Like many of us at the start of a new year, I recently started a list of my New Year’s resolutions and realized that it was actually depressing me. Why? There is no way I am going to conquer all the clutter in my home, exercise 5 days a week, put home-cooked dinner on the table every day, and no way I will suddenly become a super-tidy person. It’s just not me.

Then I thought back to last year’s list: One of my resolutions made a big difference for me, which was to “do something nice for my body every day” – it could be exercise, it could be spending some extra time on my hair or personal grooming, it could be a massage or getting my nails done, or even just eating clean, good food. (Okay, if I could have just done the massages every day I would have!)

Leaving it general gave me permission to adjust what I did so that if I was super-busy, or didn’t have time to go to the gym I could still stick to it. This felt good — I wasn’t ‘failing’ at my resolution, instead, I was building the good feeling and strength that comes from sticking to it. Plus my hair looked better!

What I learned was that resolutions and goals do not need to be the same thing. A resolution can encompass a shift in outlook or be one daily habit that you incorporate. The goals you create out of that ‘sit under it’ but the resolution can be more general. It takes some of the pressure off to know that as long as you are heading in the right direction, practicing what you declared even in the smallest of ways, you’re succeeding.

This year, I’m thinking of how to apply that idea to other areas, including my home. Since last year’s resolution worked so well, I’m going to resolve to “do something nice for my home every day”.

Here are some examples of how you can love your home 365 days of the year:

• Bring in fresh flowers - homes love plants and flowers. Your home will thank you.
• Clean out just one drawer.
• Rearrange or re-edit one decorative ‘vignette’ in your house.
•  Label your pantry/drawer/kid’s drawer so everyone can put things back where they belong.
•  Clean a window, or schedule a pro to do them all.
•  Fluff and rearrange your pillows.
•  Put a pretty throw on your favorite chair or sofa.
• Schedule a repair.
•  Take a fresh look at a room or area you’ve become ‘immune to'… Ask yourself, “What could it use? What would make it look nicer or function better?” Pick one thing.
•  Take a moment of gratitude for an area or a detail that really makes you love your home, no matter how small.

I’m sure you can think of a lot of ways to show some daily love to your home. Let me know what you’ve come up with on my CAVdesign Facebook page. Let’s see if we can come up with 365 different ideas this year! Instead of feeling guilty, I hope you come to love your home all over again. Want some guidance on how to get it done? Pick up a copy of my free ebook: 10 Steps to Your Perfect Room Makeover.