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How to Press the Reset Button On Your Life

Article by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead, follow him on twitter.

We all get stuck in ruts from time to time. We get off track and lose sight of the life we meant to live. I know I’m probably not the only one who has wished that I could find a reset button for life.

While we can’t exactly travel back in time (flux capacitor or not), there’s certain ways we can “reboot” our lives.

With the New Year right around the corner, it’s a perfect time to get a fresh start on an area of your life you’ve been meaning to overhaul.

The New Year is an exciting time. It symbolized transformation and starting new. It’s a time when you can let go of the old, shed your past and begin again.

The problem is a lot of the time we get super excited about these new goals, but we lose focus. A few months later December rolls around and we wondered what happened. Where did we go wrong?

The most important thing we need to keep in mind is not necessarily being disciplined, but setting the right type of goals. If we’re just setting socially conditioned goals (like making more money or upgrading the things we own), we’ll likely lose interest, because our heart is not in it.

So there first step is to set aspirations that come from your heart and what you value most. Then just take it one day at a time. Think small, act big.

NOTE: Read the notice at the bottom of this post for info about The Power of Less New Year’s Challenge!

Here are some suggestions for ways you can reboot your life:

Health:

30 Days to Health. Use the month of January to start new eating habits. Maybe you want to become vegetarian, vegan or completely raw. Or maybe you just want to eliminate processed foods like; frozen food, chips, soft drinks, candy and essential junk foods.
Go on the Master Cleanse: a 10 day mono-diet fast that will help you reboot your health and eating habits. I’ve personally done this 3 times. It helps you rejuvenate your body and your mind. When you’re not spending your energy on digestion, your body can use its energy to heal itself. It’s amazing when you’re fasting how much time you realize you spend thinking about eating and making food.

Simplicity:

Reassess your mess. Go through out all your junk and make 3 piles: toss/recycle, donate, and keep. Throw out or donate or sell anything you haven’t used in over a year. The same rule applies with your closet, garage and wardrobe. For a more detailed guide see here and here.
Unwind your mind. We spend a lot of time trying to organize and create more functional living spaces. But we often neglect the most important space we live in: our mind. Take advantage of the New Year to reboot your mind. Drop disempowering beliefs, drop negativity. Cull and remove what’s not working for you. Stop caring so much, kill your (ego-driven) goals and give up. Here’s another great resource: How to Organize Mental Clutter.

Relationships:

Reconnect. Most of our ambitions for the New Years are centered around ourselves, but they don’t all have to be. Maybe you want to make your resolution to spend more time with your partner or your kids. Maybe you want to create a better relationship with your parents. Or perhaps you just want to dissolve a grudge you’ve been holding against someone. Now is a good time to forgive and forget.
Be more romantic. With all our goals surrounding our careers, productivity, and health, it’s easy to put romance on the back burner. Too easy, if you ask me. A few ways to jump start your ideas for rekindling romance might be: giving your lover love coupons, spending more quality time together and dating your partner more often. Even if it just means going out for coffee or watching a movie on the couch together. Here are some more great ideas to get you started.

Finance:

Reboot your bank account. During the holidays are spending can spiral out of control. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to buy really cool gifts (well, except for this gift) for everyone you love. So after the season ends, it’s a great time to reevaluate where your money is going. Here are a few ideas to get you started: create a debt snowball, create an emergency fund, or develop the habit of being frugal.
Cash-in your passion. Here’s a great exercise to start off the new year: Take out a paper and draw a line down the middle. Mark the first side as column a, mark the other side column b. Look over your bank account for the past 30 days and write down all your non-essential purchases in column a. This includes things like unneeded spending on clothes, lattes, junk food, renting movies, entertainment, gadgets, CDs, etc. Don’t include things such as rent/mortgage, utility and phone bills. Now in column b write down all the things you’d like to have money for to pursue things you’re passionate about. This might be thing like dance lessons, tai chi or yoga classes, a pottery workshop, an industry conference, a mountain bike, you get the idea. Try to see what you can remove from column a to make more room for the things in column b.

