5 Bad Home Habits to Break in 2017

Happy New Year...Welcome to 2017!With the new year come resolutions, goals and aspirations for all things better. To kick off the year, I wanted to share a series on Bad Habits to Break in your Home, Digital, Life, Personal/Well Being and Organization.Let's start with Bad Habits to Break in Your Home...

1. Clutter.  Clutter kills your mojo! It completely zaps your energy because energy can't flow when it's blocked every which way by "stuff". I've always been affected by my environment and I'm sure you are too and don't even realize it.  For example, I cannot function when my desk is a mess. When I used to work at a law firm, there were many times when I would stop what I was doing and organize the files and paperwork that would accumulate on my desk during the day and put everything away. I couldn't function with all the clutter around me.  In fact, my co-workers would tease me about my desk. I worked best when it looked like I didn't have anything to do because my space was so clear.  While others enjoyed the "appearance" of being soooo busy, with piles of files and paper strewn about, I was the exact opposite. Clutter free spaces are more productive...don't let the busy facade fool you! When you clear your space, you clear your mind.
2. Excessive Buying. Buying more than you need is a waste of time, space and money.  Oh, but it's on sale and such a bargain.  Follow the mantra, "if you don't love it or need it, don't buy it!" The extreme couponing craze is an extreme waste. Why does anyone need a garage that looks like a Costco warehouse? It makes absolutely no sense to have dozens of bottles of the same condiments when you'll never be able to consume them before the expiration date.  If you find yourself in this situation now, go through your inventory and donate what you don't need and toss out the expired items.  Excessive buying may be a result of Bad Habit #1. When you are surrounded by clutter and disorganization, you don't know what you have so you keep buying.  Keep a list on your fridge or nearby to remind yourself of grocery or other household items you need to purchase on your next shopping run.  I keep an erasable board in my kitchen for this. Making a list will help you remember what you need and only buy those items.
3. Disorganization: when stuff is everywhere and there's no rhyme or reason to anything, it weighs on your every day lifestyle.  You'll free frustrated by your inability to find things, it takes so much longer to complete tasks, you're constantly running late...there is a better way!  It will take some time to create the systems to help you out of this state but it can be done.  Just don't try to do it all at once.  Pick an area and tackle that first. You'll feel so good when you complete that one task that it'll motivate you to do more.
4. Shoes in the House. I'm very passionate about this so I may come off as preachy but this is such a bad habit. Just take a minute to think about why shoes were invented? It was to protect your feet from outside elements. What do those elements include? Dirt, feces (that's pee & poo! from animals, humans, who knows!) spit, food, snots, GERMS!!! You walk on that with your shoes and then you come home and track that into your house?! All over your floors, carpet and some of you wear your shoes and sit on your couch and prop your feet up on your furniture...that's really gross. or worse, your bed! NASTY!!! Need I say more?
5. Project Procrastination.  We are all guilty of this. There are things we should do but we don't and don't tell me you don't have time because that 30 mins or hour or two you spent scrolling through Instagram and Facebook or Pinterest, you could have accomplished a lot. Trust me, I know because I waste plenty of time on social media too.  It's one of those bad habits I need to break in 2017...wanna join my support group?

Here are a few quick tips on how to help you overcome these bad habits:

• Set a timer and just get things done - organize or clean for 15 minutes
• Do things right away like sort the mail.  I pick my mail up and immediately toss the junk mail in the recycle bin in my garage before I even walk through the door.
• Write things down and enjoy the satisfaction of crossing things off,  TO DO LISTS are your friend
• If you're thinking about it, just do it! That's one last thing hanging over you head.
• Keep a shoe rack by your entrance so you have a handy spot to put your shoes when you enter your house. Having the systems needed makes the actual task easier to execute.
• Know when to ask for help, i.e. handyman, house cleaner, call in the pros.

I hope you found these tips helpful and that it'll help you break at least one of these bad habits.  #5 has my name all over it.  Good luck and come back for the bad digital habits you'll want to break.