Most New Year’s Resolutions are about changing habits. Ask around, and your family, friends, and coworkers will admit that they’re pledging to exercise more, get organized, or work on having less stress in their lives.
Happily, we’ve been able to research some of the best ways to make each of these changes happen. Let’s get ready to make 2020 the best year ever!
Exercise Motivation
Not to sound like one of those commercials for fitness centers, but it takes a while to make exercise a habit. Studies show that the average number of days before forming a new habit is…66.
That’s more than two months! But don’t be discouraged. The best way to keep plugging away with your new exercise routine is to make the process of doing it as easy as possible.
Make a schedule
Get out your calendar and your phone, and set your workouts up now. If you make time in your life for exercise and schedule your other activities around it, you’re already primed for success. Besides: Having your phone chime in with a reminder could be a great way to get out of something you don’t want to do. Just hold it up and let them know you have to get to your workout.
Keep your equipment ready
Bike, running shoes, or yoga mat: Make sure that they’re easily accessible and hard to forget. When you’re done with your workout, keep your gear together on a shelf by the door, ready to go. We suggest one of our many sizes of stainless steel shelves for a good looking solution.
Get your life organized
It might be an overall goal, or you may have some specific areas of your home in mind. You may have been watching old episodes of Hoarders, or are making some other changes in your life. No matter what the scale of your project, you’ve got this!
Make it a team effort
It’s much easier to stay on task and accountable when you have help. Even if you live alone, invite friends over while you work. They’ll help keep you on track, provide a second opinion on what to keep or throw out, and it won’t seem so overwhelming.
If they’re up for it, have them drop off any donations for you after a big discarding session. They’ll be gone and handled before you can have any second thoughts.
Make sure you have an ending goal
It’s great to decide you want to organize your pantry, for example, but it’s not going to happen without knowing what your goal is. If you want to consolidate and alphabetize all your spices, you’ll need to have room for all of them. If you need to get all your appliances into one area, you must know how large that area should be.
Inventory first, take some measurements and consider what you might need to make it all happen. Adding shelves like our picture ledges to the inside of a pantry door can provide all the spice storage you’ll need. It may require some rearranging of your cupboards to relocate your kitchen appliance collection - just relax and take a little time to think it out.
Easy does it
Ironically, deciding to take the stress out of your life requires a little work in the beginning. First, identify what smaller changes you can make to reduce stress. A week at a spa retreat would indeed benefit many of us, but it’s not as simple as making your bathroom an oasis.
Improve your private space
A great way to lower stress is by creating a private space that’s uniquely yours. If you love to sink into a hot tub or long steamy shower, make your bathroom as luxurious as possible. Stock up on special oversized towels, select fragrant soaps that are only for you and hang a Do Not Disturb Sign on the door.
Set up your own shelf and don’t be afraid to stake your claim! Keep it stocked with your candles, linens, and even your favorite soapy romance novel. Commit to your de-stressing rituals, just like any other good habit.
We hope the New Year brings all your new ideas to fruition!