Fitness:

Maintain the chain. There are so many fitness goals and programs you can get into. If you live anywhere like I do, the guys from 24 Hour Fitness are on the corner downtown recruiting people like gangbusters. With all these fitness routines and exercises you can find, it’s hard to see through the noise. A simplified resolution is to create an exercise chain and all you need is a calendar. Now for the month of January make a pact to exercise every day. Each day you exercise, you put an X through that day on calendar. Your job is to not break the chain. I’ve personally found this to be an awesome motivator because you can see all the progress you’ve made and it would hurt too much to break the chain.
Tap the troupe. It’s easy to fall off the wagon when you’re going it alone. If you join a local fitness group, you’ll have others that will hold you accountable. Meetup.com is a really awesome place to find local meetups in your area. It’s super easy to join and most of the groups are free. Just sign up and search for fitness groups in your neck of the woods.

Bonus tips:

Automate your answer. A lot of the time we hold ourselves back because we don’t have enough information, or we don’t know where to start. Instead of letting “I don’t know” hold you back, put yourself on the auto-response “I’ll figure it out.” Imagine what you could do if you did this. You might be able to have the guts to start that business you’ve been dreaming about. You could write that novel you’ve been planning. Or could you take that trip around the world you’ve been dying for. Make your resolution to not let not knowing where to start keep your from taking action.
Vaporize virtual living. In the age of email, twitter, social media, instant messaging, text messaging and screen to face, it’s hard not to get caught up in living virtually. While there’s nothing necessarily harmful or wrong with these things, it’s easy to forget the value of real live interaction. You know, actually talking to someone in person. Whatever method you choose to connect, a good New Years resolution might be to simply connect more. Not in quantity, but quality.

What are your plans for the 09? Do you have any good tips for starting off the New Year right?

This article was written by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead of Illuminated Mind. To learn more about how to reclaim your life, grab a subscription to Illuminated MInd.

—

NOTICE: Tomorrow we will announce THE POWER OF LESS NEW YEAR’S CHALLENGE! It’s a free 30-day challenge where you will form a new habit in just 10 minutes a day. The Challenge will help motivate you and keep you accountable, so you can start the New Year off right!
—
If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

How to Press the Reset Button On Your Life

Article by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead, follow him on twitter.

While we can’t exactly travel back in time (flux capacitor or not), there’s certain ways we can “reboot” our lives.

With the New Year right around the corner, it’s a perfect time to get a fresh start on an area of your life you’ve been meaning to overhaul.

The New Year is an exciting time. It symbolized transformation and starting new. It’s a time when you can let go of the old, shed your past and begin again.

The problem is a lot of the time we get super excited about these new goals, but we lose focus. A few months later December rolls around and we wondered what happened. Where did we go wrong?

So there first step is to set aspirations that come from your heart and what you value most. Then just take it one day at a time. Think small, act big.

NOTE: Read the notice at the bottom of this post for info about The Power of Less New Year’s Challenge!

Here are some suggestions for ways you can reboot your life:

Health:

30 Days to Health. Use the month of January to start new eating habits. Maybe you want to become vegetarian, vegan or completely raw. Or maybe you just want to eliminate processed foods like; frozen food, chips, soft drinks, candy and essential junk foods.
Go on the Master Cleanse: a 10 day mono-diet fast that will help you reboot your health and eating habits. I’ve personally done this 3 times. It helps you rejuvenate your body and your mind. When you’re not spending your energy on digestion, your body can use its energy to heal itself. It’s amazing when you’re fasting how much time you realize you spend thinking about eating and making food.

Simplicity:

Reassess your mess. Go through out all your junk and make 3 piles: toss/recycle, donate, and keep. Throw out or donate or sell anything you haven’t used in over a year. The same rule applies with your closet, garage and wardrobe. For a more detailed guide see here and here.
Unwind your mind. We spend a lot of time trying to organize and create more functional living spaces. But we often neglect the most important space we live in: our mind. Take advantage of the New Year to reboot your mind. Drop disempowering beliefs, drop negativity. Cull and remove what’s not working for you. Stop caring so much, kill your (ego-driven) goals and give up. Here’s another great resource: How to Organize Mental Clutter.

Relationships:

Reconnect. Most of our ambitions for the New Years are centered around ourselves, but they don’t all have to be. Maybe you want to make your resolution to spend more time with your partner or your kids. Maybe you want to create a better relationship with your parents. Or perhaps you just want to dissolve a grudge you’ve been holding against someone. Now is a good time to forgive and forget.
Be more romantic. With all our goals surrounding our careers, productivity, and health, it’s easy to put romance on the back burner. Too easy, if you ask me. A few ways to jump start your ideas for rekindling romance might be: giving your lover love coupons, spending more quality time together and dating your partner more often. Even if it just means going out for coffee or watching a movie on the couch together. Here are some more great ideas to get you started.

