It’s time to make New Years Resolutions again.
I never understood why a new year should be the single most significant impetus to aspire for personal success. Whatever works, I suppose, for people to decide to eat healthier, to tackle that cluttered attic, to join a spin class, or start saving for a trip to Europe. Having goals is a good thing. I’m a fan.
So it’s a shame that many of these goals tend to fall by the wayside because life gets in the way. These unfinished goals pave the way towards the next New Years Eve, when we can wonder where the year went over a glass of champagne and earnestly try to do better. They don’t slip because they become unimportant to us, though, or because we don’t care enough. Unless we go through the effort to carefully plot a roadmap to our own success, we leave a massive void in between our dreams and reality in which it is all too easy to get trapped.
Think of your resolutions like Google Maps. We pick a place we want to go, and it plots out a course. Usually, it is thoughtful enough to give us a couple different options, depending on our available time and mood. Without Google Maps, all we would have is a finish line, but no step-by-step information on how to get there.
Goals for your rental property are no different. You had a dream of owning a slice of paradise one day, and were wildly successful in fulfilling that goal. But paradise, like everything else, takes time and upkeep. Maybe now you’re searching for ways to minimize the financial burdens of homeowners associations and management fees. Perhaps you’re trying to figure out how to boost your occupancy rates. Or maybe you’re seriously considering a remodel of the kitchen.
Whatever your goal is, with the New Years upon us, now is as good a time as ever to chart a course to getting there. How are you going to accomplish it? Just like Google Maps — are you going to take the scenic route, the quickest course, or opt for the least expensive mode of getting you to your final destination? Make a list of what’s important. Talk with your property manager, your cleaners, do some online research, and chat with your neighbors. They may have some valuable ideas that will help you chart out the path to your goals.
Here, too, is where your property managers might be really helpful. Your property managers have interacted with many different guests and owners. They’ve researched repair services, contractors, cleaners, painters, appliances, and home goods. They can be your Google Maps to help you along to your goal.
As the year winds up, pour a glass of your favorite beverage, and take a moment to reflect on what you really want to accomplish in 2017. You can lean on us to help guide you there.
Lisa Stevens is the Owner/Manager of Koloa Kai Vacation Rentals, which she runs with Jed Stevens, her husband and General Manager.