House Beautiful

Photo Credit: Dream Designs

If you follow a lot of blogs, you’re going to start seeing a lot of posts on New Year’s Resolutions. You’ll see top 10 lists, top 100 to-do’s, A-Z, 12 of this, 365 of that … and many of them will be great reads.

I’ve never been one to make a list of resolutions, and even if I had, knowing myself I wouldn’t stick to it. It’s all pomp & circumstance mixed with a little bit of adrenaline the first week of January, then it fizzles out quickly.

But as I look around my house and see areas that I promised myself, my husband, my parents, or my readers “it will look (different/clean/clutter-free) by (Christmas/New Year’s/when Hell freezes over)”, I actually do see one resolution coming through that has some potential…

Do 1 thing different each day.

It’s enough that it’s manageable, doable and accountable, without biting off too much of the proverbial elephant.

Here’s an example. More than a year ago I got the oomph to remove wallpaper from a tiny half bath off our kitchen. I primed and painted, giving it a much brighter look. But the walls are still bare, not because I haven’t bought new art or frames – I have, I just haven’t put them up. I’m wondering if I bought the right pieces, would they look good against the wall color, are they the right size … and so they sit.

So to do 1 thing different each day, for me, doesn’t mean do laundry because I didn’t do it yesterday. No, no, no, at least not the first week of January (hee hee). It means today I hang one print on the half bath wall. Tomorrow I may install one of the 3 Uppercase Living expressions that have been in the box for months. Thursday I might try a new freezer recipe.

The most important thing to remember when making your resolutions are they’re YOURS. Don’t try to live up to higher standards set by Martha, your mother, or your best friend. In my case, I look with envy at fabulous crafting and organizing blogs and wish I could include more posts on those topics, or other frugal blogs that have more Facebook fans than mine, and I teeter on making a resolution to be more like them. But in doing 1 thing different each day, my mind, my house, and my blog will slowly evolve into what I want them to be.

So I’m curious, have you made your resolutions, whether personal or professional? Share what makes them special for you!

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