As sales professionals who promote energy efficiency, how often do we turn the same principles we espouse and direct them toward our own lives? In this culture, the urge to consume has become a driving force in our day-to-day rituals. We spend for pleasure, amass more and more belongings, and often end up with possessions we immediately forget, rarely use or simply don’t need. In short, they either end up in storage or in the trash!
Cait Flanders wrote The Year of Less about an experiment she conducted on herself: how would her life change if she shifted her focus from constantly spending and buying to living a life with less possessions and consumption? The experiment lasted for a year but changed her forever. It not only simplified her life, but freed her from overwhelming debt and distraction.
When it comes to an uncompromising model for life change, look no further than this book. Not everyone can take the dive, but there are principles that will alter the way you look at your bank statement. If you’re learning about how to convince prospects and the benefits of their savings, why not apply those lessons to yourself?
Here is the summary on Amazon:
“In her late twenties, Cait Flanders found herself stuck in the consumerism cycle that grips so many of us: earn more, buy more, want more, rinse, repeat. Even after she worked her way out of nearly $30,000 of consumer debt, her old habits took hold again. When she realized that nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy--only keeping her from meeting her goals--she decided to set herself a challenge: she would not shop for an entire year.
“The Year of Less documents Cait's life for twelve months during which she bought only consumables: groceries, toiletries, gas for her car. Along the way, she challenged herself to consume less of many other things besides shopping. She de-cluttered her apartment and got rid of 70 percent of her belongings; learned how to fix things rather than throw them away; researched the zero-waste movement; and completed a television ban. At every stage, she learned that the less she consumed, the more fulfilled she felt.
“The challenge became a lifeline when, in the course of the year, Cait found herself in situations that turned her life upside down. In the face of hardship, she realized why she had always turned to shopping, alcohol, and food--and what it had cost her. Unable to reach for any of her usual vices, she changed habits she'd spent years perfecting and discovered what truly mattered to her.
“Blending Cait's compelling story with inspiring insight and practical guidance, The Year of Less will leave you questioning what you're holding on to in your own life--and, quite possibly, lead you to find your own path of less.”
