30 Highly Successful People Share Their New Year's Resolutions for 2018 Find out what 30 super-successful people plan to accomplish in 2018.
By Rachel Gillett •
This story originally appeared on Business Insider
If you're hoping for a more successful 2018, you may want to tailor your New Year's resolution to help you meet your goal.
To help you come up with ideas, Business Insider asked successful industry leaders and entrepreneurs to share what they've resolved to do over the next year.
Find out what 30 super-successful people plan to accomplish in 2018.
Libby Kane, Lauren Lyons Cole, Tanza Loudenback, Á;ine Cain, Rich Feloni, Shana Lebowitz, Abby Jackson and Mark Abadi contributed reporting.
DrybarDrybar founder Alli Webb wants to be the best mom, founder, mentor and wife that she can be.
"My life and schedule has been so nuts over the last eight years, and while I wouldn't change a single thing, in 2018 I am going to really try to eat better, go to bed earlier and travel more with my kiddos, who are minutes away from outgrowing family vacations.
"I'm also working on some charitable initiatives that I hope to get off the ground in 2018! "
theSkimmTheSkimm founders Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin want to fail faster and fail harder.
"As our team continues to grow, we have the ability to iterate much more quickly. To encourage this, we celebrate when we fail.
"In 2017, we introduced a new tradition at our Friday Sip 'n Skimms, where one person on the team gets to wear our 'Fail So Hard' hat and spotlight a project that did not go as planned.
"As a team we celebrate the fact that they tried and failed at something in an effort to propel the business forward. If some of our ideas are not failing, we know we're not taking big enough chances."
Brian Ach | Getty ImagesFoursquare cofounder and Executive Chairman Dennis Crowley wants to use location technology for social good.
"My resolution for 2018 is to use the power of Foursquare for social good.
"We've spent years perfecting technology for our own apps, Foursquare City Guide and Foursquare Swarm, that understands how the world looks to mobile devices as they move through 105 million places globally.
"There are so many creative uses for these capabilities, like helping urban planners to prescribe models for the revitalization of neighborhoods, understanding foot traffic and community trends, or dissecting the impact of natural disasters.
"I'd love to put our tech to the task and helping others enhance physical spaces."
John ZimmerLyft co-founder and President John Zimmer wants to spend more time as a Lyft driver.
"Many top product features come to life after times that my co-founder and I spend driving on Lyft or working with Lyft customer support, a tradition since 2012.
"Now that we operate across 95 percent of the country, spending time on the road is even more important -- there's no substitute for first-hand experience and constantly learning how we can best serve our driver community.
"After giving rides in Nashville and San Francisco this year, I hope to continue driving in more cities across America, and maybe even back home in New York where my parents are Lyft drivers."
Tyson FoodsTyson Foods CEO Tom Hayes wants to help his team become more productive and agile.
"In a dynamic marketplace where rapid decision-making is a must, I'm resolving to doing a better job making agility contagious at Tyson. I know it begins with me, and there are always opportunities to demonstrate productive urgency. Status quo is a stubborn pest, but I know our team can drive incredible change when properly empowered."
Blue ApronBlue Apron founder and Executive Chairman Matt Salzberg resolves to spend more time investing in relationships he cares about.
"My New Year's resolution is to spend more time investing in relationships with the people that I care most about, from spending time with my kids, wife and family to reconnecting with friends that I lost touch with during the last six busy years.
"I want to spend less time on my phone and on email and more time grabbing coffees, organizing dinner parties and meeting up for after-work drinks."
DeloitteDeloitte US CEO Cathy Engelbert wants to schedule time for "small moments of recovery."
"In almost every conversation in any setting at Deloitte, I remind our people to take care of themselves first and foremost.
"For myself, in 2018, I am also prioritizing well-being through 'small moments of recovery.'
"I've already started by adding reminders to my calendar -- I call them 'SMORes' for short -- reminders to reset and refocus. And I have found that when others see the SMOR entry on the calendar, it opens up a great dialogue to remind others to focus on their own well-being.
"Burnout is real, and it's essential to take the time to prioritize your well-being. Initially, it can feel selfish, but when you take time for yourself you will have more to give others. Not less."
