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8 Ways to be More Productive in the New Year
As the new year approaches, it’s essential to look for ways to stay motivated and productive. Here are a few great tips and tricks to keep you on track in 2023.
Visualize it
The power of positive thinking can elevate your mood and perception of what’s possible. Visualizing yourself accomplishing a goal and thinking about what you want to achieve will help motivate you to do it.
Chop It Up
Our tasks are never-ending as employees, parents, and regular folks. Some jobs are minor while others can appear daunting—with those vast tasks, break them down into smaller parts. Create a to-do list and feel satisfied to check each task off one by one until the whole job is complete.
Take Breaks
If you are like me, go go go and never take time to breath or rest. We are not machines and can’t keep running on empty. Make time in your schedule to rest and recharge, even if it’s only for a few hours per day. If you don’t rest, it’s much easier to get distracted or feel like you have to multitask to keep things moving. Take a break every hour and reset your mind.
Try and Avoid Multitasking
Multitasking might appear to be a great solution to finish up many things at once, but it divides your focus and detracts from the quality of the tasks you are working on. Try focusing all your time and efforts on one thing at a time, then move on to the next. Overtime habits will form to streamline this process.
Automate and Delegate
Time is something that we never get more of, so use your time wisely. If daily tasks are getting repetitive, see if there is a way to automate them. These might be simple things to make your day easier, like using a coffee maker timer or keyboard shortcuts at work.
If it’s impossible to automate these repetitive tasks, delegate them to someone, whether a partner or co-worker. The takeaway is to prioritize your time to make more of it. Do the essential things yourself. The rest delegate or automate.
Surround Yourself with Success
The people you have around you are critical factors in your success. If you have successful and productive people around you, they will influence you to do the same. Being around success breeds success; naturally, you will become more productive and mimic it.
Become Accountable
Hold yourself accountable to others. Talk about what you want to do with friends and family, and then hold yourself accountable to complete the goal, i.e., I told Jane I was going on a trip by myself, so now I have to try it.
At work, talk to a colleague about what you want to accomplish this week and set deadlines for yourself. Throughout the week, update them with your progress—this will help you remind yourself not to let that person down.
Encouragement from others to keep you motivated will also play an important factor in completing a project or task.
Manage Your Energy
Similar to time, energy is a finite resource. Tired people struggle to focus and have brain fog. Sleep is a crucial part of recovery every day. The more sleep you have, the more productive you will be. Rest and breaks are vital throughout your day, so recharge every hour or so.
Doing a job and activities you enjoy daily will help your motivation and energize you. So keep that in mind day to day. If you are feeling a lack of motivation, it may be time to switch things up.
I hope you enjoyed reading a few ideas to stay happy, motivated and productive in the new year. Remember, these are a guideline. If you already have great tactics to keep on track, keep doing what works well for you.
For all your real estate needs, contact your Local REALTOR®.
5 Things to Know About Buying Rural Property
Many homebuyers are looking to escape to a rural property and avoid the hustle and bustle of the city. It may seem like a dream to live a quiet country life, but there are a few things to consider before taking the plunge.
1. Check the Zoning
It is vital to check how the rural property is zoned. The zoning will dictate how you can use the land, what types of buildings are allowed and the location. The property might be zoned as residential, agricultural or country residential, among other titles.
How the property is zoned can affect lenders, the amount you qualify for, and what you can do with the property. Some lenders are hesitant to finance agricultural/country residential zones due to differences in lending and foreclosure processes.
2. Property Boundaries
Once the property has been zoned correctly, the next step is to book a survey. A survey will mark the property boundaries and avoid any future controversy. Now would also be a great time to appraise the land and its value.
3. Considering the Land and your Mortgage
In most cases, lenders follow the basic mortgage formula: one house, one outbuilding and up to ten acres of land. What purchasers don’t realize is that the amount of land can drastically affect the mortgage qualification and what you can borrow. If there is extra land or additional buildings on the property that is being purchased, consider that you will need over 5% of the typical down payment.
4. Water and Sewage
Rural living can have various water and sewage options, from city water and sewage to private wells and septic tanks. Plan to get an inspection done to ensure everything is safe and working correctly and make it a condition of the purchase offer, including testing the water quality and getting the septic tank inspected. Inspections outside the city will cost more than inside the city, but having a piece of mind will be worth it. The inspection will be an essential step as lenders will sometimes request potability and flow tests.
5. Coverage Matters
Coverage becomes very important when living outside of the city limits. Here are the top two rural property coverages you should consider:
- Home insurance: It’s no secret that home insurance costs more for rural properties due to the distance from the city’s fire stations and hydrants, but it is vital to purchase.
