How to Set Up Your New Home for New Year’s Resolution Success

Are you about to move on the cusp of a new year? This is an opportune time to think about how you can make your next chapter better and brighter by setting up your new home in a way that will support your new year’s resolutions. 

New year’s resolutions are a great way to look to the future with optimism and make changes that will help you reach your life’s dreams. Making new year’s resolutions is easy, but following through on them can be tough, especially if you don’t set yourself up for success. With your upcoming move, you have a chance to clean the slate and take control of your new space so that it better serves you.

At All My Sons Moving & Storage, we know moving inside and out. A well-organized move is an efficient move, and setting up your new place is the crucial last step to making yourself at home. Complete that last step with some tips and tricks designed specifically to help you meet your goals, and you’ll smash through those new year’s resolutions in your next chapter.

First things first, what are your goals for the new year? Jot down what you would like to accomplish once you are settled in your new home, and make those goals S.M.A.R.T. Tell family and friends about your goals for extra accountability.

 Then follow these steps as you set up your new household to help support your goals.

Clutter wreaks havoc on mental health. According to research, people who perceive their spaces as cluttered can have higher levels of the stress-hormone cortisol and are more prone to procrastination. Cluttered space can even affect your ability to focus. The first way to set yourself up for success in your goals is to get rid of the clutter.

Make your fresh start by purging the items you no longer need. Moving is the perfect time to take inventory of the things that are no longer serving you. While you are packing, ask yourself these questions about your items: 

• When was the last time you used this item? If you do not remember the last time you used an item or if it has been a year or more since you last used the item, then you might consider letting it go.

• When do you expect to use the item again? Some items you might not use very often, but you can name a specific time in the future where you will need the item. Keep items you plan to use again in the immediate future.

• How much space does this item consume? Offloading large, bulky items will help you save space in your new home. If an item occupies a lot of space, consider getting rid of it or replacing it with a smaller version. 

• How easily is this item replaced? Something that can easily be bought in a regular store without much hassle gets a point toward the offload pile, especially if you do not use the item on a regular basis. Items that are sentimental or irreplaceable get a point in favor of the keep pile.

• What do you feel as you hold this item? Items that make you happy or bring up positive memories get a point in their favor. You might even choose to keep items that evoke bittersweet memories, but items you feel indifferent toward get a point toward the offload pile. 

• Can you keep this item digitally or just preserve a piece of it? Items like important documents or sentimental pictures could be preserved in a digital library, saving you space. Other sentimental items like keepsakes, old children’s craft projects, or hand-me-down furniture could be upcycled into a new creation.

The answers to these questions should help you determine if you sort the item with the stuff you plan to recycle, trash, sell, or give away.

Once your spaces clear, not only will your move be more manageable, but you will have less junk weighing you down when you start your new year.

Now that all the clutter is out of the way and you are well into your unpacking at your new place, it’s time to organize your new household. Being organized can help reduce your mental load and allow you to find things quicker. When you have designated space for everything in your household inventory, you’ll never have to lose time looking for an item.

Here are some tips for making your new home an organized wonderland:

• Compartmentalize Your Spaces: Instead of throwing items into drawers and hoping for the best, invest in compartments for your various spaces from your dressers to your pantry. Imagine if you could always find your can opener in its designated compartment instead of rummaging around in a drawer full of kitchen odds and ends. You would save so much time over the long term.

• Create a Daily Essentials Station: Find a space in your entryway for a daily essentials station. You can invest in a versatile furniture piece to keep here or just use a simple basket and series of hooks. Stock your station with the items you use everyday on the go like jackets, purses, backpacks, ID’s, or keys. Assign a designated spot to each item you keep in your essentials station and always remember to return your items to the station when you get back home so you never have to hunt for them again.

• Label Your Shelves and Bins: Staying organized over the long term is a breeze when you label your storage spaces. Invest some time and energy into putting labels on your shelves, bins, cabinets, or compartments, and you can always know exactly where to put an item when you’re finished with it. 

Creating an organization system that works for you will help you navigate your home with ease over the long term. When your home is perfectly organized, achieving your goals gets a little bit easier. 