Graham Flanagan | Business InsiderLife coach Tony Robbins pledges to provide another 100 million meals to the hungry through Feeding America.
"I don't really believe in making New Years resolutions -- after all, research shows that 80 percent of people give up on them by the second week of February!
"That's because what most people call 'resolutions' are really just desires or fun things they wish would happen.
"The majority of people aren't actually resolving anything within themselves.
"To resolve, you need to be crystal clear -- what specific result will you accomplish? What's your why (reasons come first, answers come second)? How will you do it? What tools, strategies or resources do you need to make it happen?
"What I am about is challenges.
"My specific challenge for 2018 is to provide another 100 million meals (for a total of 400 million by the end of the year) in support of the 1 billion that I've pledged to donate through Feeding America by 2025.
"I believe it's an absolute tragedy that in the richest country in the world, there are 46 million people that don't know where their next meal will come from. I was one of those people as a child, and as a result, I've made it my mission to support those in need.
"If you'd like to join me, I match every single donation from $5 to $5 million.
"I challenge you to step up and help us in our fight against hunger!"
LearnVestLearnVest.com CEO and founder Alexa von Tobel hopes to focus on finding time to read more books, among other things.
"My 'must-read' list is ever growing, and I'm excited to dive into it in the new year.
"I also want to dedicate more time to thoughtful reflection and planning, both personally and professionally.
"And finally, in 2018, I am committing myself to performing at least one random act of kindness every day. I'm a big believer in paying it forward, so my hope is that one random act of kindness might inspire many more."
Richard Drew | APThrive Global CEO Arianna Huffington resolves to take control of her relationship with technology.
"That's a big part of the mission of Thrive Global, and we've created the Thrive App just for that purpose. It helps you take a break from your phone -- and all the notifications and alerts your phone is the gateway to -- for specified periods of time. So I plan to use the app to break my dependency on my phone and free up time for other things -- like real life!
"My hope is that 2018 will be the year that all of us take back control of our time -- and our life!"
Andrew Toth | Stringer | Getty Images"Shark Tank" investor Barbara Corcoran has promised herself never to read an email again.
"I have three email addresses and get hundreds a day. Two are for business and one is personal, but people find and use them all to reach me.
"Instead I'm using an automatic reply that says that I won't be responding, and they should forward the email to my assistant or call her if it's urgent.
"I'll call into her once a day and ask 'What's important?' I figure maybe two things."
Evernote | Getty ImagesEvernote CEO Chris O'Neill plans to Improve and give back to local communities.
"In 2018, I'd like to create a stronger community.
"Something people may not know about me is that I grew up in a small town in Canada where there was a tight-knit community, and remembering where you came from is important.
"That is why I make a point to invest in and mentor Canada-based startups. My goal is to create possibilities for others.
"Collaboration and community is part of the Evernote DNA, so it's important our employees have the opportunity to make an impact that matters."
GoldieBloxGoldieBlox CEO Debbie Sterling plans to cut her screen time in half.
"I really regret how much time I've wasted on my mobile phone scanning social media and playing mindless casual games. It's become this annoying habit that I never seem to get much joy out of.
"With all the extra time I will save, I plan on spending it doing something I used to love: painting."
Brad Barket | Stringer | Getty ImagesFormer Apple and Pepsi CEO and current CMO of RxAdvance John Sculley wants to work on noble causes.
"Here's what I think about as I contemplate 2018: 'Don't retire, rewire.'
"I used to think that technology was so cool because for the past 35 years it has been the great enabling tool for humanity. What's different now is, even as technology improves exponentially, at the same time it's becoming increasingly invisible and commoditizing at an accelerating rate.
"Ultimately, the only innovation differentiation will be 'domain expertise solutions' that work smartly at a very granular level and are powered by better and cheaper technologies.
"A century ago the fractional horse power electric motor was an amazing technological innovation. Today it is just a commodity technology that gets its electric power from a utility service.
"Having a 'noble cause' purpose for innovation will be even more important in 2018 than before. 'Noble causes' create context and purpose that can be inspiring to both employees and customers.
