Congratulations, you have made it through another year. Want to know what 2018 will be like for you? It will be like… 2017 and 2016 and let’s not forget 2015 before it. In fact, few things will really change and on this day in 2019, you will look back and think that not too much happened in 2018.

Or, you could reflect back and say, 2018 was when it all changed for you. That is what this article is all about, helping you to look back with sincere appreciation as everything changed for the better. To get you there, we first need to take a look at why the past few years have pretty much been the same.

Think of the major measuring sticks in life, you Health and your Wealth. These two, more than anything else, are the best indicators of what your thoughts are about yourself and money. I can tell you that the old quote is true, “What got you here, won’t get you there.” Chances are your weight and bank accounts are pretty much the same as they were this time last year, and the year before, and so on. If we don’t make changes to our “thinking” and if we don’t take action steps that are different than what got you these results in the first place, not too much will change.

So, let’s get started in creating a new you in 2018! The first step, well let’s take a look at 4 mental practices that you have to start doing to make this your year!

1. Intention: Successful people don’t get there by chance or accident. While most people wait for opportunities and slowly give up on their dreams, successful people create them and follow their dreams. How many times have you been overlooked for a promotion and thought to yourself that you work harder than those people, that you have been here longer, why are they getting all the breaks? No one ever came up to me and said, I’ve got this podcast called Get Your Sh*t Together, would you like it? No! I had to create it. Do you think I knew anything about a podcast other than how to listen to them? I knew I wanted one, so I learned how to create one. That was my intention. Don’t wait for something to happen, because it won’t. Make it your intention to create what you really want in life!
2. Stop being busy and start being productive: Ask the majority of the people in the world how they have been, and they will casually say “busy”. Ask a successful person how they’ve been and they will proudly say “productive”. Most people confuse these two words or think that productive only applies to their work lives. How do you start being productive? By eating a frog, of course! There is an old story that if you had to eat a frog every day, when would you do it? Might as well make it the first thing in the morning and get it over with. The same can be true for your work. If you tackle an important task first thing in the morning, when your energy level is at it’s highest, you will not only get it done but feel a sense of accomplishment that you will carry through the day. Don’t be like the majority of the people and busy yourself with email, but be productive and take this time to tackle real tasks.
3. Meditation: No other exercise has helped me achieve the results that I have more than meditation. To connect with yourself in such a way goes beyond just the mental aspect, there are a ton of health advantages as well. Some of those include: reduced stress, even heart rate, lower blood pressure, improved cognitive function, increased productivity, strengthened immune system, stimulated creative thinking, and much more. For those not familiar with how to meditate, here are some basic steps:
   1. Find a quiet, comfortable spot, free of distractions (and cell phones)
   2. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing.
   3. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
   4. The most important thing about breathing is consistency. Consistency with the amount of air, the length of in your inhale and exhale, and the pace.
   5. Try it for at least 10 minutes a day. Anyone can find 10 minutes a day, I don’t care how “busy” you are.
4. Visualization: There has been a tremendous amount of buzz around visualization ever since the book and the movie The Secret came out. This brilliant work is all about visualizing and then taking action. See the power of visualization comes from rewiring your subconscious to increase your self-worth and helping you believe that the results you desire are achievable. To get started, follow these basic steps that I do every night before I go to sleep:
   1. Close your eyes and relax. You can even do the meditation exercise outlined
   2. Think and briefly reflect on your day
   3. Now play out your day in your mind, but with everything going right. For example, if you went shopping and had to park further than you would have liked, imagine that the perfect spot is waiting for you, reserved with your name on it, at the very front of the store.
   4. I also like to do this in the morning and create my perfect day.

There you go, four simple, yet very important mental practices that you need to start doing right away. Remember, the only way 2018 is going to be different than 2017, 2016, 2015 is if YOU are different.