I talked to a friend the other day and her new year's resolution was to make do with less. What a great resolution. Americans are changing. They are learning to adapt to the new economy of lay-offs, less pay, less benefits and less security. But they are adapting, and I believe they (and me) will come through this recession stronger, smarter and more independent.

Thinking about my friend's resolution, I couldn't help but look at my own life and how I had arrived at this moment in time, this step off of the land of solid ground and into the great abyss of the unknown. I will be making do with less this year because I chose to pursue a dream, a feeling so fleeting and soft that I can hardly describe it except to say that it is a quickening of the pulse, a profound and earnest desire, and an unvarying yearning of my soul.

I deliberately chose to live with less money so that I would have more time. Time truly is a precious commodity that seems to be in short supply these days. I think that doing with less always means choosing to rise above the pull of materialism in exchange for a more meaningful life. Making do with less means having more time for family, more time for fun, more time for introspection, more time for organization, more time for creativity and a more subdued mindset with less stress!!

As a test and an example for me, I learned recently that less is more. I own a set of lifetime-warranty cookware that started to peel and crack. I sent three of the pieces for replacement shortly before Christmas. My husband demanded to know, "What are we going to cook with in the meantime?" I didn't really have an answer for him except that we would make do. As Christmas rolled around, it dawned on me that I may be in a quandary for cookware since I make quite a few dishes for Christmas day at our house.

Once the day came and went, I realized that I had made do just fine without the additional pots and pans. I didn't even notice that I didn't have them. I just used other pans that weren't exactly the right size. They worked. And now I'm not even sure I want the new ones to come!

Armed with that same mindset, do you have excesses that are cluttering your life? Closets bulging with too many clothes? Food pantries so full that you can't find what you need? Shoes that are rarely, if ever worn? Broken toys and electronics that need to be thrown away?

Perhaps now is the time for you to considering scaling back. Making do with less means less to decide, less to clean, less to waste, and less to eat. An additional benefit of eating less means fewer pounds on the scale. In so many ways, less truly is more and perhaps one small step in the right direction will lead to a completely revolutionized life for you!

Susan Grossman is a certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor who has recently left a full-time corporate position to pursue her dream of self-employment and helping others with their weight loss and fitness goals. She has spent many years in martial arts training and has overcome her own struggles with weight loss. Visit her website to learn more: http://www.warsawssecret.com.