"The obstacles to spectacular innovation are almost entirely a result of bureaucratic cultures that are empowered to say 'no.' There are no limits to continued technological breakthroughs.
"The most brilliant innovators look at the same facts available to the rest of us, but they will interpret these facts differently, seeing even better possibilities.
"The most important insights are typically those that embrace a 'noble cause.'"
Betterment | Getty ImagesBetterment CEO Jon Stein wants to enjoy more time with his kids.
"My resolution this year is to ensure that the voices of our customers continue to be heard clearly by all of our team -- particularly those building new products and services for them -- as we scale.
"On a more personal front, I can never spend too much time with my two daughters. They're 1 and 3 years old, lovely ages, and I want to savor every moment."
Kathryn MinshewMuse CEO and founder Kathryn Minshew wants to focus on getting the right things done.
"My New Year's resolution is to work on practicing Essentialism: the pursuit of doing less, but better.
"In other words, it's not about getting more done but getting the right things done.
"I read Greg McKeown's book Essentialism this year and am focusing 2018 on putting those ideas into practice.
"At The Muse, this means zeroing in on our mission of making work more human and making sure everything we do as a company supports the goal of helping individuals find the right fit and alignment with their roles, companies and career paths.
"In my personal life, it means less saying 'yes' to lots of random things and more focus on the relationships and activities that matter most!"
Cindy Ord | Getty ImagesBirchbox CEO Katia Beauchamp resolves to be more present.
"I think about it as slowing down to speed up. I naturally operate with extreme energy, excitement and ambition; that all tends to translate to speed, and I'm recognizing the value of a steadier, more tuned-in pace.
"I believe this is an incredible time to serve our customers because we are inventing reality together -- challenging norms and pushing every experience to be better.
"I know that being with the team, the customer, my family and with myself every day in a way that really celebrates the now and isn't speeding on to the next mountain to climb will be the best way to seize what's ahead."
SoundHoundSoundHound Inc. co-founder and CEO Keyvan Mohajer wants to excel at the next set of new challenges that he and his team will need to face to bring more success to the company.
"It's easier to be very good at just the beginning of things, or just the middle, or just the end. When a challenge starts repeating, it's no longer a challenge.
"For the past few years, we became very good at cutting edge R&D to bring the most sophisticated voice AI platform to market. The next chapter of customer adoption and globalization will be both exciting and challenging, and very different from the hard technical problems we have solved so far.
"I look forward to growing to be very good at this next chapter."
ELOQUIIELOQUII CEO Mariah Chase has several goals.
"In 2018, I'd to learn to learn stock/option trade more effectively, try to crack the code on offline commerce for an underserved customer segment, continue to work with Endeavor as a mentor to support high-impact global entrepreneurship and visit South Africa for the first time!"
DotdashDotdash (formerly About.com) CEO Neil Vogel hopes to make his son a Philadelphia 76ers fan.
"Yes, this may seem like cult-style brainwashing unsuitable for a 3 year old, but I think my logic for this project is sound.
"First, it will give us something to talk about at any age, so when he is a moody teenager or busy college student, we will have common ground.
"Also, it simplifies future Halloween costumes, as he can be his favorite Sixer every year (Simmons? Covington? It's that easy).
"And finally, it will help him with math skill development, first with his counting (he is excellent at counting), and then as he ages with NBA moneyball-style advanced statistics.
"Oh, and we can share our favorite hashtag #TrustTheProcess, even if he decides to not let me follow his Instagram in 10 years."
CasperCasper CEO Philip Krim will be better-rested.
"I'm going to try to get more sleep. Yes, I recognize the irony."
Daily HarvestDaily Harvest founder Rachel Drori wants to work toward finding balance.
"There are a million things that we can be doing at any given moment. Choosing what to do, when to do it and still finding time to be with family -- it's all really daunting.
"I think the solution lies in being present. Focusing -- really, really focusing -- on where you are and who you're with can help.
"That can mean not checking email when I'm with my family, not thinking about the million things on my to-do list in the middle of a meeting, or just actually sitting down for breakfast and taking five minutes to breathe.
