It was only a few years ago that I discovered that January is the international goal setting month of the year.  Or so it seemed then and still seems this year.  Almost all types of business blogs and others seem to focus on getting your goals for the years sorted, and then chunking it down to smaller bite size pieces.  I even got introduced to the South Africa’s “Fairy Godmother”, Donna McCallum, last year when listening to our local talk radio show.  And this year was no exception for the re-appearance of the Fairy Godmother and her magic wand that she waves over you to motivate you into reaching your goals.

So, I am not exactly the Fairy Godmother, but I rather fancy the idea of waving my magic wand in your direction, to inspire you to re-visit your interior spaces, with a view to setting some goals that will usher in some fresh elements to office or home.

 

Marica and I so often have these awesomely interesting discussions around interiors and I have wished that it could be more public so that many others could draw the benefit of these as well.  One of the topics that we touched on in length last year was the fact that we get so accustomed to living with stuff, that we don’t even begin to notice that the curtains are fading, or that the clutter is growing on the desk, or that our décor is beginning to date, developing a rather stale appearance.

So, let’s join that “IT’S A GOAL” mob and set a few goals re: the interior design and décor of your space right now – it is January after all.

Goals should apparently be SMART: (My response to that is: of course they are smart – they originate from me and that makes them smart).

Seriously though, that acronym looks like this:

S – SPECIFIC

M – MEASURABLE

A – ATTAINABLE

R – RELEVANT

T – TIME – BOUND

Here goes:

1.  The “research” phase: – get into the décor mags and those online décor blogs, just so that you can see what is out there in terms of trends, colour, style and what the retailers have to offer. Remember – the objective is to keep your décor fresh and vibrant.

2.  Grab hold of a pen and a notebook. Then take a slow stroll through your house or office. Do it room by room – slowly.

3.  Stop and take a long look around the room. Remember to view the room through new and creative “lens” and particularly with a view to bringing in “freshness”.

4.  Note all the things that have bugged you terribly in the past and which have become the things that are put off being done. That then becomes the “priority list” items on the “TO DO LIST“. Then note all the things that would be on your “wish list”.

5.  Don’t make it an unattainable and unrealistic wish list – rather focus on that which you know could be easy to do and that which would not break the bank to buy.

6.  After you have covered each room, chunk it down even further (this I have discovered is a well worn cliché in the “goal setting” scenario).

As an example:  After having been through my house, I instinctively know that my bedroom is the one room that needs the most refreshing work done in it.

7.  Next step after chunking down do a short list of “TO DO GOALS” – set out a list of no more than four actions that need to be achieved. E.g. – “paint 2 walls a contrasting colour. And – freshen scatters with new fabrics.”

8.  Thereafter; chunk those actions down into the real “stuff to get” list. E.g. – select paint colour, – chunk it down further, asking questions like, WHO (will paint) WHERE (to buy paint) and WHAT (colour paint). In terms of say scatters; WHAT (fabrics & patterns) WHERE (will I buy); etc. STICK WITH THE LISTS – IT HOLDS YOU ACCOUNTABLE AND RE-INFORCES THE ACTIONS.

9.  Now that you know exactly what it is you need to do and also to buy, SET YOURSELF A BUDGET. Put a figure next to each line item and try to stay within those confines. This alleviates emotional and impulse spending

10.  LASTLY – set yourself a realistic time frame in which to perform and complete this task. I would recommend no longer than three months. Just to circumvent boredom. Long term goals are different animals, but that does not exclude them.

These tips are not foolproof by any means, but I reckon that it is a step in the SMART direction.

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ENJOY YOUR INTERIORS AND BE INSPIRED.

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