Read This Before Setting Your New Years Resolutions

Over the years I have made my fair share of New Years resolutions. Always the same, vague resolutions that would rarely come to pass. When I realized that I had set the same goals several years in a row I would refrain from making resolutions the following year thinking that would somehow allow the old resolutions to pass. *SPOILER ALERT* It didn’t work. 

Slowly I would come to understand goal-setting and the importance of creating a hospitable home environment to nurture my personal goals. Along with promising yourself that this will be your best year yet its important to consider how your home supports you in achieving your yearly goals. Did you create space for your at-home gym to help you reach your fitness goals? Is your home office set up to support your new LLC or are you still working at the kitchen table? 

Working in the right environment allows you to channel your energy into your goals. 

Without the right environment needing to move the coffee table to do a floor workout could become a tempting excuse to skip today’s workout, and tomorrow’s, and next week’s… It’s all about removing the obstacles. And the real key to creating the right environment is learning how to set SMART home goals and I’m going to show you how. 

SMART is a business acronym coined way, way, WAY back in 1981 by George T. Doran.  It stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based. Setting parameters around your goals creates a springboard for accomplishment and details for gauging success. 

• Specific - Pick a room or space in your house. Even if your overall goal is to attack your entire house break it down into manageable bites. In this example we’re attacking the Home Office. 

• Measurable - Avoid catchall’s like “declutter”. Instead specify exactly what your finished result will be. Example: Sort paper clutter and file or shred. Create desk space for new computer.  

• Achievable - Make sure your goals are realistic and that you have the time and resources to achieve them. Is your schedule clear to complete the work this week? Will you need to hire a professional or take out a home equity loan to pay for it? Make note of any required resources and make attaining those resources your first action step. In this case clearing out the paper clutter will require file storage, a shredder, and basic cleaning supplies. 

• Relevant - The last thing any of us needs in this busy modern world is extra work. If it isn’t achievable, or important to you right now put it on the back burner for the time being. Let’s assume our sample goal of cleaning out the Home Office affords us dedicated work space for our new LLC. Having dedicated space means we aren’t wasting time cleaning off the dining table. It’s now a priority to create the space and we have both the time and resources to achieve the goal. 

• Time-Based - Put it on the calendar. Seriously. Block out time in your schedule to complete the project and make sure you set a clear end-date. Example: Tuesday 6pm-8pm - Clean out paper clutter in Home Office. Complete by Friday. Always give yourself a final date to achieve the goal in case you can’t complete the task all at once or you get interrupted.

With clear goals and simple action steps we can finish a project in very little time. Imagine how you could transform your home by the end of 2020 with this method. You don’t need to read the latest organizing book first you just need to set some clear goals and put some time on your calendar to accomplish it. 

Here’s to making 2020 our best year yet!