5. Give up Perfect Holiday Myth. Nothing is ever perfect, so stop worrying about things that don?t matter. Believe it or not, nobody really cares if decorations are sparse, wine isn?t cold enough, or pie crust is a little overdone. It?s company that counts.

6. Teach children value of one or two gifts. Kids don?t need dozens of gifts to be happy, and there is no time like present to begin fostering that belief in them. By lavishing children with several gifts every holiday season, adults actually ?train? kids to expect a lot. Start a new tradition this year with your kids and let them know that real value of holidays is to be together with people you love.

Monica Ricci has been an organizing specialist since 1999, and her motivational presentations teach effective organizing and simplifying techniques for home and work. She also offers free email tips and ideas on how to make life simpler and more organized. Her topics include clutter control, paper management, time management, organizing space and procrastination.Contact Monica at 770-569-2642 or Monica@CatalystOrganizing.com.

7. Take a stand at holidays. I know people who dread holidays because of tremendous stress involved. If it's gift-giving tradition that causes you stress, one way to help is to have a policy that you will abide by. The best part is, you get to decide what that policy will be. It may be no gifts for anyone, yourself included, Pollyanna name trading, buying gifts for needy children instead of each other, a spending limit per person, or whatever you come up with which will work for you. Whatever you decide, let your friends and family know well in advance of holidays and tell them that you'll be sticking to it. They may not believe it at first, but you will reap rewards when you find yourself enjoying holiday season again.

8. Stop getting junk mail and phone calls. Write Direct Marketing Association and have your name removed from junk mail and phone lists. It only takes a few minutes but makes a marked difference in amount of unsolicited junk you get. You can find forms to contact DMA at http://www.catalystorganizing.com or call them directly at 212.768.7277.

9. Stop spending time with toxic people. This is a tough one, but well worth it. Refuse to spend your precious time and energy on those constantly negative people in your life. Life is short. Spend it with those who love, support, encourage and inspire you!

10. Ask for help. Despite your efforts to simplify, things are bound to get crazy sometimes. When that happens, just ask for help. It?s so easy, and people in your life do want to help. It makes them feel needed and valued.

Simplifying your life is not about self-deprivation or living in poverty. To contrary, it is about consciously choosing to be satisfied with less.

It?s about eliminating those things that are taking up your time, space and energy and giving you little in return. When you simplify, you free up a great deal of energy to enjoy your life more. Try these tips and see if you don?t experience it for yourself!

Monica Ricci has been an organizing specialist since 1999, and her motivational presentations teach effective organizing and simplifying techniques for home and work. She also offers free email tips and ideas on how to make life simpler and more organized. Her topics include clutter control, paper management, time management, organizing space and procrastination.Contact Monica at 770-569-2642 or Monica@CatalystOrganizing.com.