Excerpt: The Zoe Report
by Erin Nicole
This might be an unpopular opinion, but January is actually our favorite month of the year. It’s an arbitrary clean slate, a time to believe and dream again, and an opportunity to clean up all the messes we made in 2017 (particularly involving our health). Considering all this, and the rare strength and clarity of purpose that comes along January 2, we think it’s important to utilize the month to optimize the entire year. Here, seven things all successful women will be doing in early 2018.
How To Be Successful In 2018
Identify Key Big-Picture Goals
You don’t have to have goals in every area of your life—relationships, money, career, family, etcetera; instead, focus on whatever buckets you feel most compelled to improve or change. Be specific and prioritize, as the idea is to execute against these goals. Don’t forget to consider less obvious categories like health and charity. If you aren’t sure what your goals are for the new year, consider creating a vision board, either IRL or on Pinterest. Make sure at least one of the big-ticket items on this list is something that terrifies you—if you accomplish little else in 2018, doing this one thing will make you feel like the year mattered.
Break Down Each Goal Into Small Goals
Aiming to save up to buy a house is a great goal; however, it’s also overwhelming and vague. Figure out what smaller goals could feed into this goal—in this example, it would be to pay off your credit card debt or take on a side hustle that will bring in extra income.
Plot These Goals Into The Calendar
Now that you have your smaller goal—e.g. “earn $10,000 in extra income”—plot this into the calendar. How much can you realistically aim to take in each month? Set regular calendar appointments to keep you on track. If your goal is relationship-based—e.g. meeting someone new—set regular date appointments into your calendar and Bumble your way into them. These appointments will keep you accountable as the year’s many demands threaten to overwhelm your resolutions.
Evaluate What Didn’t Work In 2017
If the definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior and expecting different results, we think it’s wise to start the new year by identifying what didn’t work for you in 2017 so you can avoid it in 2018. Did a specific friendship cause you innumerable headaches? Cut it. Can you see an unhealthy pattern in your dating life? Resolve to change it. Did you complain about your job daily? It’s time to find a new one. Even looking at smaller things, like a resolution to go to the gym every day that didn’t work out, are worth evaluating—maybe this year, your goal is instead to find a class you like, trying one new workout per week until you’ve settled on something that actually incentivizes you.