Don't make resolutions you may not keep, like losing weight, or running five miles per week. Instead, focus on your home and use the new year to accomplish your home's to-do list? Find tasks that not only need to get done but will also enhance the pleasure of living in your home. Maybe you want to paint all of your bathrooms – easy enough. But perhaps you want to start a remodel. That takes a lot more effort in time and money.
Here are some ways to break it down so at the end of the year you can look back and see that you have actually accomplished quite a bit!
Make New Year Home Improvements Lists
Start by making a list of everything you want to do this year. Don’t leave anything out. Include all the easy stuff and the hard stuff too. Once you have your list, go through it and separate the items into three categories: Easy, Medium, and Hard. Easy means you can do it yourself and it cost nothing or not much. Medium means you can probably do it all yourself and maybe you’ll need a little help with some of it. It also wont cost too much but you might need to make a budget for it. Hard would mean you will probably need to bring it outside help for most of the work and it’s not cheap. You’ll either have to budget for it or start saving.
Now that you have your three lists, take each item and break it down into micro tasks. Break out every step you’ll need to do to accomplish the task. Make a list of supplies you’ll need, and create a budget too. Maybe start pulling ideas from magazines or start a Pinterest® board. Once you have all of your micro tasks completed, arrange each task from Easy to Hard. Easy might be starting the Pinterest board or gathering paint chip samples.
Now you’re ready to start. Begin with the low-hanging fruit – the easy items from each list that you can accomplish right now. If it helps, put each micro task on a calendar and start checking things off. Or get inspired by completing a few simple weekend projects.
Whatever path you take to tackle your lists, before you know it, you’ll have most of your list done, and hopefully, within the first few months you’ll have your entire “Easy” list finished. And with a few things accomplished and your list pretty checked off, those Medium and Hard items wont seem so daunting and you’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment. Don’t just sit there – get started!
Resources and Ideas to Help Inspire Your List-Making
Kitchen and Bathroom
Style Up Your Kitchen with Timeless Trends
Budget-friendly Bathroom Refresh
8 Alternatives to Granite Countertops
Inside Your Home
Is It Time to Replace Your Windows?
Choosing the Right Types of Blinds for Your Home
Home Maintenance for Your Hardwood Floors
Closet Cleanout in Under an Hour
Guide to Care, Cleaning, and Maintenance of Grout
Outside Your Home
Give Your Home Entryway a Facelift in 10 Easy Steps
Simple Ideas to Dress Up Your Backyard
How to Choose an Outdoor Fire Pit or Table
