New Year's Resolutions have become a cliché. Everybody makes them . . . and everybody breaks them! How many times have you made a solemn vow to yourself on January 1st, only to give up in frustration by January 8th?
Here are a Professional Organizer's guidelines to making New Year's Resolutions that stick.
• Make only those resolutions to which you are sincerely committed this year. By selecting only a few items off of your long-term wish list, you greatly increase your likelihood of success.
• Make a plan for each of your resolutions. For example, "Spend more time with my family" is impossible to do unless you figure out which activities you will eliminate from your schedule to create new-found family time. Think through how you will implement each of your resolutions, then -- and this is important -- write your plan down.
• Don't expect overnight results. Experts say that it takes three weeks to develop a new habit. Don't give up on a resolution until you have tried for at least three weeks to make it a lasting change.
• Phase them in over the year. Don't try and start everything on January 1st -- you'll be overwhelmed. Prioritize your resolutions, and give yourself time to make one set of changes before beginning to implement your next one.
• One of the most popular New Year's Resolutions is "Get Organized". If this makes an appearance on your list, consider hiring a Professional Organizer. A Professional Organizer can focus your efforts and teach you organizational skills that greatly increase likelihood of lasting change.
About the Author:
Sharon Lowenheim, MBA, MSE, is a Professional Organizer and owner of Organizing Goddess, LLC, in New York City. Since 2006, she has taught organizing skills to individuals and groups in their homes and their offices. She can be contacted by e-mail at
sharon@organizinggoddess.net or by phone at (212) 249-3537. Visit her on the web at
http://www.organizinggoddess.net.
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326
Date Published :
Jan 6 2009