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New Year’s Resolutions are such a big thing! I think it is commendable that people are always trying to do better and improve themselves. When a new year starts, people are hoping to change their bad habits, manage their time better, become healthier, etc., and what better time to do this than when we are going into a new year and want a fresh start. Personally, I stopped doing resolutions years ago because like everyone else, I would have grand plans to improve that would usually end inevitably by January 15^th or sooner.

I really believe in self-improvement though and definitely have some things I would like to work on personally as well as professionally, so I decided to do some research into ways that I can be more successful in the long-term and be happier because I am reaching my goals. Below are some ideas that I thought would be worthwhile sharing that may help someone else.

-Write your goal down daily. In one of the classes I took, they said to write your goal 25 times a day and word it in the present tense. For example, I enjoy exercising five days a week, instead of…I want to exercise five days a week.

-If you are having trouble remembering to do a new habit, the suggestion is to do habit stacking. This means look at things in your normal routine, like eating meals, for example, and add your new task before or after tasks you do on a regular basis.

-Tell people what your goal is because that makes you more accountable. Go a step further and make sure you have an accountability partner.

-If possible, find people to hang out with that have similar goals. It is almost like find your tribe. If you are trying to lose weight, find other people in the office or friends who want to lose weight too. These people will understand your challenges and can provide support. The reverse is also true. If you are trying to quit smoking, don’t hang around smokers.

-If you are trying to avoid a bad habit, consider making it harder to do that habit. For example, drive a different way home, so you don’t go past the donut shop. If you are trying to avoid looking at social media while you are at work, try leaving your phone in your bag for a period of time.

-Break down reaching your goal into small steps. You don’t have to build up to exercising five days a week the first week you start trying to do that. Start with one day and then go for two days. In one book I read, they said you are trying to form habits, so just getting on your workout clothes and going to the gym for a brief workout is worth doing to start with. Another example is if one of your goals is saving up for a down payment to buy a home, take small steps towards this. You can use our TK Homes Mortgage Calculator to help with that.

-Something else to remember is that everyone has bad days, and no one is perfect. The rule I have heard used is don’t skip two days in a row. If you miss one day of doing your desired habit, don’t miss a second day.

-Rewarding yourself for doing the correct behavior is also a good thing. Of course, it has to be a something that seems like a reward to you.

Even if you aren’t trying to keep your New Year’s Resolutions, I hope that one or two of the ideas above help you to improve some area in your life. I will be using them myself to help me reach my personal and professional goals this year. Remember, if one of your goals is to buy or sell your home this year, the easiest way to reach that goal is to contact a TK Homes agent today! Let’s make 2024 a productive and happy year!

~TK Homes REALTOR®, Mary Smith,

Source: Clear, James. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results. Cornerstone Press, 2022.