We move through our days and weeks. There are times when things just aren't working. Do you know what I mean? Our thoughts are negative. Our stress is sky high. Our organizing systems that used to work “just fine” are not functioning well. We’re not eating healthfully, sleeping well, or taking care of our emotional well-being. We’re kind of a mess.

So here’s an idea. Computers have a restart button. Why can’t we have a fresh start button? Let’s begin simply. Fill your mind with encouraging ideas. Build from there.

Focus on thoughts that will encourage a fresh start. Here are some favorite positive thoughts to get you started:

 

Do you need a fresh start button? Push the button. What’s next for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation. 

Did you know that January is International Creativity Month? ICM founder, Randall Munson said . . .

“Unleashing creativity is vital for personal and business success in this age of accelerating change.”

What can you do to give your creativity a boost or fresh start?

There are some surprisingly simple ways to activate your creative thinking. We’re not just talking about being creative to necessarily produce physical works of art. Think about using your creativity to solve problems (organizing included), feel happier, and be healthier. In Shana Lebowitz’s article, 36 Ways to Boost Creativity, she mentions ideas such as listening to music, writing by hand, daydreaming, getting social, trying something new, looking at something blue or green, sitting in a coffee shop, getting someone else’s opinion, and laughing.

In The Creativity Cure: How to Build Happiness With Your Own Two Hands, Carrie and Alton Barron believe that “creative action is integral to easing depression and anxiety and to fueling wellbeing. The need to create–to produce something using our minds and hands–is fundamental.”

My next creative venture is a 4-week Comedy Improv class that begins this week at the Croton Academy of Arts. I’ve taken this fabulous course before and was amazed at what got unleashed. It combines so many of the ideas suggested in Lebowitz’s article including laughter, doing something new, gesturing with two hands, and free associating.

I’d love to hear from you. Come join the conversation. What’s your go-to creativity booster?

There’s hope in numbers. There are possibilities in numbers. There’s opportunity in numbers for a fresh start.

Pick a number. Make a plan. What one thing will you focus on to bring a positive change to your year?

2015 year

1 month

6  day

359 days remaining for 2015

5 years I’ve been blogging

248 number of blog posts I’ve written

When I began blogging in 2010, the thought of writing 100 or even 200 posts didn’t seem possible. 248 posts later, I discovered that a consistent effort over an extended period of time yielded positive outcomes.

These past five years I’ve had the honor and pleasure of sharing incredibly rich conversations with all of you. It’s been an honest exchange of ideas and perspectives. The numbers have spawned wonderful friendships, connections, insights, growth and change.

It’s fresh start time. What will the next 359 days of this year be about for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join our conversation!

 

As the year winds down, we look back to help us assess and plan for the New Year. How was your year? Did you accomplish your goals? Are there areas that you’d like to focus on for next year? A great resource for ideas and words of wisdom is the “Ask the Expert” interview series.

The conversations we’ve had this year about change, letting go, clutter, motivation and more have been truly inspiring.  The short video features our 2014 experts and themes. Let it help you identify your theme for 2015. What area will you focus on to create more balance?

Watch the 2014 "Ask the Expert" video . . .

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the interviews . . .

Fresh Starts

“The key is not to find more storage solutions for your stuff–the key is minimizing the number of things we own.”

- Joshua Becker

Change

“Accept setbacks as a natural part of the change process; they are bound to happen and are not a sign of failure, rather an important part of the learning.”

- Dr. Debbie Grove

Next Steps

“Tomorrow’s brilliance is rooted in the soil of today’s activity.”

- Todd Henry

Letting Go

“Each extraneous things we eliminate from our lives feels like a weight lifted from our shoulders–it’s positively exhilarating!”

- Francine Jay

Clutter

“Ultimately, someone has to choose the life they desire over their stuff if they want to be uncluttered, but how they get there is different for everyone.”

- Erin Rooney Doland

Time Management

“We have to accept the fact that we can’t do everything, and establish a set of personal policies (which identify our values), set specific goals, and schedule appointments with ourselves to actually get the work done.”

- Harold Taylor

Motivation

“ . . . you have to keep re-motivating yourself. Motivation is not just one long surge.”

- Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.

Enlisting Help

“When we open ourselves to help, amazing people come forward and amazing things happen. Some of my richest connections first started out as a request for help.”

- Cameron Gott

Success

“ . . . a lifetime of success involves showing up.”

- Whitney Johnson

Possibilities

“To start imagining a life of audacious possibility you need to first believe that it is possible for you.”

- Amy Deagle

Is it time to re-balance? Which ideas resonate with you?  My deepest gratitude goes to my “Ask the Expert” guests and blog community for engaging in wonderfully, deep discussions over this past year. Let’s keep the party going. Come join the conversation.

Wishing you all joy, love, health, balance, and happiness for the New Year!