When you’re organizing and decorating your new place, why not choose decorations that support your mental health? Your home is the place where you want to relax and unwind, so it should feel like a haven. Dive into the psychology behind decorating and choose options that bring you peace and mental clarity to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

• Let Natural Light In: Your access to sunlight during the day affects your circadian rhythm, and studies have shown that more light exposure during the day can lead to more physical activity and longer sleep duration at night. Better sleep at night? Yes, please! 

• Get Some Plants: Studies show that having house plants positively impacts mood, concentration, and even blood pressure. Add some greenery to your home décor and reap the mental rewards.

• Use Calming Colors: Cooler colors like green and blue are great for promoting serenity and balance. You can decorate or paint with these colors in your bedroom or living area to add a dash of calm to your daily routine. 

After you decorate with mental health in mind, you can experience the surprising benefits on a daily basis. Your new home will feel like a tranquil refuge from the chaotic, busy world. With better mental health, achieving the rest of your goals will come easier.

As you are organizing and decorating, don’t forget to dedicate spaces to help fulfill your new year’s resolutions. Whether you’re looking to improve your health, your work or study performance, practice a new skill, or spend more time with your creative hobbies, you can set up a special place in your home dedicated to pursing your resolution. 

• Health and Fitness Goals: Have you made a goal to lose weight, build muscle, or just exercise more? Create a space in your new home that is dedicated to exercising and stock it with weights, a yoga mat, or other exercise equipment. Complete your exercise space with motivational posters or a small stereo system for your workout playlists. 

• Work and Study Goals: Set up a workspace in your new home. If you do not have a room for a home office, make sure you get at least a small space for a desk and a comfortable chair. Organize it with office tools like pens, paper, post it notes, and a white board.

• Hobbies and Creative Goals: Do you want to learn a new skill or practice a treasured hobby in the new year? Put a space in your new home to pursue your creative dreams. Get yourself an easel or art table, stock drawers with crafting supplies, or set up a place for a musical instrument.

This is where you really get down to the business of achieving your personal resolutions. Dedicating physical space to your goals will help set you up for success during the new year. 

The first few weeks after the move might feel a little chaotic as you go about unpacking and getting to know your new neighborhood, but if you start practicing your new habits as soon as possible then by the time February rolls around you’ll be ahead of the curve on the new you. Take the time during your transition period to start practicing the habits you’re looking to cultivate.

Here are a few ways you can ensure you stay on track once the year gets into full swing:

• Create Your New Routine: Compare your goals with your daily routine and determine where you can dedicate time to pursuing your goals. This might involve rearranging parts of your regular routine and finding specific days you can perform activities that will support your goals. For example, if your goal is to lose weight or eat healthier, you might dedicate time on the weekend to meal prep so you always have healthy food on hand. If your goal is to read more, you could place a book on your nightstand and plan to read for 15 to 20 minutes as a part of your bedtime routine. 

• Write Your Goals in a Prominent Place: Get a bulletin board, whiteboard, or some simple sheets of paper and write your S.M.A.R.T. goals on it. Post the written goals in a prominent place like at your workstation, in your entryway, or on a bathroom mirror. This serves as a constant visual reminder of what you are looking to accomplish in the new year. You can even keep track of your progress on your goals in this space and get a quick dopamine hit every time you mark something as accomplished. 

• Host an Accountability Group: Chances are that your friends, neighbors, family members, or roommates have goals they want to accomplish in the new year as well. Help each other reach those goals by hosting an accountability group at your new place. Meet weekly or monthly and talk about your progress, spur each other on, and support one another in setting yourselves up for great success.

Establishing new habits might feel uncomfortable at first, but if you plan ahead then you can make your new home work hard supporting you. When your space is set up to help you succeed, you’ll find it easier to get motivated and practice your new daily disciplines.  

The next great chapter of your life after your new year’s move could be the year you finally keep your resolutions. With a little extra planning and organization at your new home, you can blast into the new year prepared for success.

Make this your best move yet and get those resolutions going. Have fun, and have a happy new year while you’re at it!

When you need help getting moved in, call the expert professional movers at All My Sons Moving & Storage. Our team can help with everything from professional packing to storage solutions. Whether you’re moving houses, apartments, or your office, All My Sons can handle all the heavy lifting so that you can experience a stress-free move. Local or long-distance, no matter where your destination lies, All My Sons would be proud to bring our customer-focused care to your move. Start your new year’s move off right by booking with All My Sons Moving & Storage.