If you have taken the plunge and committed yourself to a New Year's resolution for 2023, or if you are still deciding, it is important to keep a couple of things in mind

1. Rome was not built in a day
2. Progress is not linear

Progress is not always a steady, consistent ascent toward perfection. For every peak, there is a valley and for every step forward, there will be a stumble backward too.

What are some of the most common New Year's resolutions in 2023?

Move more, sit less

Walk around the house or around the backyard a few times a day to get your steps up. Every little bit helps and you don’t have to run a marathon!

Track your steps with an app or smartwatch to help keep you motivated.

Drink more water

A slice of lemon or other citrus fruit can convert a boring glass of water into something refreshing and tasty.

Try a glass of hot or warm water with a squeeze of lemon to begin your day and flush out unwanted toxins in your body.

Make eco-friendly choices

There are so many ways you can reduce the environmental footprint in your home by choosing eco-friendly products.

Re-usable fruit and vegetable bags are a great eco-friendly option

Take an extra minute when shopping to consider eco-friendly options such as

• Compostable bin liners
• Recycled toilet paper
• Reusable products
• Biodegradable and organic products

Send handwritten notes or letters

Brighten someone’s day with a personal touch rather than an email. In this day and age where most correspondence is via email or sms, it really doesn’t hurt to get off the screen!

Call people more

Following on from our previous point, pick up the phone and have a chat.

You cant hear someone smiling at you through a text message.

Live simply

In your day-to-day aim to consume less.

You don’t have to resort to a full minimalist lifestyle, but quite often, less is more.

Perfect one recipe

Pick a recipe you love, or a completely new one for that matter, and truly master it.

Cooking is fun and rewarding, plus you can impress friends and family with your culinary skills!

Music instead of TV

Yes, we all love the old Netflix binge though next time you're bored and set to plonk yourself in front of the TV why not get your groove on and play some tunes?

Listen to your favourite music while doing the housework or get those good endorphins flowing and dance like nobody is watching. Much more fun than more screen time in front of the TV.

Practice intentional breathing

Let's face it, wellness is in and stress is out in 2023!

Intentional breathing is the quickest way to recalibrate the nervous system and is a simple but powerful tool for reducing stress.

Try some meditation first thing in the morning to set you up for a great day. Set your daily intentions to remain mindful throughout the day.

Ditch a bad habit

Nail biting, smoking, boredom snacking, too much wine? We're all guilty of something.

Choose a bad habit that drags you down and work on eliminating it. Remember the thing about Rome...

Get rid of unused subscriptions

Just like a bad habit, we all have unused subscriptions that we're paying for, and most of us opt to 'cancel it another time'.

If you don’t use it, ditch it! It will save you money and promote a level of variety if you rotate from time to time.

Cut back on spending

Buying your lunch every day or a couple of coffees really adds up over time.

Buy one or two fewer coffees each week and take the time to prepare your lunch at home a couple of times a week. Put the money into a special account and when you’ve saved $50 or $100 treat yourself to something special.

Keep a notepad by the bed

My best ideas and memories of something I have forgotten always seem to come in the dead of the night, most of the time preventing sleep.

Jot the ideas or reminders down and then move past them. This will help your mind relax and help you to get a better night's sleep.

Clean out your wardrobe

Really, is there anything more cathartic than a good clean-out?

Go through your wardrobe and clean out everything you have not worn in the past 12 months, especially those items you're holding on to as 'you might just fit into them again'.

Bag them up and give them to the needy. Good items only, of course, not rubbish, save those to use as rags.

Put your phone away an hour before bedtime

Electronics can disrupt your body’s natural circadian rhythm, opt for reading a book instead of scrolling your socials before bed.

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For personalised service, integrity, and exceptional results in property management, switch to a professional real estate service with First National Real Estate Neilson Partners Narre Warren, Berwick, and Pakenham.