- Title insurance: This is the other essential insurance to purchase. It will protect you from unforeseen disturbances with the deed or transfer. It will also make you aware of any improper use of the property (i.e., dumping waste).
Here are a few guidelines if you are considering purchasing a home or land in a rural area. However, there are many more things to ponder. Seek a mortgage professional specializing in rural properties and locations to make buying one easy.
Contact your local REALTOR® who is familiar with the countryside properties to aid in your search today!
Inexpensive Tricks to Bring Luxury into Your Home
Want to jazz up your space to be luxurious but don’t have a lot of extra income? There are numerous things you can do on a budget to give your room a touch of class.
Keep reading for great tips and tricks to get those luxury vibes without burning a hole in your pocketbook.
Impactful Lighting Fixtures
If your light fixtures look dated or no longer fit the vibe of your home, think about updating them with statement light fixtures. A statement light fixture is an excellent investment, it creates an elevated look and focal point in your space.
Some excellent affordable options would be buying a cylinder shade or drum for your existing lights. Vintage shops or discount home stores might be another great place to look.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…
Mirrors reflect a sense of space and openness. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to find, to hang and instantly change the look of any room. Mirrors visually add square footage and bounce light to create a brighter space.
Try adding mirror closet doors to make any bedroom look bigger or create a statement wall of different mirrors, ornate frames or otherwise. Mirrors are great for mixing and matching sizes and styles.
Accent Tables for Practicality and Style
An accent table is a practical solution to add a touch of elegance to any room. Go for a mixed material table to add flare. Placing a table between two chairs or a sofa can elevate any space.
Fresh Painting or Wallpaper
Painting is probably the most common way to change a room, and it boasts a lot of impact for not a lot of money. Once popular paint colours like whites, greys and blues are fading away, clients opt for natural, cozy tones like creams, taupes, and beige. For an eclectic vibe, seek purples, chocolates and even hunter greens.
Wallpaper is a little more complex to install and pricy, but a great one can be a showstopper. It is also great for hiding existing wall imperfections or covering an unpaintable older wall. Try wallpaper in a hallway, accent wall in a bedroom or make a mundane small bathroom pop.
Switch out Furniture Hardware
It is easy to forget how much furniture impacts a room. If your furniture feels dated or isn’t fitting within your space anymore, try changing out the hardware. Updating the knobs and handles of a piece can bring a more modern or vintage look, depending on what style you like. In the kitchen, it’s nice to update the handles frequently to keep it chic.
Transform Chairs with Fabric or Paint to Luxury Seating
For the past few years, painting and reupholstering old furniture has been all the rage, and it’s not stopping anytime soon.
Having a set of chairs that coordinate with the rest of the room brings in a luxe custom feel. Pick a paint colour that is part of your existing room colour palette. Paint your chairs and then look for fabric to upholster them.
Choose a fabric that encompasses the colours of the existing room’s decor and the new paint colour. The textile can be as tame or wild as you want. Try a solid or bold pattern.
You only need a little bit of fabric for this transformation project, so go ahead and invest in a luxe, high-end or designer one.
Dramatic Floor-to-Ceiling Curtains
Layers, whether in clothing or a home, always make everything look put together. Instead of adding just a basic curtain, try hanging curtains from the top of the ceiling for a dramatic effect.
Curtains hung from the ceiling help to visually create more height and space by drawing the eye upwards. Pick a light, airy fabric to let the natural light seep in.
Buy curtains that are longer than needed and trim them from the bottom, rather than getting custom-made curtains—an excellent cost-effective option.
Make an Impact with Small, Bold Accessories
Accessorize your space with objects that don’t blend in; pick unique ones that will stand out. Choose a bold colour palette or mixed material pieces, like an ornate or gold mirror over a fireplace.
Lamps, decorative boxes, fresh flowers, antiques or coffee table books are also impactful in any space.
Update Hardware and Re-paint Old, Outdated Cabinets
Refresh and renew kitchen and bathroom cupboards with a fresh coat of paint.
Adding a new set of hardware, like drawer pulls and knobs, can also help complement the new paint colour.
The average cost of this makeover is under $500, compared to installing all-new cabinets, which would likely set you back a few thousand dollars.
These tips and tricks will help you spruce up your home in no time! Whether you are staging your home to sell or want to enjoy your decorating efforts, these inexpensive tips are sure to please.
If you want to sell your home, contact your local REALTOR® today!
