6 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home

As New Year’s rolls around again, there’s one question on everyone’s mind: what do you want to accomplish in the coming year? Whether you call it a New Year’s resolution or just a task, the start of a new year is a great time to set goals for yourself. Where better to start improving yourself than with your home? If your space is a reflection of who you are, then improving it will launch a journey to improve yourself.

If you’re ready to jump in to the new year with a New Year’s resolution for your home, we’ve got your covered. Here are a few home-related resolutions to set yourself in the year to come: 

Resolution #1: Keep Less Clutter

Ready to start the new year fresh? Start by cutting the clutter–and then keep the year going on a high note by keeping out new clutter. This New Year’s resolution can feel vague, so it’s better to cut it down to a smaller, more achievable goal, like:

• Clear out one room a month with the ditch or donate method.
• Implement the one-in, one-out method. For each item you buy, you need to get rid of something else–so one new t-shirt means one t-shirt needs to be moved to the donation bin. 
• Designate a permanent donation bin using an old hamper. Commit to cutting down on stuff by filling it up every month with things you no longer use and bringing it to your local donation center. 

Resolution #2: Go Minimalist

If you’ve already cut the clutter and are hungry for more (or in this case, less), it may be time to take your cleanliness a step further by transforming your home into a true minimalist oasis. A minimalist lifestyle focuses on avoiding anything unnecessary and reusing items instead of relying on disposable or non-durable ones. Get a primer on how to live a minimalist lifestyle and start out with these ideas:

• Ditch disposables, like plastic bags, paper cups, and saran wrap. Switch to reusable versions, like canvas bags, glasses, and beeswax wrap.
• Transition to a capsule wardrobe. These wardrobes take up less space in your closet, last longer, and make dressing in the morning a breeze.
• Switch from cluttersome furnishings to a few high-impact pieces that deliver on style and functionality. 

Resolution #3: Create a Cleaning Schedule (And Stick to It)

It’s easy to say “I’m going to be cleaner this year,” but it’s a lot harder to do it. This is the kind of goal that requires a certain amount of organization, and one of the best ways to do this is through a schedule.

One mistake to avoid: you don’t need to clean every day. Instead, set yourself up with a set of cleaning tasks to accomplish in a larger time frame. For example, you can say that on weekdays, you’ll clean your kitchen and bathrooms–giving you five days to clean two of the peskiest rooms in the home–and on weekends, you’ll clean bedrooms, the living room, and other spots. Giving yourself a flexible schedule should make cleaning more accomplishable while still setting deadlines for yourself. 

Resolution #4: Make Your Home More Fitness-Friendly

For those seeking a fitness-related resolution, the home is the best place to start. Making your home more fitness-friendly is a great way to ensure your resolution–whether it be to lose weight, walk more, or get more time on your feet every day–is achieved. Here are a few ways to get your fitness at home resolution started:

• Swap your home office desk for a standing desk–and when you’re ready, ditch the office chair altogether.
• Break out an exercise ball to sit on while you’re lounging around the house or watching TV. It will keep you moving around and help improve your balance.
• Go all out and create your own home gym. Even in a tight space, a yoga corner or a small dumbbell shelf will motivate you to keep pushing yourself to workout. 

Resolution #5: Actually Accomplish the Home Upgrades of Your Dreams

You know that upgrade you’ve been thinking about? You know which one. Maybe it’s the kitchen with dated cabinetry that you want to repaint, or the living room furniture that’s stained far too light for your liking, or the shower head you’re dying to switch to a rain shower. All those projects feel like they’re not priorities–and as a result, they never got done.

So this year, resolve to do them. All of them (okay, if you have a long list, maybe not all of them…but do decide which ones are most important to you). Set yourself a clear goal, like finishing one small home improvement project a month, or one large project a season, then get to work. 

For those looking to upgrade their home, but unsure where to start, explore some DIY home improvements and DIY furniture upgrades for ideas. 

Resolution #6: Work Better With a Home Office

Many set their New Year’s resolution around leaving the office behind. They want to spend more time with family, or less time on their phones answering work emails. Those are easy to express, but often hard to implement, especially considering the pervasiveness of smart phones and office portability. That doesn’t mean you should toss out the resolution–just that you should approach it differently.

Instead of saying, “I want to spend less time working at home,” resolve to designate a clear space in your home for working–and only allow yourself to work in that space. One of the best ways to do that is by creating a true home office for yourself, set apart from the rest of the house and  free of anything that isn’t related to work. Here are a few tips to set up your new work-from-home space:

• Invest in furniture that belongs in an office, not necessarily a home. It’s tempting to get a comfy recliner (you swear you’ll use your laptop while you sit on it…you won’t), but serious furniture like a desk and office chair will put you in the working mindset. 
• Keep the space professional–if it’s too comfortable, you’ll be tempted to relax there. If the space feels like your office, chances are, you won’t want to spend much time there–and that’s a good thing.
• As hard as it is, keep your kids and pets out of the space. It’s a hard boundary to keep, but in the end, it will make you more productive. 

With a good home office setup, you’ll work more productively, giving you more time for your personal life and a comfortable space to settle into work life when you do need to work at home.

Once you’ve got your New Year’s resolutions for the home decided, it’s time to enlist the help you need. Anytime you need a hand with the heavy lifting, you can count on Dolly. Whether you’re bringing old clutter to the donation center, picking up new furniture for your home office, or need help putting your pieces in storage during a renovation, we can connect you to local pickup truck drivers who are ready to help. With Dolly by your side, this is going to be your (home’s) year.