Finance:

Reboot your bank account. During the holidays are spending can spiral out of control. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to buy really cool gifts (well, except for this gift) for everyone you love. So after the season ends, it’s a great time to reevaluate where your money is going. Here are a few ideas to get you started: create a debt snowball, create an emergency fund, or develop the habit of being frugal.
Cash-in your passion. Here’s a great exercise to start off the new year: Take out a paper and draw a line down the middle. Mark the first side as column a, mark the other side column b. Look over your bank account for the past 30 days and write down all your non-essential purchases in column a. This includes things like unneeded spending on clothes, lattes, junk food, renting movies, entertainment, gadgets, CDs, etc. Don’t include things such as rent/mortgage, utility and phone bills. Now in column b write down all the things you’d like to have money for to pursue things you’re passionate about. This might be thing like dance lessons, tai chi or yoga classes, a pottery workshop, an industry conference, a mountain bike, you get the idea. Try to see what you can remove from column a to make more room for the things in column b.

Fitness:

Maintain the chain. There are so many fitness goals and programs you can get into. If you live anywhere like I do, the guys from 24 Hour Fitness are on the corner downtown recruiting people like gangbusters. With all these fitness routines and exercises you can find, it’s hard to see through the noise. A simplified resolution is to create an exercise chain and all you need is a calendar. Now for the month of January make a pact to exercise every day. Each day you exercise, you put an X through that day on calendar. Your job is to not break the chain. I’ve personally found this to be an awesome motivator because you can see all the progress you’ve made and it would hurt too much to break the chain.
Tap the troupe. It’s easy to fall off the wagon when you’re going it alone. If you join a local fitness group, you’ll have others that will hold you accountable. Meetup.com is a really awesome place to find local meetups in your area. It’s super easy to join and most of the groups are free. Just sign up and search for fitness groups in your neck of the woods.

Bonus tips:

Automate your answer. A lot of the time we hold ourselves back because we don’t have enough information, or we don’t know where to start. Instead of letting “I don’t know” hold you back, put yourself on the auto-response “I’ll figure it out.” Imagine what you could do if you did this. You might be able to have the guts to start that business you’ve been dreaming about. You could write that novel you’ve been planning. Or could you take that trip around the world you’ve been dying for. Make your resolution to not let not knowing where to start keep your from taking action.
Vaporize virtual living. In the age of email, twitter, social media, instant messaging, text messaging and screen to face, it’s hard not to get caught up in living virtually. While there’s nothing necessarily harmful or wrong with these things, it’s easy to forget the value of real live interaction. You know, actually talking to someone in person. Whatever method you choose to connect, a good New Years resolution might be to simply connect more. Not in quantity, but quality.

What are your plans for the 09? Do you have any good tips for starting off the New Year right?

This article was written by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead of Illuminated Mind. To learn more about how to reclaim your life, grab a subscription to Illuminated MInd.

—

Spewed into the world on 26 December 2008 in Goals & Motivation |
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Brilliant comments (64)

HowToMakeMyBlog.com Says:

December 26th, 2008, 10:04 am

In 2008 I focused on simplifying my life, eating healthy, paying off my debt, and I put my energy into building a blog.

In 2009 I hope to clear my debt and start saving so I have some more freedom to have a better work / life balance and have time to (re)develop relationships with people I care about.

Thanks for the great article with some very interesting links to more detailed information!

Marko
http://www.howtomakemyblog.com

Kelly Says:

December 26th, 2008, 10:28 am

My goal (my husband’s goal too) for 2009 is to sell our “way to big for two people and a small dog” home and build a much smaller and much more energy efficient home.

Another goal is to continue to simplify our lives by ridding ourselves of stuff we don’t need or use and be content with the things we already have.

Great article!

Jake Says:

December 26th, 2008, 11:01 am

I do ALL of this stuff and still don’t have any money! Hah… guess it’s a top line issue.

AlienTYC Says:

December 26th, 2008, 12:24 pm

These are really good tips to kick start 2009. I am going back to my drawing board using mindmap to state my goals for 2009 with your insight :)

Success Professor - Danny Gamache Says:

December 26th, 2008, 12:48 pm

Jonathan,

Great list. I love the “Maintain the Chain” idea. This is a principle you can apply in any area of your life and start at any time. I love it.

