YOUR

BEST YEAR
EVER
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO 2018
BY THE EDITORS OF SUCCESS

1 | SUCCESS JANUARY 2018

 he New Year is the perfect time to set new yourself to take on new goals in 2018, think about who you’re
goals. The turn of the calendar clearly signals going to rely on to help you stay committed. Rohn also said, “You

T
the opportunity for a fresh start—the chance are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
to grow and finally accomplish something big. Think about who these people are in your life, and how they will
But often times, many of us fail to achieve inf luence you throughout the year. Will they help guide you in
the New Year’s resolutions we set. Sometimes achieving your 2018 dreams, or will they hinder your progress?
we give up on them by February, other times Find friends and family you can count on, tell them what your goals
we throw in the towel even sooner. are and devise a plan to keep yourself accountable. With the right
Failure to achieve our New Year’s resolutions can be attributed people around you, anything is possible.
to numerous things. From an increase in workload to an unforeseen The final thing we can control is our attitude. Charles Swindoll
illness, life is filled with unpredictable roadblocks and challenges. once wrote, “We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we
These are often things that are out of our hands. But there are certain can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
things we can control along the way to accomplishing our goals. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90
One thing we can control is how specific our resolutions are. percent how I react to it.”
For example, if your goal is to exercise more, it’s going to be hard As the year progresses, keep in mind how you’re reacting to
to commit to such a vague statement. It’ll also be hard to quantify the events around you, and how your behavior affects what you
your success. But if you goal is something more specific, liking want to accomplish. Obstacles are inevitable, but what separates
losing 20 pounds, then your journey to attaining it will be easier, being average from being great is how we respond to the chal-
because you can measure your progress. lenges we face.
It’s also wise to set goals that can be broken down into smaller Maybe your goal isn’t to lose weight. Perhaps you want to save a
chunks. You don’t have to lose those 20 pounds in one month. That certain amount of money. Or maybe you want to travel more, read
goal would be difficult to accomplish, which would make it even more or try new experiences that push you out of your comfort
harder for you to stay motivated. Perhaps you could break those zone. Whatever you want to accomplish in the New Year, we at
20 pounds down into losing three pounds per month. Now the task SUCCESS are here to help you achieve your goals.
seems a lot less daunting, and you’ll be more likely to achieve it. Over the next few pages, you’ll find tried-and-true advice, tips
The late Jim Rohn famously said, “Success is nothing more and tricks that will assist you in setting and keeping your resolu-
than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.” Oftentimes we tions for 2018. Throughout, you’ll find questions and prompts
get tied up with the idea that success equates to immense accom- to help you prepare to take on these goals. Take your time when
plishments, like starting a business or buying a home. We tend to pondering these questions. After all, you’re creating the framework
forget that success doesn’t happen overnight. Every achievement for your success in the New Year. Throughout the year, refer back
is the result of a succession of smaller victories. to this guide to keep yourself accountable. We hope 2018 is your
Another integral part of staying on track to attain our goals best year yet, and we believe this guide can help you get there.
is finding the right people to keep us accountable. As you ready Good luck!

CONTENTS:
1. Break Down Your Goals
2. Maintain Your Momentum
3. Don’t Be Afraid To Go Big
4. Learn to Stay On Track
5. Be Proactive With Your Health
6. Get Control of Your Finances

