New Year, New Beginnings



As one year draws to a close and a new one begins it allows us a time to pause and take stock of our lives. We can reflect on what is working well, what isn’t working and look at what changes we can implement to make our lives happier and more fulfilling.

New Year’s resolutions are notorious for being abandoned before the month of January is finished. Diets, exercise, being healthier, tidier, giving up bad habits – these are hard to stick to in the dark winter months when the days are short and cold. Perhaps instead we can allow this to be a time of reflection rather than of resolutions. New Year’s resolutions are easy to make and break, instead, maybe we can give ourselves this time to think about the big decisions and whether we need to make any changes in our lives. Changing job and moving house, for example, which are often interlinked.

At Instant Home we deal with many clients who are relocating to the UK from abroad, and are therefore in the midst of making huge changes to their lives. With this in mind we have compiled our top tips for helping to make important life decisions.

Be future oriented

According to Harvard University’s Dr Edward Banfield, who spent 50 years studying economic mobility, the most successful people are “intensely future-oriented. They think about the future most of the time.” So try not to focus on the immediate results of your choices, but look further into the long term consequences of your decision.

Be proactive not reactive

We are programmed to react immediately to something new in our environment, which serves us well a lot of the time. However, with big decisions we need to resist the urge and allow ourselves time to sit and think about it, to examine all the possibilities and outcomes. A pros and cons list is a good way to start.

Avoid decision fatigue

Being human involves constantly making conscious decisions, what to have for breakfast, what clothes to wear, what route to take to work, etc. A recent study found that parole judges were dramatically more likely to free prisoners that they saw first thing in the morning, or just after lunch when they were refreshed. This points to the fact that we find it easier to make decisions when our brain is not overloaded. Try meditating first thing in the morning and then look at the problem at hand.

Go outside of yourself

It’s always a good idea to get the perspective of an outsider with life-changing decisions. Choose someone who is not invested in any possible outcomes, and who can offer a truly objective opinion.

Go with your gut

Interestingly, when opinions are offered, it can create a strong reaction, feeling that the advice they offered is wrong or right. This taps into our gut instinct. Making decisions based on gut instinct has been backed by neuroscientists. In fact, one study has shown that overthinking actually has a negative impact on our decision making process.

Whatever you decide to do, steer clear of fear and embrace change. We have helped many people to settle into new homes during periods of big change such as relocating from another country or when they have been displaced through fire or flood. We help to take care of the details so that you can focus on the big picture and enjoy your new life.

For more information on how we can help, please get in touch.