It’s the start of another year and an attempt to stick to our chosen New Year’s resolutions. Many of us end up not fulfilling, but some are determined to make their resolutions come true. This year, just after midnight, I sat down and came up with a very long list of resolutions for 2017. Some are simple things, but others are personally challenging. For example, I am in the process of starting a home pet sitting business. I was in the planning stages for several years, but was afraid to put my ideas out there and finally start my business. At the top of my list of resolutions for 2017 is starting and growing my business. Over the last year I realized that my daily habits, or lack thereof, were the main reason I wasn’t making my business happen. I am very good at making to-do lists and I am very aware of all the steps I need to take to make it all happen, I just haven’t been as organized or productive as I need to be.
Based on my personal life, here are some of my suggestions for creating a more organized and productive lifestyle. Instead of sleeping late on your days off, wake up and get ready as if you were going to work. Once you’re awake and ready, spend an hour or more working to complete the tasks that need to be done, such as cleaning or organizing a room or space in your house or garage, planning the next few weeks’ meals or even prepared meals, running errands that you may have been procrastinating, or working on projects for your job or business. Another tip to make sure you work on your to-do list is to get a planner or calendar and schedule or plan everything you need to do in the coming weeks or months. This may mean writing down a task for a certain day, scheduling the task for a certain time, or planning the order of everything you need to complete on a certain day.
These are not big life changes, but they will have a big impact on your productivity. For me, making these things a habit over the past few months has allowed me to finally get my business to the point where my grand opening is in a few weeks. If I hadn’t made these changes, it could have continued in the planning phase for a few more years. Resolutions are very personal, but I think these suggestions can help anyone determined to stick to their resolutions.
