Five habits to help you achieve your goals

<p><strong>I</strong> love the fresh start of a new year. On Jan. 1, I scurried around our home. Christmas trees came down in record time. Calendars, both digital and paper, filled in for the weeks and months ahead. I set goals, did yoga and found time to do laundry and dishes, too.</p><p>While I know it’s unrealistic for me to think that the other 364 days of this year will be as productive, I have figured out a few ways to maintain healthy habits. This year, I’m focusing on five key areas of life and using the methods I know work to keep the promises I make. Even if you don’t have exact same goals, these life hacks are transferable. Use them to make this your best year yet.</p><p><p><strong>Drink more w</strong><strong>ater</strong></p><p>While there’s been some recent debate about our traditional views of how much water people should drink everyday, most of us can agree that we’d benefit from more water and less of other beverage choices. I don’t have a specific ounce goal that I’m reaching for each day, but I do try to make sure I primarily drink water throughout the day.</p><p>A few years ago, I purchased a couple of nice glass water bottles. I love the temperature the bottles keep the water and the flavor, too. To make sure that I always have a bottle on hand, I fill them up as soon as they come out of the dishwasher.</p><p>As a bonus, keeping your refrigerator full helps it to use energy more effectively. You’ll both save money on the power bill while prolonging the life of a major kitchen appliance. Keep your water bottles where you can easily reach them on the way out the door to school, work or the gym.</p><p><p><strong>Spend less money</strong></p><p>January is an interesting month. Most of us emerge from the Christmas season having lived a life of excess. Beyond gifts and traditions, we’ve hit the drive through one too many times. We’ve fallen prey to “one more” gift or “one more” special food item. Or we’ve purchased gifts for ourselves.</p><p>During the first few weeks of the year, most of us want to reduce spending as much as possible. But habits can be hard to break. For this reason, it’s smart to go on a spending freeze. Yearly, our family quits restaurants for the entire month of January. It feels a little painful but makes a significant impact on our finances.</p><p>It doesn’t mean you have to quit restaurants. You could choose to stay out of a particular store for an entire month. Or maybe you won’t darken the browser of that favorite online retailer. Whatever you choose, set a specific range of dates and specific parameters to your challenge.</p><p><p><strong>Be more intentional with time</strong></p><p>I have a love-hate relationship with my phone. I’m so grateful for the many conveniences it affords me. But I know I spend way too much time mindlessly scrolling through a feed. My head is down instead of engaged with the people around me. Or I lose myself on an online shopping site.</p><p>Maybe the smartphone is less of a temptation for you. Perhaps you watch episode after episode of your favorite show or you have a hobby where the hours seem to disappear.</p><p>Make good use of the settings on technology based time-drains. Many devices provide timers that you could use to become more aware of how long you’ve spent. Others have actual time limits you can set. Each day, you can determine before you begin exactly how long you’ll spend on specific apps or websites.</p><p><p><strong>Quit wasting money</strong></p><p>Fees stack up quickly when we don’t have solid systems in place. We pay our bills late. The library books don’t get returned on time. These tiny charges don’t seem like much on the surface. However, when added over the course of the year, those dollars could be put to better use.</p><p>If you struggle with late fees, consider the following strategies to keep out of their reach this year. Automate when you can. If the bill has an automated option, choose to have the amount deducted from your account when it’s due. Set reminders. As soon as you check out a book or rent a movie, set a reminder in your phone or write down the due date on the calendar.</p><p>Fix items when they break. Rather than letting the faucet continue to leak or the check engine light come on continually, make swift repairs when at all possible. Ignoring the problem typically leads to a greater expense.</p><p><p><strong>Actually achieve the goals you set</strong></p><p>I’m a firm believer that March 14 or May 18 or July 18 are just as great dates to set goals for your year. However, a new year gives each of us a fresh start perspective. Research shows many of us set a number of goals that will go unachieved, though. In fact, before January is even over most resolutions fall by the wayside.</p><p>If you’re aiming for success, you need help, friends. Having a co-conspirator (or a number of co-conspirators) will help you show up at the gym, really read the book or make strides toward healthier finances. Ask someone you know to help you achieve specific goals this year. Put dates on the calendar to meet with that person and talk about your progress. And celebrate the win together when you see it come to fruition.</p>