2011 Annual Review (and How You Can Have a Great 2012)

In my last post, I shared some hard questions that I asked myself before even attempting to do my annual review. After answering those questions, I simplified my usual review process by using Chris Guillebeau’s two basic questions: What went well this year? and What didn’t go well this year?

As it turns out, 2011 was a pretty successful year. Of course, there are always ways to improve. I could have done a better job of launching Liv Simpl, for example. But enough generalities, here are my answers to two very revealing questions. I also share ways that my lessons can help you; hopefully they’ll inspire you to do a review of your own.

Continue Reading →

Being Radically Honest With Yourself

A few weeks ago I mentioned an article about Radical Honesty that I’d read on Esquire’s website. The article was incredible and, as a result, I decided to write a really great post (how presumptuous of me) about how Radical Honesty could change your life. This weekend I sat down to write that post, when it hit me: What the hell do I know about being radically honest?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a tell-it-like-it-is type person, as most of my friends can attest. But, this weekend, I finally admitted that I’ve been lying to myself for two years, maybe more. Every time I tell people that I like my job, I’m lying–it’s just okay. Every time I say I don’t mind doing something that I don’t really want to do, I’m lying. Every time I agree to take part in something that’s not really “me,” I’m lying. Some may argue that these are just minor “white lies,” but I think it’s these lies that do the most damage because they aid our self-deceit and stymie our growth. How can I even begin to talk about Radical Honesty if I can’t even be truthful with myself? Continue Reading →

One Simple Way To Give Back During the Holidays

It’s no secret: giving feels good. It warms the heart of the giver and the receiver. Maybe you’ve thought about giving back this holiday season, but aren’t sure which charity to contribute to? If so, I’ve got the answer: 12 Days of Giving.

Started by Joseph Ranseth of Social Media Adventure, the idea behind 12 Days of Giving is to highlight 12 charities over a 12 day period. Each charity is linked to 12 “influencers,” people who are closely tied to the organization’s mission.

Here’s a few of the 12 Influencers who are participating:

  • Dr Andy Baldwin (@drandybaldwin) - U.S. Navy Doctor, Fitness Advocate, TV Personality
  • Scott Harrison (@scottharrison) – CEO Charity Water
  • Dennis Crowley (@dens) – Co-Founder of Foursquare
  • Claire Diaz-Ortiz (@ClaireD) – Twitter Corporate & Author
  • Beth Kanter (@kanter) – Social Media Charity Superstar
  • Mark Horvath (@hardlynormal) – InvisiblePeopleTV
  • Amy Neumann (CharityIdeas) – Huffington Post blogger

How Does This Make Your Life Simpler?

Whether you already contribute to a charity and are looking for a new one or you are giving for the first time and don’t know where to start, 12 Days of Giving will inform you about 12 great charities doing inspiring work around the globe. Here’s a list of the 12 charities:

  • St. Jude
  • National Autism Association
  • Camp Interactive
  • Hope Runs
  • Sharing Foundation
  • InvisiblePeopleTV
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
  • Compassion International
  • Grameen America
  • Charity: Water
  • Got Your Back Network
  • Black Card Circle Foundation

How Do I Get Involved?

It’s easy:

  1. Visit www.givingkicksass.com for more information
  2. When you’re ready to donate, click on the link to Crowdrise.com or skip step 1 and just head to www.crowdrise.com/12daysofgiving.
  3. Spread the word! Hit up your social media outlets and let people know about 12 Days of Giving.

But hurry, today is day 2–only 10 more days left!

What’s New

There are some new additions to the blog that I feel warrant a post:

  • New Design – After thinking long and hard about it, I’ve changed the blog design to be more reader-friendly. I like to think of it as Liv Simpl 2.0. The focus of this design is simplicity and usability. I think you’ll find the new design easier to read and navigate. There are still a few kinks to resolve, but overall it’s emphasizes the content better than the previous design.
  • Upcoming eBook – I’ve enjoyed blogging about simple living so much, that I’ve decided to write a book! Look for a new eBook on simple living early next year.
  • Giveaways - If you’re subscribed to my email list, there’s free stuff coming your way in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!
  • Posting Schedule – To make time for writing my eBook, I’m switching to a Monday/Thursday posting schedule next week. This will help free up time as I start the income streams I mentioned in my last Debt Beatdown article. Making this switch means I’ll be able to focus on writing better quality articles instead of posting a certain number of times per week. There’s a lot of great content I want to share with you, but I need extra time to write it!
  • Support! – Enjoy reading Liv Simpl? Inspired by my crazy goal to pay off 45K in one year? Now you can contribute to the success! Since I don’t use ads on this blog, I’ve added a donate button. When you click it, you’ll be able to make a tax-deductible donation via PayPal. What do you get out of this?
    1. When you donate, you’ll be added to “The Recognition Wall” published on the blog. Of course, you can always be anonymous if you wish.
    2. The first three people to donate, will receive a free gift.
    3. Everyone who donates will be added to the early release list when I publish my upcoming eBook.
    4. Every 6 months, I’ll donate 5% of the total donations back to a charity of your (my readers) choosing.
Donating is entirely up to you. If you are interested, you can click here to do so. What matters most is your readership. That’s the best support you can give. Thank you!

[Debt Beatdown] Holiday Thoughts

It’s been a couple of weeks since I wrote an update on my goal to pay off 45K in one year. In my last article, I wrote about downsizing and other pre-work that had to be done. It was a busy period. These last 2 1/2 weeks have been less busy, yet more challenging, mostly on an emotional and mental level. Simply put, the holidays are a difficult time to cut back. Continue Reading →