New Year’s Resolutions

By Dawn McCaslin

New Year's Resolutions embody our heartfelt life-improvement intentions. The most common New Year's Resolutions are to lose weight and get in shape, find a better job, spend more quality time with loved ones, quit smoking, get organized, travel more and reduce debt. Experts agree that you should have clear, concise and easy-to-implement ideas in mind. Planning is also important.

Give yourself a few weeks prior to the craziness of the holiday season to really develop and familiarize yourself with your resolution plans, so the changes are less of a shock to your system and your daily routine. By having a few small yet significant resolutions which you can
easily follow through on, you'll gain confidence for your more challenging long-term aspirations.

Consider the following:

Using the latest county/city evaluation of your home, ensure that your homeowner's policy has adequate coverage for the value of your house, as well as the valuables you store inside.

Track your daily mileage by keeping a small notebook or log in your glove box. This will not only help you budget for an oft-overlooked expense, but you may find ways to help cut down on the wear-and-tear of your vehicle.

Take a look at your finances, your assets, your debt and your salary to ensure that you understand your worth. Doing this at least once a year is a great habit to get into, and you can use this information to determine whether you need additional insurance, such as a personal umbrella policy.

Set the timer for 10 minutes each evening and focus on cleaning one room a night, and before you know it, your home will look more organized and visitor-worthy with very little effort. This will also help minimize the potential hazards of clutter, making your home safer and more valuable.

If you are a habitual procrastinator, consider picking one task you typically put off and commit to doing it in a timely manner, like getting your oil changed consistently at the 3,000 mile mark. In addition to helping your vehicle run smoothly longer, doing this will give you a sense of accomplishment and help you achieve other minor victories.

Make this year different. Make this the year that you take a little time to set some reasonable, achievable goals for yourself. Be specific. Include details and minor changes that you can commit to long-term. Once these small changes become habit, you'll gain the confidence to begin working on your more challenging and long-term aspirations.

Be safe and have fun this New Year's Eve! May 2016 be your best year yet!

Many New Years Resolutions include finding ways to save money. Here are 15 easy ways to save $15 per week in the new year.

Author's Bio

Government Employees Insurance Company. Puzzled, are you? Well, the name goes back to the beginnings of the company. Founder Leo Goodwin first targeted a customer base of U.S. government employees and military personnel. Today, of course, the company has grown to provide insurance to a wide range of customers, whether they're employed by Uncle Sam or the private sector.

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.