How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions and Get Those DIY Projects Done!
By DIY Maven
For the majority of people, new years’ resolutions usually include such things as quitting smoking, losing weight and exercising more. And although those are all excellent goals for ‘08, we DIY types might have more Curbly-esque resolutions. Painting, tiling, redecorating...that kind of stuff. In the next few days we’ll be inundated with hints as to how to keep our new year’s resolutions, all with a slant toward the first, more common kinds of objectives. With a bit of tweaking, however, we can apply the same rules to get those projects done. For example, here’s two University of Maryland psychiatrists’s offerings Curblied up.
Avoid perfectionist thinking. I know a bunch of people unwilling to start a DIY project because they’re afraid they will make a mistake. So what if you make a mistake! MWT and I have made plenty over the years, and the fact is, we are generally the only ones that notice them.
View setbacks as lessons for growth. Believe me, if you do make a mistake on that tiling job or paint job YOU WILL LEARN FROM IT, and you’ll never ever do it again. Trial and error really is one of the best ways to become good at DIY.
Don’t make absolute resolutions. Instead of resolving to redecorate your home to make it look as if it came out of the pages of Dwell, which might not be realistic for many reasons, determine to TRY TO add Dwell-like elements/style to a room or two.
Don’t keep your resolutions to yourself. If you tell a friend or family member about your resolution, you can almost guarantee they’ll ask you how your project is going, prompting you to get it started—and get it finished!
Give them some meaning. So you want to re-do your kitchen because you feel you must keep up with the latest trends EVEN THOUGH you really like your kitchen, in spite of the olive green appliances. Your heart won’t be into this re-do resolution, so it might be best to let it go and put your DIY talents to another goal.
Take baby steps. You want your bathroom ‘done’ in a month, which is a great giant step, but to get the project really done, you might want to set more realistic goals. Hey, life gets in the way of the best laid plans, so aim for something more manageable and not so intimidating. First a new toilet, then vanity, then floor and so on. You might not get that bathroom done in a month, but you WILL get it DONE!
Fine-tune your spirituality. Nature inspires all designers (DIY and professional); wether they realize it or not. Colors, shapes, textures. So take a cue from Mother Earth when considering your upcoming project. Take a walk, look at the flora and fauna for a little inspiration. Treat yourself to some flowers before your project and during to remind you of the beauty you’ll be adding to your life.
For more information about the U of M article concerning new year's resolutions, visit this page.
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Self-proclaimed Maven of DIY, I'm up for anything from gonzo rehab to dressing a room. Check...
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