Word of the Year: Simplify

I know I already posted about my goal to live more simply this year, but when I saw the prompt to pick a word for 2012 over at Art @ Home I had to join in.  The Lettered Cottage has encouraged us to pick a word for 2012 and link-up.

via

My word is Simplify.

via Dictionary.com: [sim-pluh-fahy]

To make less complicated, clearer, or easier.

I think that too often in life we make things more complicated than they need to be.  Why does everything have to be this constant uphill battle we keep trying to win but never seem to?  That's just silly.  My goal this year is to simplify my life-that means cutting out battles, drama, and as many complications as possible.

My 2012 Goals for Living More Simpy:

• De-Junk.  My life is always so cluttered.  I find I have drawers stuffed full, closets stuffed, too much dirty laundry, too much storage.  Why am I still hanging onto these things that I never seem to need enough to make it worth it?  I'm done.  I'm getting rid of the stuff that doesn't matter.  This includes people who make life difficult all the time or don't care about me in return.
• Organize.  For the stuff that does matter, I'm going to work harder to keep it all in order so that it doesn't ever feel like it's getting out of hand.  When it comes to craft supplies and my clothes, I need a lot of help in this area.  When I move in a few months, this will be a great place to restart with all my organization!
• Avoid Gossip.  I try to avoid gossip, but let's face it-even those of us who try to avoid it can be caught talking about people, or listening to rumors, etc.  I'm going to avoid those as much as possible.  
• Speak Kindly.  If I do feel the need to talk about people, I'm going to limit to kind things.  If I care about someone then I should only say loving and caring things both to their faces, and when speaking about them.  I would want people to speak kindly about me.
• Complain Less.  We all do it, but really dwelling on those things not only brings the people around me that have to listen to it down, but it brings me down as well! Enough!
• Love More.  Love is one of the most simple human emotions.  I think we complicate it when most of the time we should simply let it be.  I want to spread more love to my friends, my family, my pets, and really anyone I meet.
• Listen More.  Speak less.
• Do things I love. Crafting, reading, relaxing, hiking, communing with nature, dreaming, doing, etc.
• Spend more time with people who matter.  This means making a greater effort to attend social events even when I get anxious and just want to hermit away, being there to support friends as much as possible, visiting people I don't see as much, sending letters/emails to people I miss, etc.
• Just Be.  Perhaps one of the most important goals.  I need to stress less about trying to be things I'm not (improvement excluded) and about making everyone happy all the time.  No one is perfect.  I can improve but never reach perfection, so stressing about it is not going to help.  I need to love myself, forgive myself, and take some of the worry and weight off of my shoulders.  All I can do is just be.

What is your word for 2012?

Source: rougeamour.tumblr.com via Angela on Pinteres