Top 6 New Year resolutions – and how to make them stick
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It’s nearly that time of year when you sit back and ponder your business and individual achievements and set goals for the year ahead. Love them or hate them, most of us make New Year’s resolutions. In fact, according to an article by lifehacker.com almost half of all Americans set them, but only around 10% are successful. If you don’t have a list yet, here are 6 great resolutions and how to make them stick!
1. Create a Budget and Stick to It
If keeping your wallet in your pocket is a problem,then creating a realistic budget should be your goal for the New Year. Not only does keeping one’s spending in check affect one’s personal life, but it can also run over into your business. There are many excellent budget and personal finance apps that can help and all from the comfort of your handheld — look intoHomeBudget, Spendbook, You Need a Budget (YNAB), and others to find the right one for you.Here’s a nice article from tomsguide.com to help. Once you’ve picked one, stick to it and practice some discipline — just think what you can buy if you save!
2. Keep a CleanerHome
Anyone who tells you they just live to clean their home is either bordering on OCD or in serious need of a social life. But seriously, a cleaner home is the key to a clearer mind. How can you keep you finances in check in the midst of a chaotic, cluttered house? There are no brilliant apps that will do this for you, so your best bet is to first get rid of the junk so there’s less to clean and tidy. Next, cleaning dashes of even 15 minutes a day keep things presentable. Now, when it comes to tackling the bigger chores (those dreaded floors for example), you’ll already be on autopilot mode.
3. Live healthier
Most bucket lists include some desires to live healthier. Yours may be to eat healthier, workout, or quit smoking. Whichever it is, this is a fantastic decision. How to stick to it is the question. One way that might just work for you is thesimple, yet brilliant “Don’t Break the Chain” productivity method created by none other than funnyman Jerry Seinfeld. It boils down to completing a specified task every day and marking it off on a calendar with an X. The idea then is to never break the chain of X’s that show your progress. This method is applicable for almost every resolution. You can read more about Seinfeld’s method or even download the “Don’t Break The Chain!” app and track your daily commitment to your most important goals.
4. Get thatNew Job or Promotion
If you’re dying for a promotion at work or even hoping to change career path, you don’t have to wait for the New Year to make it happen. With a little bit of guts you can negotiate a raise or revamp your CV (it may be worthwhile having a professional look at it) and start sending it out to companies that you’d like to work for.You might even have had enough of the 9-5 scenario and decide to open your own freelance or small business, which brings us to the next goal…
5. Start an Online Store
If you’ve been toying with the idea of selling your wares on the Web, there are some excellent e-commerce website builders out there that have made it incredibly easy to build an online store by yourself. They offer gorgeous templates and easy-to-use drag and drop tools that require no design or coding experience. They will help you target your audience and fulfill your resolution.
6. Back Up Your Data
While you’re digging for your CV in some long-forgotten folder somewhere on your PC, this is an outstanding opportunity to do one of those things everyone says they should do, but so few often actually do — back up your data.If you are a heavy user of your smartphone, you might want to back that up too. Your home shouldn’t be the only uncluttered space for a new and great start to the year!
Source: http://www.smarttechtoday.com/top-6-new-year-resolutions-and-how-to-make-them-stick/8478/
