Happy New Year!!!

What are your resolutions for the New Year? It’s important to set long term goals, “I’m going to be a better Mother this year,” or, “I’m going to get more organized.” But do you know exactly how you’re going to accomplish these far reaching goals? How are you going to get from “tripping over your clutter” to “everything neatly put away”? You need smaller goals but more than that you need habits. Habits are for lazy people like us who don’t want to think about everything we have to do every day. If our brain can subconsciously do all the work while we go throughout our day we will be much more efficient. So let’s start today by making new habits that will turn us into the kind of people we’ve always dreamt we could be!

Sadly, I haven’t done this for several months but I used to choose one small goal at a time and work on it until it became a habit. Then I picked a new goal to work on. Now is a great time to start doing this again and I want you to do it with me which is why I’m starting a new feature here at The Lazy Organizer.

SMART Habit Saturday

SMART stands for: Saving Money, Associations, Resources and Time

Money – Are you wasting money because you don’t send in your bills on time and you end up paying late fees? Are you paying for things two or three our four times because you’re buying on credit and paying interest? Are you paying for luxuries that you don’t really need?

Associations – Are your relationships strained because you can’t make it to appointments on time? Is your family mad at you because the house is a mess and you’re mad at them because they don’t help? Do your kids feel like they come last because you overload your schedule?

Resources – Have you ever had to buy something again because you lost it or it got broken from improper care? Are you wasting water because you forgot to wash your little soccer player’s uniform and now you have to do a load for only two items? Are you feeling tired because you’re not eating right and getting the exercise you need? Are you delaying a visit to your doctor or dentist instead of taking care of yourself?

Time – Are you frequently forgetting appointments? Do you run around all day and feel like you never really accomplish anything? Do you feel like you give every breath of yourself to others and you want to start making time for yourself?

Pick one small daily habit that you want to develop and post about it. Then on Saturday Morning come back and leave a link so that we can read all about it. What’s it going to be?

-Floss your teeth every night?
-Go for a walk three times a week?
-File five papers ever morning after breakfast?
-Put one load of laundry in the washing machine every night and in the morning dry it and put it away?
-Clean out your car every time you get home?
-Repack your purse or diaper bag or briefcase every day?
-Make your bed every morning?
-Clean off your kitchen counter every night?
-Take your planner with you every where you go, even to bed?
-Check your Return Cupboard before you go anywhere and every time you have friends and family over?
-Go to bed an hour earlier every night or get up thirty minutes earlier every morning?

We can make huge changes in our lives by taking one small step at a time so I hope you will do this with me. We’ve all heard that it takes 21 days for something new to become a habit so it will take more than a week to develop your new SMART Habit. You can work on one habit at a time or you can start a new one every week while continuing to work on your previous habits. I can’t wait to see you back here on Saturday so we can inspire each other!

Until then, leave a link to your New Year’s post. I want to read all about the fabulous New Year you have ahead of you!