10 Success habits for 2018 + Free Goal Planner
10 SUCCESS HABITS FOR 2018
2017 came and went so fast and that time has come to reflect and dig into the highlights and challenges of the year. Along with a reflective look, let’s look forward and consider the new habits we want to build on or start anew.
Here’s a list of 10 success habits to try in 2018 to help you become happier, healthier and more content with life!
Dream and plan (set goals)
It starts with a dream. Before you can set goals taking some time to day dream, to ponder and to mind map will help get you inspired and excited opening your mind up to all the possibilities out there. Start with taking a piece of paper and writing down all the things you love, things you’d like to experience, see, do, be. Let your thoughts run free, don’t edit yourself – get it all down on paper. Hopefully you’re feeling excited and thinking bigger than ever! Define your key goals and write them down. For each goal allocate key action steps, and schedule out the next step in your calendar. Dig deep an figure out why the goal is important and write a few of these down. Alongside your written goals it’s helpful to create a vision board to use a visual daily reminder. You simply gather together images and words that reflect your goals and dreams and put them on a board. It can be physical with cut out images from magazines, or a Pinterest board with your goal images or use a tool like canvas to create one that you use as your screen saver like Charelle of Propel Her https://www.propelher.co.uk/coaching/ suggests.
Writing down your goals also has this effect: Clarifies your mind, helps to create focus, solidifies your goals, gives direction and acts as a filter in making key decisions.
2. Define your values
This may need to come before point 1. For some. Feeling fulfilled in life and content with your decisions usually comes from making choices that are inline with your values. Often discontentment in life comes when there’s a big gap between the values we believe in and the ones we’re living out. Defining your values helps as a filter when making big life decisions like where you live, what job you do, who you spend time with. For instance, if you value security over feeling fulfilled in your work you could happily choose to stay at a bland but well-paid job. Perhaps you value an active lifestyle with a lot of outdoor time, it’s likely you would be happier in the countryside though there may be less going on in terms of entertainment like shopping centres, cinemas etc. There’s a great exercise on this here https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_85.htm
3. Get in the right crowd
“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” I’m sure you heard that phrase? Or as Jim Rohn puts it “You’re the Average of The Five People You Spend the Most Time With”. Getting the right people around you is so important. These influences are going to set the tone for what you believe is normal, what you believe is possible in life. Those around you will impact in either a negative or positive way on your belief in yourself to make changes in your life and take responsibility for your actions. If you’ve got big dreams and your family keeps telling you ‘There’s so many others doing what you’re trying to do, why do you think you can make it’ or ‘I’m just worried for you, it’s a big step to start doing A, B, C and I just don’t want you to be disappointed’ well-meaning or not you’ll be left feeling downhearted and doubtful of your plans. You may even stop pursuing your passions because of their views and negativity. On the upside if you’ve got people around you cheering you on, telling they believe in you, you’ll feel motivated to keep going on.
4. Learn from others
If you’re hanging out with people who are achieving their goals, you’ll likely to pick up some of their habits and learn from their experience. Someone who has already done what you’ve done can help you accelerate your growth by learning from their mistakes and replicating what does work. Getting a mentor or coach can help you develop your skills, learn from someone’s success, offer an alternative perspective and keep you accountable. However not everyone has those people around them to inspire or learn from but another way to get that is by listening to inspiring podcasters like John Lee Dumas https://www.eofire.com/podcast/ or Jenna Kutcher http://podcast.jennakutcher.com/ watching motivating videos like https://www.goalcast.com/epic-inspirational-videos/ or reading books and attending workshops. Tim Ferris has a new book called Tribe of Mentors that’s a compilation of tools, tactics, and habits of success people from all walks of life https://tribeofmentors.com/
5. Daily Rituals
Our daily habits affect our day without us realising. Our lives usually follow certain rhythms and routines and whether we like it or not they can shape our mindset, moods and worldview. There is power in the daily habit. Habits can take us nearer to our goals and help us live with intentionality and purpose or take us away from them. From what we watch, listen to, speak about, see and read – it all seeps in and shapes us. That’s why most successful people create daily habits. Morning habits that set the tone of the day, bring focus and intentionality to evening routines to reflect, appreciate the day and wind down. One of the other positives of routines is that they help reduce time wasted in making decisions and as you can automate your daily life. The king of the morning routine Hal Elrod author of The Miracle Morning http://www.miraclemorning.com/ believe
s the way you start your day ‘largely determines the quality of your day, your work, and your life’ and offer suggestions on how to start with a bang. It includes habits like waking early, taking time for silence, reading, affirmations and others. What ever habits you decide to do in the morning, day and night find ones that suit your values, personality and energise you. For some ideas on building habits check out this article http://time.com/money/4974599/7-daily-habits-extremely-successful-people-swear-by/