2 | SUCCESS JANUARY 2018

1. BREAK DOWN YOUR GOALS
I once worked with a company vice president who wanted to run a marathon. Although TAKE THE CHALLENGE:
she wasn’t in great shape and her workload limited her preparation for a marathon, List 3 bite-sized steps that will help you
she thought that if she could lead a team across three continents, then she could achieve your larger goal:
run 26 miles. I advised her to begin running laps on a track and build from there.
Instead she bought expensive shoes and high-tech gear and started intense work- 1. ____________________________________
outs every day before work. In two weeks she was fatigued, suffered shin splints,
____________________________________
and still hadn’t run more than five miles. On marathon day, she quit 21 miles early.
Many of us are like this in our work and our personal lives. We’re obsessed ____________________________________
with results, and we get frustrated when they don’t happen fast. You hire
a marketing manager, expecting to increase profit next quarter. You hire a personal 2. ____________________________________
trainer, expecting to lose 20 pounds in a month. ____________________________________
This all-or-nothing mindset sets you up for failure, which is why it’s important
to set smaller, more manageable goals that lead to your bigger one. ____________________________________
Psychologists who analyze goal-setting recommend setting expectations that are
not too easy, but not so hard that you’re quickly discouraged. If you want to run a 3. ____________________________________
marathon, try a 5K or 10K first. To lose weight, aim for increments of a few pounds. ____________________________________
By accomplishing these smaller steps, you stay motivated, confident and committed.
____________________________________
—SUCCESS Happiness Guy Shawn Achor

2. MAINTAIN YOUR MOMENTUM

Does your drive sometimes stall out? Rev your engine and then maintain your
momentum with these steps: WRITE IT OUT:
What is one thing that has hindered your
1. Get serious about going all the way to the top to be the best at what you do. momentum in the past? How can you
2. K now your limiting step. What one skill area, quality or behavior holds you back? commit to not letting it stop you in 2018?
Ask others for their appraisals of your weaknesses and improve in those areas.
DO IT: Ask a friend or family member today to share one your weak- ______________________________________
nesses with you. Commit to improving it.
______________________________________
3. Hang out with the right people: winners who have positive attitudes and people
with high aspirations who are progressing toward their goals. ______________________________________

4. Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, exercise and get lots of rest. ______________________________________
5. S ee yourself as the best. Visualize yourself as the very best in whatever you ______________________________________
do—continually. All improvement in your life begins with an improvement in
your mental pictures. ______________________________________
6. Talk nicely to yourself. Practice telling yourself, “I’m the best,” “I like myself,” ______________________________________
“I can do it” and “I love my work.” Talk to yourself envisioning the way you want
to be, not the way you happen to see yourself at this moment. ______________________________________
7. G et going. When you get a good idea, act on it. The faster you move, the better you ______________________________________
get. The better you get, the more you like yourself. And the more you like yourself,
the higher your self-esteem. The higher your self-esteem, the greater your self- ______________________________________
discipline. And the more you persist, the more unstoppable you ultimately become.
______________________________________
—Adapted from Success Mastery Academy by Brian Tracy

3 | SUCCESS JANUARY 2018

3. DON’T BE AFRAID TO GO BIG
Scott Jurek is no stranger to conquering big goals. The 42-year-old ultramarathoner
spent the last 22 years breaking myriad time, distance and endurance records. Most TAKE THE CHALLENGE:
recently, he set the thru-hike speed record on the Appalachian Trail, hiking a total Write down your A, B and C goals
of 2,189 miles (the entire trail) in 46 days. He offers these tips for anyone looking
to set and accomplish big goals for 2018. A. ____________________________________
• Make it sustainable. Your goal should be specific enough to motivate you, but also
____________________________________
broad and stimulating enough for you to stay energized during the difficult points.
• D on’t overshoot. When creating your goals, create three levels—A, B and C. A is ____________________________________
your biggest goal, so dream big. But be realistic with B and C; celebrate when you ____________________________________
reach them. Ignore any inner monologue about settling for less. In hitting your C
goal, you’re still accomplishing something you’ve never achieved. ____________________________________
• Treat yourself. Create a weekly incentive program to reward yourself as you B. ____________________________________
hit milestones.
____________________________________
• Take a break. Feeling stuck and unmotivated? Step away from your goals for a
day. Go to a concert; hang out with friends who aren’t involved in that field; read ____________________________________
a mystery novel. Switching your mind to another topic allows your brain to rest
and refuel. ____________________________________

