Canadians put the emphasis on “beginnings” as ideal times for change – the start of the year, the first day of the month or the beginning of a new week. These are not the only, or necessarily the best, times to initiate improvement. Try the 26th, a Friday or the end of something to start fresh. What’s wrong with now?

Resolvers who succeed do so because of the way they approach the task, not because of the date on which they start. If you want to change your behaviour, transform a bad habit or achieve a goal, start right now as you read this. Decide now that you have changed and then all you have to do is continue. Most Canadians try to think themselves into change, but the best way to get results is to act as if the change has already been made. Then fine tune your behaviour as you learn the new “money habit” and readjust your value system to make the improvement permanent. Finding ways to improve once you’ve started is much easier than getting yourself to begin doing something perfectly.

I can hear you ask, “Yeah, but what if I can’t resist the old ways? What if I continue to spend, spend, spend instead of holding back on credit card debt and putting more into RRSPs and other home-buying plans? Sliding back into well-worn behaviour ruts does not cancel out success. Interrupt old patterns and put things back on track. The old first reaction may linger a long time, but you can replace this with a strong, conscious effort to improve that you exert next time and every time.

Here are a few proven practices to put to work:

Best wishes in 2003. Keep celebrating your housing achievements – anytime and every time.