With Holiday celebrations over, you may find yourself with more free time than you have since November last year! Many people head into January determined to put this free time to constructive use with an array of personal projects that range from improving their health and quality of life through to taking up new hobbies and making some home improvements, with some dipping into the world of DIY for the first time.
Whatever your new year project is, from jogging to finding a new job, there are few principles you can apply to make sure you’re approaching it in the best possible way.
Planning
Whatever your goal, it’s important to plan properly, and perhaps the most important part of planning is to decide what success and failure will look like to you for this project. If your aim is to start running in 2018, you can decide whether this means you want to build up to a marathon – a specific goal, or success could simply mean running regularly two or three times a week, and making it a habit. This makes the difference between whether you go on to outline an exhaustive training regime, or just set some incentives for you to reward yourself after each run.
If you’re planning to redecorate the spare room, defining success is more about setting the bounds of your renovations. A simple redecoration involves merely tidying, touching up faded paintwork and adding a few touches like paintings, flowers and new bed linen. A more complicated project will mean repainting the entire room, picking new furnishings to fit the new colour scheme, and more. Make sure you’re realistic – nothing demotivates you like realising you’ve overtaxed yourself and can’t finish your self-imposed task.
Preparation
After you’ve made a plan, encompassing a full understanding of the task at hand, what it will look like when it succeeds, and what fail states you need to avoid, you can begin to prepare. This means making sure you have all the resources you need for success. For a runner this might involve a trip to buy shorts and a solid pair of trainers.
If you’re planning some home improvements you don’t just need the right equipment, from paint and brushes to ladders, you also need to research the additional support you might need, from equipment hire to storage space! If you’re looking for self storage London has plenty to offer, and it allows you to clear out the room you’re working in to avoid the risk of damage to your precious possessions.
With your plans well laid and preparations taken care of, you can be sure you can start your new year with success!