February is a critical time to remind yourself of your New Year’s resolutions. It’s the time when you start to forget the promises you made yourself and begin falling back into old habits. But as important as your personal resolutions are, it is also an excellent time to add some new goals for one of the most essential features in your life – your home! Here are five simple ideas for home resolutions that will increase your appreciation for what you already have, as well as tap into your creative side and spark new ideas to help you make your house a home.
Appreciate what you have and be grateful. Your home is your shelter, it warms and protects you and your loved ones. Why not take the time to focus on the abundance you already have rather the things you want? Use what you have – read the books that are already on your shelves, cook the food you have in your kitchen, wear the clothes you haven’t worn in a while, watch your favorite old movies, spend more time on that comfy couch where you’ve created so many memories. Appreciate all that your home provides!
Identify your style. Finding your preferred style and aesthetic can be an ever-evolving life-long quest. The important thing is not to overthink it. Sometimes that means not making a purchase until you are entirely sure it will be a quality investment for your home. Maybe that means not rushing to buy something and instead, waiting until something better presents itself. Don’t force purchases – If something doesn’t speak to you, don’t buy it! Commit this year to enhance your own design needs – what colors, textures, and styles attract you? When you have a more concrete idea of what you like, you can make better buying decisions and build/design a better home that genuinely feels like you.
Remove or change what you don’t like. Purging the negative is just as important as adding positive things to your life. In fact, deleting the negative may unintentionally create positive outcomes without you even having to make a new purchase or adjustment. Have you been living with an ugly piece of furniture or a wall color that you don’t like? Find what is enhancing your home and what isn’t, and make this the year to say goodbye to all of the things that are not positively enriching your life.
Refuse to buy anything you don’t absolutely need. As much as decluttering can help, it is a worthless quest if you are continually replacing the old with new. Choose to start a new practice this year of spending more mindfully. This can be a challenging endeavor to get used to but is well worth the effort. Every time you find yourself considering a purchase, ask yourself if having that item will 100% improve the environment of your home. Do you already have something that you could repurpose to serve the same function? If its décor ask yourself if it is a necessity – Do you know exactly where the new piece will go? If you don’t have a place for it, don’t buy it. Only make purchases that enhance the life and well-being of you and your loved ones.
Treat yo self! You may think this contradicts the last point, but it is vital to maintain happiness by rewarding yourself. This doesn’t mean you should go out and purchase something that you don’t need. Instead, discover the little things that improve the environment of your home and your well-being. Maybe that means keeping fresh flowers in the kitchen or starting that home garden you’ve always wanted. Would you drink less coffee and more tea if you purchased that tea kettle you’ve always wanted? Perhaps it would give you a designated time every day to just sit back, have a cup of tea and relax. Think of the little things that could improve your life – and treat yo self!
Your home is where you will spend most of 2019, whether you follow these simple resolutions, or create new ones – make this year the best yet for you and your family!