavor than store-bought, so you use less." Just put a hunk on the dinner table along with the grater.
Alter the atmosphere. A lot of cooking stress comes from the attitude you walk into the kitchen with, Krieger says: "I used to approach making dinner as drudgery, but then I started putting music on, pouring a glass of wine, having my daughter there ripping up lettuce for the salad. It can become the nicest part of your day."
5. Edit your news feed
6. Lighten your handbag
Take everything out. Separate it piece by piece into groups of like items, creating categories as you go (cosmetics, pharmacy, work essentials).
Get brutal. Toss the trash and trade full-size anything for travel-size. Admit what you can do without (superglue? spare thumb drive?).
Repack. Tuck each group of must-haves into different-colored mesh bagsÑeasier than remembering which of your purse's seven pockets your lipstick is in.
Do a daily sweep. Take 60 seconds when you get home to file receipts, clear out junk, and replenish supplies. You should be feeling lighter already!
7. Weed out your closet
Give it three rounds. First, toss anything that's not in good condition (you can't even donate it). Second, donate what no longer matches your life or style -- uncomfortable shoes, plunging necklines that make you fear a wardrobe malfunction. In round three, try on what's left. "Anything that stays must be a 10," says Ravich. That means it satisfies two additional criteria: It flatters your figure and expresses your personal style. Variety isn't as important as quality. So what if you wear one of the same five fabulous bottoms every day? Your bottom will look fabulous every day.
Slim down your rack. Trade bulky wood and plastic hangers for "huggable" ones. "These are very thin felt hangers that quadruple your space and grip all your spaghetti straps and anything else that normally slides off," says Ravich. Don't hang knits, by the way -- stack them on shelves.
Display jewelry. You can use a plastic hanging organizer with dozens of clear, zippered compartments so that jewelry stays detangled and visible all at once. Done.
8. But keep one pair of almost-fit jeans