New Year, new you, fresh start and fresh thinking. It’s easy to get a bit carried away in January with endless lists of New Year’s resolutions. Vowing to make multiple changes in January can actually have a negative effect on your life, as over committing to unrealistic goals can leave you feeling depleted and unachieved. Instead, narrow it down to just a few small changes, and focus on these.

And to help get you started, here are a few really simple things you can change to make your life a little easier for the year ahead.

1. Cut Out the Unnecessary

Life is always a little easier with an extra bit of cash in the pocket, so this year, focus on minding the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves (or in our case, cents and euro!). Even the smallest of changes can have a huge impact on your cash-flow. We all know that our beloved morning coffee is an unnecessary luxury. Give up the coffee shop coffee of a morning, and go buy yourself a lovely bag of ground beans, a coffee cafetiere and a gorgeous mug. You’ll have to spend a few euro to start with, but in the long run, you will make great savings, getting you off to a good start for the year ahead.

2. Stop Being ‘Mentally Busy’

If you can break this one habit this year, you will save yourself so much energy and time, leading to a much easier life. There’ always an endless list of things we need to do and chores we need to tick off before we can sit down and relax for the evening. If like me, you start planning the next day’s chores before your head even hits the pillow at night, you too are suffering from ‘mental busyness’. It can be draining. If we’re not doing a task, we’re thinking of what we have to do! This year, try to schedule time every day to not be busy. Have some dedicated downtime, a time to reflect and rest, recharge, meditate and be mindful.

3. Actually Do These Incredibly Simple Things

Drink water first thing in the morning, lay your clothes out the night before, keep your keys on a hook, eat your vegetables. All things that we hear over and over again, and even though we know they will make our life a little easier, we still often ignore. They all, for different reasons, have the ability to make your life so much easier, so what’s stopping you?

4. Get Clever With Your Bank’s Services

Make sure to make the most of the extra services your bank provides, to help you on the road to financial happiness in 2017. If you’re on the hunt for a helpful Mortgage provider, Ulster Bank offer a really convenient Mobile Mortgage Manager service – a Mortgage Manager will meet you at a time and place that suits you, on weekends, before or after work, in the office or at home.  Easier still is their Videochat service that allows you speak face to face with a mobile mortgage manager at any stage of the home buying process. What’s not to love?

Get the year off to a great start and talk to Ulster Bank about their mortgages. Ulster Bank provides help for what matters during the mortgage process. They offer the same great rates for new and existing customers, their mobile managers will meet you at your home at a time that suits, they offer one free valuation per customer – plus they’ll even give you €1,500 when you take out a mortgage with them, to help pay for your legal fees. What’s not to love? For more information, visit ulsterbank.ie

This article has been sponsored by Ulster Bank.

Ulster Bank Ireland DAC is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Important information:

Maximum Loan to Value (LTV) is 90% – varies by buyer type, see ulsterbank.ie for more details. Apply by 31 December 2017. Following mortgage drawdown €1,500 will be transferred into the customer’s current account, from which the mortgage payment is made, within two months. Mortgage offer must be issued within this period. €1,500 payment is a fixed amount and is a contribution to or a reimbursement of legal fees incurred. Excludes home movers on 10 year Tracker product, Further Advance, Negative Equity, Retentions and Transfer of Title. Includes Buy To Let. Lending criteria, terms and conditions apply. Over 18’s only. Republic of Ireland residents and properties only. Credit facilities subject to repayment capacity and financial status. Security and insurance required.