6. Inner Game
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.” Henry Ford. Mindset or inner game is everything. Looking at life with a fixed mindset is going to lead to frustration, giving up easily or worse not even starting whilst developing a growth mindset builds determination, resilience, focus, viewing setbacks as learning opportunities. If you currently have a fixed mindset, it doesn’t need to stay that way. You can develop a growth mindset by changing your dialogue by exploring more positive ways to view your challenges, to decide that there learning opportunities in so called failures, being committed, enjoying the process not just the results and others. We also have this free worksheet and tips on rewriting your story (inner dialogue) here
7. Outer game
Growth mindset helps us with what’s going on the inside but those who also take care of the outside often create more success in their lives. Nourishing your body with fuelling whole foods give your body what it needs to work at it’s best. What a healthy diet is looks different form person to person so it’s important to explore, tune in to your body and figure out what helps you sleep well, wake with energy and feel clear in your mind and energised to deal with your day. Moving your body has equal importance. Exercise helps release endorphins, which keeps low mood at bay, it’s a great stress reliver. High intensity activity builds your stamina and physical strength. Often it helps your mind get clear and you may find increased creativity after a good workout. Exercises doesn’t just mean the gym, walking outdoors, working out in the park, a hike in the hills or playing a team game are all ways to move more. The important thing is to find something you enjoy and keep up with.
8. Me, Myself and I
Self-care is any act that increases feelings of well being and improves your mental or physical state. Self-Care can seem trivial but it’s an important part of keeping well, body, mind and soul. Some people find it hard to set aside time for themselves, even feel guilty to put their well being before others but self care can help us better help others. Self-care reenergises our mood, increases feelings of wellbeing, relieves stress, invigorates or excites us. When we’re feeling our best it’s so much easier to give others our best and in turn, uplift and encourage others. Each day try to carry out activities that refresh your mind, body and soul. Check this post out on how to start your own self-care routine and free printable self-care planner pages can be found in the member area or the full version in the Esty store
9. Stay in your Lane
Your new business has started to pick up, you’ve got a few new clients and you’re feeling on top of the world. You hop on Instagram and start scrolling but then sometimes catches your eye, you stop and read “How I made a mill in my new business” your heart stops, you click in, read some more, your minds racing now “how did she do it?”, she makes the same as me in one day, that’s not fair!, I out so much effort in but I don’t get those results, what’s the point in trying2. It’s a downward spiral and from there it’s all doom and gloom. That’s what comparing does! It shrinks our success as we amplify others achievements, it leaves you feeling like you are failing even when you’ve won, it creates doubt in yourself which may see you try and be more like the guru you’re following. It just doesn’t help ever to go across the line into someone else’s lane. When you win their race, how is it going to feel? Not how you imagined, because it’s not your finish line, not what you were running towards that aligns with your values and fulfils your purpose. It’s time to stop that in 2018. Choose to celebrate your wins big or small. Focus on the unique edge you bring to your market or sphere of influence. Choose to believe that you have unique gifts and talents to offer that someone needs. Keep your eyes up and fixed on your finishing line. It’s going to feel so much better when you fully step into everything you are. The only person to compare yourself to is who you used to be and celebrate how far you’ve come!
10. A thankful heart
Last but defiantly not least is cultivating an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude could be what fills the gap between what we have now and where we want to be. Gratitude Is a grounding process, choosing to stay in the moment or what has been and be thankful for it. Taking time to daily appreciate simple and profound moments in life, increases your sense of wellbeing. Gratitude really is the antidote to discontent. That fun meme ‘imagine if all you had tomorrow was what you’d been grateful for today’ can help to challenge us and to see the good things we have. We can easily take our possessions, achievements and personal development for granted, constantly seeking to level up in life but that takes away from the beautiful journey we have already come on. For the things you’re complaing for today there is someone out there so desperate for the same. Realising that causes a mindset shift. The house you’re moaning about tidying up, someone else is dreaming of owning their own home, the wrinkled belly you have another woman would give anything to bare those marks and hold her own little one in her arms. We just don’t know what we’ve got until it’s gone, don’t wait to lose something before you value and appreciate it.
Our planners have a space to list 3 items daily, it’s not that much but will help your day have more happiness a contentment.
Have you got more suggestions to add? Some habits that have seen you grow and develop? Share them in the comments below! Give us your best!
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