• S tay confident. Even ultramarathoners experience self-doubt. Instead of giving ____________________________________

in to the negative voice in your head, recognize it, accept it and make a plan to
C. ____________________________________
drown it out.
• Take baby steps. Major goals can be overwhelming. It’s easy to look 50 miles ____________________________________
ahead and wonder how you’re going to get there. Break those miles down into
____________________________________
micro goals and make them as small as you need. Sometimes you’ll only be able
to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, and that’s OK. ____________________________________
—Cecilia Meis

4 | SUCCESS JANUARY 2018

4. LEARN TO STAY ON TRACK
Worried you’ll give up on your 2018 resolutions by February? Fear not. Rebecca
Scritchfield, RDN, author of Body Kindness, shares her tips for staying the course. WRITE IT OUT:
Failure is OK. Write about one
CALL A TRUCE WITH YOURSELF. “If you know your New Year’s resolutions were resolution you failed to keep in the
extreme or unsustainable, it’s OK,” Scritchfield says. Instead of feeling guilty or past, and why you think it happened.
trying to make up for past mistakes, she suggests revamping resolutions to be more Then, write about what you’ll do
realistic and achievable. differently this year to ensure you
don’t lose track again.
TRACK YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. According to Scritchfield, people rarely give
themselves credit for the things they already do well. “Even maintaining small habits,
______________________________________
like walking a few extra blocks here and there, drinking more water and eating fruits
and vegetables at most meals, proves you have what it takes to create new ones,” she ______________________________________
says. To stay motivated and achieve your health goals, she recommends quantifying
all of the choices you make in a typical day that help you feel strong and energized. ______________________________________
DO IT: Write down two good habits you practice daily.
______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________
SET WORKABLE GOALS. Scritchfield says, “A workable goal is based on an action ______________________________________
you can take that is realistic and that you have control over.” For example, instead
of vowing to never have pizza or eat sugar again, Scritchfield suggests setting a ______________________________________
positive goal such as planning and preparing three nutrient-rich meals each week.
______________________________________
IGNORE UNHELPFUL THOUGHTS. One of the biggest mistakes people make when
setting goals is overthinking them. “It’s not helpful and only sucks away valuable ______________________________________
mental energy,” Scritchfield says. Instead of thinking, I’m so stressed and need
______________________________________
candy to get through this, or, A 10-minute workout is useless, so I should skip it, she
suggests calling out the unhelpful thought and quickly taking action on the more ______________________________________
beneficial choice.
______________________________________
BE LESS LIKE A RULER AND MORE LIKE A RUBBER BAND. “Structure is great
when it keeps you on track, but life doesn’t always go as planned,” Scritchfield says. ______________________________________
“When inevitable snafus arise, your ‘ruler’ mind might say ‘screw it.’ ” Instead of
replacing your daily fitness, relationships, savings or business goal with a self- ______________________________________
sabotaging decision, she recommends thinking through options and being flexible.
______________________________________
For example, if you don’t have time to exercise, Scritchfield suggests running
errands on foot or using a seven-minute workout app while cooking dinner. “Or, ______________________________________
when craving sweets at work, instead of running to the break room for a nutrient-
poor snack, plan to buy your favorite cupcake from the bakery over the weekend _____________________________________
when you actually have time to enjoy it.”
_____________________________________
—SUCCESS columnist Elisa Zied