Vered - MomGrind Says:

December 26th, 2008, 12:51 pm

I’m intrigued by the Master Cleanse, but it goes against my “everything in moderation” mantra… I’ll give it some thought. Maybe if I can get my husband to do it with me.

Thank you for the link, Jonathan.

LifeMadeGreat | Juliet Says:

December 26th, 2008, 13:00 pm

I think one of the tricks is to stage things. Trying to make too many changes all at once becomes too overwhelming and it is easy to simply lose it all at some point.
Rather start with a couple and when those are mastered or improved, tackle the next few. You can almost have a constant New Year on the go ;)

Juliet

Lee Ann/Living Introverted Says:

December 26th, 2008, 13:23 pm

My biggest goal for 2009 is to get off my own personally created hamster wheel and focus on de-cluttering everything from the inside of my brain, to the storage shed in the yard.

I am going to do this by breaking this huge goal into smaller goals.

I also like the maintain the chain idea and will use this to help with my fitness goals.

Thanks for this great post and these great ideas!

Here’s to a happy, productive and exciting New Year for us all!

Jesse Says:

December 26th, 2008, 13:27 pm

I think Juliet hit it, starting changes like these all at once can be overwhelming (why do you think it’s taken me this long to get started!). I started with cutting out processed foods. Then I went to a modified macrobiotic diet. That gave me the energy I needed to start working on the next steps, exercising regularly (walking, hiking, swimming), cleaning out my extraneous STUFF, and most recently selling my TV!

Great post Jonathan, thanks!

@SlowingDown (twitter id)

Maria | Never the Same River Twice Says:

December 26th, 2008, 14:26 pm

While I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore, I AM a big fan of using New Year momentum to make some changes. I live in the Upper Midwest, so for me, the climate doesn’t lend itself to major diet/exercise efforts, but being trapped in the house does make me want to organize/declutter/simplify.

And definitely, 1 thing at a time is key. Thanks for sharing these great tips, Jonathan.

westindianladee Says:

December 26th, 2008, 15:13 pm

Leo, I’m fairly new to your site and one of the things that resonated with me was choosing 4-5 things that I want to dedicate my time and energy to. One of my things in having a side business. I have 3 different areas to explore that could generate revenue, but I don’t know which one to push and focus on. Yes, I’m passionate about all 3 but multi-tasking and lack of focus has been killin’ me. How do I choose which one?

Dylan Bardell Says:

December 26th, 2008, 15:31 pm

My life’s is perfect. I don’t live in the USA.

NZ via UK Says:

December 26th, 2008, 15:58 pm

Neither do I Dylan, and as I enjoy the holiday season in the summer sun of New Zealand, life does indeed seem perfect.
That still hasn’t stopped me neglecting my gym subscription over the last year, so I’m looking forward to trying the ‘maintain the chain’ idea as well.

Great post, thanks Jonathan.

Tracy Phaup Says:

December 26th, 2008, 16:13 pm

Gasp! Vaporize vitual living!!

I’m sure you have a great point, but surely that only applies to only people?

All right - just kidding… Mostly!

Looking forward to hearing more about the challenge.

Fantastic article and I’m looking forward to giving it a closer reading.

Take care, happy holidays and an amazing New Year!
Tracy Phaup

Jonathan Mead Says:

December 26th, 2008, 16:33 pm

@ Kelly: That’s a really noble goal of you. Seems like most people want to do exactly the opposite. =)

@ Vered: Good luck, I haven’t been able to convince my wife yet. Hope you had a great skiing trip.

@ Maria: I’m kind of the same way. It’s just a big inspiration to me to set new intentions and aspirations. I think there’s something powerful about being able to get go of the old, and bring in the new.

Eric Hamm Says:

December 26th, 2008, 16:59 pm

Hey Jonathan, you really packed THIS post full of great tips, didn’t you?! Thanks for putting together the useful links as well. And the 30 day challenge…a lot to look forward to. 2009 keeps getting better! :-) Eric.

Tobi_as Says:

December 26th, 2008, 17:07 pm

Interesting post that made me thought.
Thanks for sharing , Greets from Germany

Tim Tyrell-Smith Says:

December 26th, 2008, 17:36 pm

Another excellent article, Jonathan!

In 2008, I made a decision to take action on 2 ideas (of 36 that had been festering for many years). That decision simplified my life in amazing ways. I now have a focus.

Now I just need to confirm those two for 2009. Or perhaps pick just one more!

What are your two things?

