Regrouping in the New Year!

​Happy New Year!!!
Is anyone else wondering where the time has gone lately? We can’t believe how fast the holidays flew by. What a whirlwind!
As we catch our breathe from the craziness of the holidays we are taking time to reflect on last year, regroup and prepare ourselves for the year to come. We know preparation means everything when setting ourselves up for success at work and at home.
And like many of you finding balance in home and work means being prepared for the day, week, month and year ahead. Here’s a few suggestions from our team …..

​Our mental state of mind
Did you make a new year’s resolution? If so, did you make a plan of action or are you just going to wing it and hope for the best? We know that resolutions or goals without a plan usually die out and never come into fruition. By putting your plan on paper you will turn a thought or idea into a reality.  A to-do list should be the first step in establishing a daily routine to hold yourself accountable for the smaller things that ultimately lead to reaching your end goal. Mentally preparing ourselves for success is where it all starts for our team. 

​The state of our surroundings
Christmas decorations are down and put away, except for those few random items that we have found hiding around the store and in our homes. Everything seems a little bare after the festive décor and lights of the holidays. What better time than now to freshen up our décor/surroundings and get organized? Its time to put away all those Christmas gifts & stocking stuffers and get started on your taxes. But don’t let this be overwhelming. 
Start small!!!
Start first by organizing. Here’s a few ways to think outside the box. 

​​#1 - A computer armoire can allow you to freely work on taxes or projects without clutter being in plain sight. Easily take breaks from projects without picking up or packing up all of your work, by simply shutting the doors. Your work will be out of sight of visitors and safely tucked away from small children and pets! 

 #2 - How about a storage ottoman to hide winter throw blankets when not in use. Keep them stored away but handy enough for cold nights and hot chocolate on the sofa. Have pretty blankets that you want to show off? Hang them on a rustic ladder so everyone can see them instead.

​#3 - Have clutter or problem area inside the front or back door? Then try a hall tree. Perfect in a front entry or by the back door it provides a place to hang keys, purses, coats, scarves and umbrellas. Some even come with mirrors, shelving or seats with storage underneath. 

​Preparing for things ahead
We mentioned that preparation is the key to success for us at The Blue-Eyed Buffalo. We find that using our calendars to plan ahead keeps us proactive and ahead of the game instead of being reactive. We look at our advertising calendar at least a month ahead if not the whole year ahead. We set our yearly budget based on the things we know are going to happen and allow extra for the little things that come up. This eliminates rushed decisions and keeps our budget in check. We can and SHOULD do the same in our personal lives. Planning ahead for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and holidays allows us to put together a budget and shop ahead of time, if we are utilizing our to do list like we should. Buying gifts at the last minute usually costs us more money and causes us to settle for items that we really didn’t want. 

​Don’t forget to shop local when you can. Small, locally owned shops tend to have unique, one of a kind or hand crafted items that you can’t find in big box stores and most will gift wrap for free which saves you time and money. Some even offer online shopping! Learn which stores have gift/bridal registries or rewards programs and use these to your benefit.
Join us this year as we regroup, recharge and take 2019 by the horns!
See you soon!
The Blue-Eyed Buffalo Team