A New Day's Resolution

New Year's is a great time for a fresh start. New year, new resolutions, new you. But what if this year you resolved to continuously improve your life? What if you decide that you don't need a new year to set new goals and new resolutions? Start improving simply because it's a new day, a new month, your birthday, your anniversary or a Thursday.

Achieving organization at home and in your life are similar to any other goals you may set. Reaching those goals takes determination, desire and patience. Don't give up just because you missed a day or because the big picture seems overwhelming. Set a start date and be specific about the goal that you set. Get excited about it! Tell your friends and family so that you have their support and, in some cases, know your expectations of them in helping you achieve your goal.

Set a date. Choose a date a two to four weeks in advance to give yourself time to prepare. Mark it on the calendar and tell your friends and your family about it. Over the next couple of weeks do your research and get excited! Use the internet, magazines and photos to help visualize how it will change your life. You could even make a story board with photos, quotes and ideas to remind yourself what you're working towards. Post it somewhere that you'll see it each morning and at a glance you'll get inspiration and determination.

Start small and specific. Instead of, "I want my whole home to be clean and organized," try setting the goal of, "I'm going to make my bed every morning so that when I get home my room feels tidy and clean." Or instead of, "I'm going to clean out my files and papers in my home office," set the goal of, "I'm going to go through one stack of papers each night while I watch tv." Being specific in goal setting helps you start small in building new habits and gives you a feeling of achievement as you're able to conquer each task.

Don't give up just because you miss a day! You don't have to wait until the new year to start over. Start again the next day and the more you do it the more the habit will develop. Know that there will be some set backs and that building any new habit can be tedious and frustrating. Also know that you've set these goals for a reason and focus on the positive change they will bring to your life as you achieve them.

Suzanne Stenerson
Harmonized Home

www.harmonized-home.com
253-229-5967