5 | SUCCESS JANUARY 2018

5. BE PROACTIVE WITH YOUR HEALTH
Try to make and keep the following health resolutions for 2018.
TAKE THE CHALLENGE:
1. Practice deep breathing twice a day for five minutes. Circle 2 of the steps to the left and
Meditation can control your reaction to stressful events. Break the anxious cycle commit to focusing hard on them
with a productive response to stress: Breathe deeply in through your nose and in January.
out through your mouth.
2. Honor sleep.
When you’re busy, it’s easy to sacrifice sleep. But you need sleep for many reasons,
and one of the biggies is that it conditions your brain for optimal learning and
problem-solving. Shoot for 6.5 to 8.5 hours per night.
3. Walk 10,000 steps a day.
The sweet spot for getting the maximal health benefit for minimal work is 10,000
steps a day.
4. Choose your food wisely.
Pan-seared salmon. A sun-ripened pear. Stick to foods like these that you and
your body love.
Researchers from Brigham & Women’s Hospital examined the eating habits
and health records of 55,000 women for about 28 years. Those who ate the most
produce, good fats and lean proteins—and who steered clear of sugar, trans fat and
alcohol—were 13 percent more likely to stay mobile and independent compared
to those whose diets were less healthy.
5. Know your health numbers.
Keep the following in mind throughout the year:
• 120/80: An optimal blood pressure reading
• 3 5 or less (for women) or 39 or less (for men): A healthy waist
circumference measured at the belly button
• 2: The number of times to do strength training weekly
6. Give your brain a workout.
We’re huge fans of puzzles that stimulate the brain. Try out sites like BrainHQ
for stimulation designed to keep you sharp, or stick with old standbys like the
daily crossword, Sudoku, or a big jigsaw puzzle.
7. Focus on personal development.
Dedicate time to self-improvement each day, whether it’s bolstering your happi-
ness, eating healthier, building your confidence or journaling for introspection.
A recent study showed young adults who spent their first two years out of college
pursuing materialistic goals (like wealth and fame) were less happy than students
who achieved intrinsic goals, such as volunteering or nurturing friendships.
—SUCCESS health columnists Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz

6 | SUCCESS JANUARY 2018

6. GET CONTROL OF YOUR FINANCES
Take these three steps to refresh your finances this year.
TAKE THE CHALLENGE:
1. Take inventory of your spending.
List 4 ways you can trim your daily
Track your spending to bring mindfulness to your day-to-day financial habits spending starting tomorrow:
and identify serious issues like spending more than you make. The practice of
writing down your expenses or tracking them through an app allows you to see
whether your actual spending is aligned with your stated goals and priorities. 1. ____________________________________
In other words, you’ll be able to see whether you’re spending money on stuff
____________________________________
you don’t really care about at the expense of the things you do. It’s far easier to
make changes and realign your spending with your goals when you can identify ____________________________________
exactly what’s keeping you from reaching them.
DO IT: Write down your finances or download a spending tracker app ____________________________________
like Fudget or Spending Tracker.
2. ____________________________________
2. Rethink your savings rate.
____________________________________
How much are you saving each month relative to your income? Better yet, calculate
your net worth as a percentage of your lifetime earnings: Of all the money that ____________________________________
has passed through your hands over the course of your working life, how much
of it have you actually kept? ____________________________________
This can be a tough number to look at, especially if you’ve had to pay off a lot
3. ____________________________________
debt. But taking an honest look at the numbers can offer a valuable perspective—
one that can serve as a catalyst for taking ownership of your financial future, and ____________________________________
for making budgeting, saving, investing and managing your true money priorities.
Commit to a concrete increase in your savings rate. Whether it’s a 1 percent ____________________________________
or a 50 percent increase, calculating what those added savings will afford you can ____________________________________
serve as powerful motivation for maintaining a higher savings rate in the long run.
3. Refresh your social circle. 4. ____________________________________
It’s hard to grow into the new you while clinging to old relationships that keep ____________________________________
you stuck where you are. Build and foster relationships with people who are just
as motivated to achieve their financial goals as you are. They’re far more likely ____________________________________
to understand and support the path you’re on, and far less likely to guilt-trip
____________________________________
or push you into practicing bad financial habits that throw you off course and
threaten your commitment to your desired future. ____________________________________
—SUCCESS financial columnist and author Stefanie O’Connell

7 | SUCCESS JANUARY 2018