apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

A Landing Strip and a Launch Pad: Although we've had a landing strip for ages, this year we'll make a concerted effort to use it more efficiently. We'll sort our mail here and deal with it immediately, including shredding the junk and putting the bills in one place to be paid (money saved by avoiding late fees). We'll also make a renewed effort to spend a few minutes at night prepping for the next day -- putting things on the landing strip that we need to take with us in the morning, figuring out what to wear and prepping breakfast -- so that even if we oversleep we can get out of the house quickly.

Outbox: We're clearing out our clothes closet and getting rid of all of the stuff we never wear. With a streamlined closet of clothes we actually love and that look good on us, getting dressed in the morning will be that much faster and simpler.

Cook at home: We're planning to cook at home more often and planning it so that the leftovers from tonight's dinner become tomorrow's lunch. Cooking fresh and healthy meals will also help us take off some of the weight that seems to have accumulated around our mid-section. With a great and satisfying lunch, we'll be less likely to snack come mid-afternoon. We'll also be saving money by bringing lunch in instead of ordering it out. At home, we've promised ourselves that our dinners will be eaten in the dining room instead of standing up in the kitchen or in front of the tv.

Give more parties and have people over more often: This year we're making it a priority to see friends more often. In order to facilitate that, we'll have them over more frequently (and we won't be shy about asking them to pick up stuff). We'll save money by not eating out and since the festivities are taking place in our own home, we won't be late!

Spend more time at home doing what we love: We've definitely spent more time at home since we cured it a few years ago. This year, we're going to cure it again (we definitely know that our pantry, our book collection and our files need some work) and tweak its arrangement and decor to support our changing goals. (For example, since we'd like to try to reach our fitness goal by exercising at home, we'll need to clear some space in our living room).

Declutter: With a place for everything, we'll spend less time looking for stuff and be able to get out of the house faster in the morning. Since we'll know where everything is, we'll be less likely to purchase something we already own.

What are some ways that the principles you've learned on AT have helped you meet some of your life goals?

[image: Kelly's Modern Craftsman]