Yes. It is here. 2020, having dragged its feet through thick mud and blustering hurricanes, the New Year is upon us. The days are getting longer and an optimistic hope greets us. This is traditionally the time to analyze and address the aspirations of days gone past and look to the future we hope to attain. Healthy habits, happier lifestyles, and financial stability typically reign as the leading focus for resolution building. Since The Wise Team helps to find new homes, we have some Wise Tips for building your resolutions for your home, your family, and the New Year. Let’s make 2021 amazing!

 

Healthy Habits

 

We all want to be healthier, and we all want delicious cuisine, tantalizing treats, and full bellies. Sometimes these desires crash into indecision and our habits take us back to ease and comfort. What we know is what is good. Breaking this pattern is probably the hardest part of transforming habits, especially when there’s a household with whom to work. Here are some steps to help everyone take the steps toward healthier eating habits.

 

  • Resolve to Clean Out the Kitchen. Set a day to clean out the refrigerator, a weekend to clear out and wipe down the cabinets. A couple of hours to deep clean the walls and floors. They say, “The kitchen is the heart of the household.” For New Years, dive deep and clean out the heart of your house!
  • Resolve to Plan Meals in Advance. Sit down with your household, whether family or roommates, and talk about meal planning. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages that presents, whether financially or for scheduling. In our opinion, meal planning can be a great way to save money, eat healthier, and build better relationships. Scheduling is the most difficult part, and making meal-prep equitable for everyone is where most of the discussion takes place.
  • Resolve to Read Healthier Books. Pick up some cook books at the thrift store or local book shop. You can find a wide variety of cooking styles, cuisine instructionals, and healthy eating guides to help you and your family or household find inspiration when it comes to meals. Read up on different diets and see what sounds good to you. There are so many alternatives, each with their own benefits and disadvantages. Learning new recipes and trying new things over time can be a great way to learn new habits!

 

Most important of all is to maintain communication. Keep talking to each other about how you want to transform your habits in and around the kitchen. Whether it’s to lose weight, build muscle, find more energy, or generally feel better keep talking about what you want and how to make it happen.

 

Happier Lifestyle

 

This resolution type has so many different ways to go. Happiness is different for everyone, but finding happiness means addressing key pillars in your life. Here are some first steps to consider when building any resolutions for your happiness.

 

  • Resolve to Build Security. A lot of unhappiness comes from stress, overwhelm, and uncertainty. These factors are rooted in a sense of security. To help build resolutions of happiness find the root of these unhappinesses and build a strategy to address them. As you slowly feel more secure in the areas that stress, overwhelm, or create uncertainty you will find happiness comes easier.
  • Resolve to Build Community. Loneliness is one of the greatest causes of unhappiness. With a lingering pandemic pushing communities apart and creating rifts where once it was easy to build relationships it’s hard to find contentment with the social distancing and lock downs. There are many ways to build community through digital means, even safely socially distant. 
  • Resolve to Get Active. One downfall many people are experiencing while being home more often is staying active. Exercising, getting outside, having game nights, and going out, seeing friends and family are all activities that seem forbidden in a pandemic world. Don’t let that stigma linger. Get active. Create ways to get out, see people, do things, and stay healthy and safe. You’ll see very quickly how much this can help create new happiness in your life.
  • Resolve to Find Healthiness. Your body is the driver of your emotions, energy, and attitude. With a healthy body a healthy mind can follow and lead. Discover ways to enhance your health and happiness will follow.

 

Happy souls build happy homes, and happy homes last longer. Take the steps in 2021 to wash away the unhappinesses that hold you down and take the chance to grow. Hurdles that come your way are but reminders of the comforts you’re so ready to accept, habits that have led you here to today. Jump over them, and find happiness just around the bend.

 

Financial Security

 

Saving money is a big trend at the beginning of every year. We might have joyously overspent over the holidays or have created a financial goal for 2021, but a lot of people address financial security for the New Year. Here are some places to look to start helping address your financial security for a New Years Resolution.

 

  • Resolve to Cut Back Spending. Go through your monthly expenses. Build a spreadsheet to calculate how much you eat out, shop on Amazon, spend on apps, movies, and other downloadable media and subscriptions. You may be surprised where your hard earned money is flowing, and then you can address where to cut back.
  • Resolve to Refinance. Look into your loans and lines of credit. 2021 may be the year for you to refinance and start saving. Interest rates are still low, and projected to hang low for a little while yet. Speak to a financial advisor or your bank to see what options are available to start saving you money in the new year.
  • Resolve to Diversify. How are you saving your money? Is it all in stocks or bonds? Do you keep it in the bank? Have you invested in cryptocurrency? Do you have hard assets like gold or silver? Are you investing in real estate? Having a diverse portfolio can help protect your assets from market volatility. Make 2021 the year you further build your safety nets financially by resolving to diversify.
  • Resolve to Build Equity. Your home is typically your largest asset. Perhaps it’s time to redo the kitchen or fix the inadequacies of your bathroom? Renovating key areas in your house can typically help your property gain decent amounts of equity. And if you’re willing to put in the elbow grease, the profits will be even higher. 

 

Wherever your finances are, ensure you find the best way to stay financially stable and secure moving forward. With a global pandemic shifting business, trade, and economic habits it’s more important now than ever to find stability moving forward. Talk to your household about how you can make sure you have the financial ability to survive and thrive.

 

If your New Year’s Resolution is to buy or sell your home, get in touch with The Wise Team. We’ll help you accomplish this momentous goal and make 2021 a year to remember!