J.D. Meier Says:

December 26th, 2008, 17:43 pm

It’s great to start from scratch, but carry the good forward.

Steve Says:

December 26th, 2008, 17:56 pm

You only need two piles of stuff: keep, not keep. Where it goes is secondary.

Gustavo Braga Says:

December 26th, 2008, 19:00 pm

Lets be analogic.

KyNam Doan Says:

December 26th, 2008, 19:46 pm

In a recession, a lot of people will now get the chance to hit a reset button.

I’ll have to think about vaporizing my virtual life. I’ve been spending a lot of time online esp in the blogosphere, twitter, and freindfeed.

Perhaps I’ll cap it at a maximum 4 hours a day. In any case, thanks for the ideas

Stu Says:

December 26th, 2008, 21:33 pm

These are great tips. Some time ago I put together 7 New Year’s Resolutons for your Brain. They might complement your ideas a little:

http://paralleldivergence.com/2006/12/29/7-new-years-resolutions-for-your-brain/

Enduring Wanderlust Says:

December 26th, 2008, 21:56 pm

Interesting post, Jonathan. Less is more in so many circumstance. I agree with your assessment about selling or donating items that are no longer used in your life. Releasing that clutter often leads a greater focus on those items that are more important to getting things done.

Gennaro

Kat Eden Says:

December 26th, 2008, 22:04 pm

I like what Tim wrote about taking action on just 2 ideas. It’s easy to be a big thinker or even a big planner but then get to the end of another year and realize you’ve an endless list of half-baked ‘great ideas’ .. on the other hand, maybe by trying everything you figure out what’s really important to you.

The best goal-achieving advice I’ve found is the power of 21 - we’ve all heard it before, that takes 21 days to form a new habit. Sounds too simple to be true but I’ve found it incredibly effective to ‘maintain the chain’ in this way.

My biggest achievement for 2008 was starting up a blog that I’m really proud of - mainly for finally following my passion to be a writer. In 2009 I plan to build my readership base to 5,000 (feel free to help out here :-)) and I also plan to clear all my credit card debts by the end of the first quarter. There’s a lot more I want to do but those are the big ones!

Here’s to living life in 09!

Andrew Says:

December 27th, 2008, 4:10 am

I just had a moment tonight (morning of 27th to be somewhat exact) that allowed me to reconnect with two friends, connect with a new one, reconnect with myself. It was a total wake-up call that I pleasantly was thankful for. I sort of reset moment if you will!

Thanks for getting this subject matter floating through my mind.

Tess Says:

December 27th, 2008, 7:31 am

One of the things I’m going to do is declare a weekly online no-fly zone. A bit like observing the Sabbath but longer: from Friday evening to Monday morning I am not going online. No blogging - reading or writing - no emails, no Twitter, no Facebook, no nothing. AND, when I go back online on Monday I’m not going to try and catch up. I’m going to set an autorespond on my email asking folks to re-mail me on a weekday, and then I’m going to make liberal use of the delete key!

Tabitha (From Single to Married) Says:

December 27th, 2008, 9:18 am

Great suggestions - I especially like the “reassess your mess” tip. I need to take a full day and go through my workspace so that I can start the year with a clean slate, so-to-speak. Thanks for helping to motivate me!

Cosmos Observer Says:

December 27th, 2008, 12:00 pm

Thanks for making the time to write this article - for me it was an Eye-opener and Lifechanger!

I’m a lifetimer “tiger chasing my tail” habitual “to-do” lister and a Martha Stewart type hostess. For the last two years I’ve been trying to complete my lists (Yes, more than one!) in order to make this recently purchased ole’ house perfectly renovated - so that I could finally invite my family/friends over to spend time with, relax and BE happy.

No More!

For me to break FREE- this is what I’m doing/have done:
Planned healthy buffet Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Menus for the 1st weekend of 2009 and have invited family/friends I enjoy spending time with over for an entire weekend of conversation and relaxation….

I’ve staged “Fun Refueling Stations” throughout the house with puzzles/board games/cards/crosswords. Also created several cozy Book Nooks, an Exercise Room and a Meditation Room for those that want solitary Zentime….

Kicking Off The New Year - Kicking Out Bad Habits!

Vincent Says:

December 27th, 2008, 12:44 pm

Hi Jonathan,

These are really great tips for us to start our New Year in 2009. I will be working a lot on my fitness, health and personal education the coming year.

Happy New Year!

Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger

Life Organizer Blog | Kate Says:

December 27th, 2008, 13:10 pm

Great article! I love the way you brought in many life areas into it too!

I’m a huge fan of reclaiming time from one’s virtual life and settling for quality over quantity! The fact that there is a constantly growing source of online channels for entertainment, news and socializing, unfortunately doesn’t mean that there are more hours to the day…

I like your Maintain the Chain idea a lot! We often tend to focus so much on what is missing, rather than get cheered by how much we actually have completed!

I think one way to stay focused on New Year’s resolutions is to make every month (or any time period that suits one’s life) a mini New Year. Look at what went well last month and what we want for the next month.

And of course to keep things simple, easy and fun.

Looking forward to the New Year’s Challenge!

Kate

Srdjan Popovic Says:

December 27th, 2008, 13:32 pm

Excellent article. I found the ‘fitness chain’ very intriguing and will look to implement it during busy times.

Carla Golden Says:

December 27th, 2008, 13:44 pm

Great tips!

Join an online group Master Cleanse Jan. 12-22.

DKumar M. Says:

December 27th, 2008, 14:10 pm

Lots and Lots of Information !!

Excellent article Jonathan, It’s really impotent to know when or where to reset.

Arjen Says:

December 27th, 2008, 14:33 pm

Excellent post! It’s a good idea to press the reset button at the beginning of 2009!

Ioan Says:

December 27th, 2008, 16:42 pm

This year is the year of patience. The year of detachment and flow, the shining light identity.

Jonathan, Guys you are doing a wonderful work!

Thank you Universe,

Ioan

http://inspiredachievement.ro/blog

vegeSna Says:

December 28th, 2008, 0:43 am

Great Stuff

Jennifer Ryan @ I Choose Change Says:

December 28th, 2008, 1:33 am

I am always impressed with your willingness to GIVE abundantly in your posts. My favorite is “Unwinding Your Mind.” It’s what I write about, talk about, teach about with my clients. And, I love that your simple strategy provides permission, and a reminder, to just STOP, and start over. Every new moment provides a new opportunity to change.

Thanks, Jonathan!

Jessica Says:

December 28th, 2008, 7:52 am

A lovely, succinct post - thank you!

My goals would have to focus on being more organised (which won’t take much, considering how dis-organised I am), spending more time on building and maintaining my health, and building my online business.

Oh, and organising my wedding… and buying our house… maybe I shouldn’t think too much about this.. :)

Michael Nobbs Says:

December 28th, 2008, 11:03 am

Thanks for the encouragement.

I have been “Reassessing my mess” since I lost my mother earlier this year and inherited boxes and boxes of her things. Looking around I can see I have made progess (I can actually see the floor in some places!) but there is a long way to go. I hoping to get there one box at a time in 2009.

Pauli Says:

December 28th, 2008, 16:20 pm

Great article!!! I just love it … I was looking forward to read something like this ..

Thank you !

Vincent Says:

December 28th, 2008, 22:10 pm

Excellent post Jonathan, a lot of useful advice for a more solid productive perspective for 2009!!!
One thing I have been doing before the start of 09 is “Consolidating”:
1)past and present debts
2)each room of my house
3)my desk at home and work to make it look tidy/efficient
4)my email list from most active to least active contacts
5)my cellphone contact list ” ”
6)my wallet: receipts, business cards, notes
7)my bookshelf: newer most recent purchased books to the front
the list can go on but you get my point :-)

Carla Says:

December 29th, 2008, 15:52 pm

I thought about doing the Master Cleanse on and off for several years. Being insulin resistant, I dont think that would be good for me though. Thankfully, we have a really good juicer and I like to make green juice every now and then. I think it would be good for me to do a short juice fast twice a month. I think thats a good and obtainable goal.

We are relocating in ‘09 so I will continue my decluttering habits for sure.

Stephan Miller Says:

December 29th, 2008, 16:44 pm

Any time is a great time to reboot. Not just New Years Day, but it’s traditional. I am going with simplifying my life in any way I can.

Cole Christensen Says:

December 29th, 2008, 19:02 pm

My goal for this year is to start eating REAL food. I want to bulk up and stop being the “string bean”.

Two years ago I was is great shape and was 10 lbs heavier than I am now, and that was all muscle.

Wish me luck as I try to go back to the me I loved this year.

Christopher Says:

December 29th, 2008, 22:23 pm

I just printed this post out and will stick it above my desk.

Thanks for making January ‘09 a little bit better!

Kristine Pinky Says:

December 30th, 2008, 9:34 am

Great post! Good thing I get to read this right before the New Year. It’s a good foundation on making my resolutions AND following through.

Marc @ Technology.com.au Says:

December 31st, 2008, 2:41 am

Me also want to reset the button of my boring professional life, i am having no time to eat, no time to maintain my self. we need to keep our health well but hectic life sucks everything. My eyes don’t want to see desktop/PC anymore, the thing i really want in front of my eyes is this post.
Thanks a lot.

Tracy Says:

December 31st, 2008, 3:53 am

2008 was a hectic year i fell in a whole and i can’t dig my self out. 2009 im digging myself out leaveing all of the ugly and dirty bad habits burried in the hole i’ll be coming out of . 2009 will be the beggining of my new life.
what i love most in my life all are living me little by little. i will not let my dreams and goals and my angels escape from me in 2009, i will stay away from people places and things that keep me from moving foward in life. i may sound like a broken record but thats ok, I thank God and my children for forgiving me and giving another chance at life and living.

Tracy Says:

December 31st, 2008, 4:00 am

I DEFFITNETLY WANT TOO PRESS THE RESET BOTTON IN MY LIFE . I SURE AM IN 2009 YES IM READY.
THANK YOU
MY PRINCESS FOR BEING THERE FOR US AND FOR EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE FOR US

Drazen Ferencic Says:

December 31st, 2008, 15:47 pm

I make allmost **all** of yours suggestions for NewYear, few days before and for now - it is great!!!
LEO - i read your blog from begining and for me you are one of mine favorite bloggers!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kevin Yu Says:

December 31st, 2008, 16:00 pm

I definitely appreciate the suggestion for doing the master cleanse. My priorities in the coming year are to first heal my mind & body and then get my finances in order.

CharlieR Says:

December 31st, 2008, 17:59 pm

I have another great tip. I found this article the other day that introduced the idea of logging what you eat. I’ve done it before and found it immensely helpful when thinking about choosing what you’re going to eat. A master cleanse is a very intense way to start off the new year. For someone looking for more of a lifestyle change I would start with things like finding a way to be conscious of what you eat and including “fun” exercise days to your workout routine. Both build habit, but aren’t too mundane. Check out this article about logging what you eat: http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/h/a/a03293.html

This website also has good exercise tips that almost anyone can do.

Thiago Says:

December 31st, 2008, 18:28 pm

Hey guy, congratulations about this post. I readed it and will try to do some tips ;)

Geoff Wasserman Says:

January 1st, 2009, 23:37 pm

Great post. Love a quote I found that Edison said about failure on the road to success in finally developing the light bulb…brilliant! Blogged about it on my site, http://www.geoffwasserman.com/?p=304

duncan simpson Says:

January 2nd, 2009, 18:37 pm

Thank you for this interesting article!
I just discovered this great site and will now go and subscribe!
thanks again
duncan

Ravi Says:

January 2nd, 2009, 22:19 pm

It is really true that people start with enthusiasm but lose the interest because the aim for materialistic goals such as money and power.
People should aim for much better goals which will fetch them the ultimate achievement - Sense of Satisfaction and Peace of mind.

Keeping your body fit and your mind clear is really important to achieve what you aspire to.

Always evaluate your failures and learn from your mistakes.

Wishing everyone a Happy New year ahead and a wonderful life

Regards
Ravi

mehmet Says:

January 3rd, 2009, 4:21 am

It was a total wake-up call that I pleasantly was thankful for. I sort of reset moment if you will!

Renee Says:

January 3rd, 2009, 20:46 pm

A wake up call indeed. I really enjoyed this article.

Alan Says:

January 4th, 2009, 7:54 am

When I drink too much carrot juice my skin turns orange. It turns out I didn’t really need to drink carrot juice to begin with, but I thought I did. I thought I did because I assumed there was something which needed changing which I could control. But instead I just got orange skin. Bummer.

Matt Mahowald-New PFC Says:

February 24th, 2009, 16:22 pm

This is a great message to spread. No matter how you’ve messed up, you can always start over again. I own several fitness and nutrition centers, and I deal with this on a daily basis, with regards to diet and excercise. It’s ok if you fall off the wagon, so to speak, because you can always start over again tomorrow. In fact, i sometimes think this hiccups help keep you on track longer the next time. Thanks for driving this point home with your article.