"It may not help me get everything done, but it makes the things I choose to do better, more purposeful and more rewarding."
TrivagoTrivago cofounder and CEO Rolf Schrömgens hopes to become even more health conscious, specifically in terms of nutrition.
"I have been diving deep into the topic of nutrition and learning more and more about the impact diet and exercise have on your overall health and well-being.
"On a personal level, though I am not brave enough to turn fully vegan, I do however want to eat way less meat.
"At trivago, we do already offer a lot of sports classes as well as organic fruit and vegetables (also ginger and lemon for making tea in the winter months), but we want to do even more."
Noam Galai | Getty ImagesEllevate CEO Sallie Krawcheck is going to start meditating.
"I'm good with the exercising, and I'm pretty OK with the eating right. But the more I read about the positive impact of meditation -- to your outlook, to your focus, to the health of your brain -- the more I realize I need to start doing this, in order to operate at my best.
"I just need to get my Type AAA self to sit still long enough."
Richard Drew | APZillow CEO and Hotwire cofounder Spencer Rascoff wants to abstain from email, text and messaging apps every weekend.
"Every year since 2016, my New Year's resolution has been to take a digital Sabbath from Friday sundown to Sunday night. That means no email, text or Slack.
"And each year, I set the bar higher.
"The first year, I was successful only 25 percent of the time, which was nothing to write home about.
"This past year, I was successful three out of every four weekends. That means most of my weekends were filled with kids' soccer games, birthday parties and family adventures.
"In 2018, I'm aiming for a 95 percent success rate because I know how important it is to be present for my wife and three kids.
"A digital Sabbath is also a great palate cleanser; I come to work Monday morning refreshed and ready to think creatively and take big swings. It's hard to do that if you're always on your phone, so this year I'm going all-in."
Donald Bowers | Getty ImagesProductivity expert and author Laura Vanderkam plans to have more fun on her next birthday.
"I'm celebrating a major birthday in 2018 and I want to really celebrate it. Fortunately, it's late in the year, so I have time to think about exactly what I'd like to do with friends and family and how I can make that happen. I know New Year's resolutions are often about doing something that seems not fun, but they're a lot easier to keep when they're resolutions to have more fun!"
Ethan Miller | Getty ImagesZappos CEO Tony Hsieh hopes to maximize everyone's efficiency.
"Embrace brevity."
Echelon FrontRetired Navy SEAL commander, author and podcast host Jocko Willink doesn't do New Year's resolutions, per se ... instead, he plans to get better today and every day.
"I don't do New Years Resolutions. There isn't anything special to me about the New Year.
"Making a resolution to be disciplined for one day isn't going to change you.
"Change doesn't happen in one day. Getting better doesn't happen with one statement you make once a year.
"Getting better is a campaign of discipline.
"It isn't a one day thing -- it is an everyday thing.
"Getting stronger, healthier, smarter, wealthier -- getting better -- none of these things happen from a mere one day of effort.
"They all takes weeks, months and years of effort for results to show.
"But. Remember: weeks, months and years all start with days.
"Without days, there are no weeks, months and years.
"And the day you control is this one. Today.
"So.
"Don't start to be disciplined on New Year's day.
"Don't begin moving toward your goals on Monday.
"Don't wait until tomorrow and don't think about what you didn't do yesterday.
Instead:
"Be disciplined today.
"Make today count.
"Get better today.
"This day.
"Every day.
"If you do that, when you look up in weeks and months and years, you won't need a resolution to keep get you on The Path of Discipline.
"You will already be on there."
Sarah Jacobs | Business InsiderBestselling author and podcast host Tim Ferris also forgoes New Year's resolutions and opts instead for year-end reviews.
"This means I go through my calendar from the previous year week by week and I make two lists. This is a straightforward 80-20 analysis, but it applies to emotional states.
"So on one list I note the 20 percent of activities, people, relationships, etc. that produced 80 percent or more of my peak, positive emotional states -- moments of joy, moments of elation, etc.
"Then in the second list, I compile the 20 percent of relationships, activities, etc. that created 80 percent or more of my peak negative states.
"And it doesn't have to be exactly 80-20, but it's a useful heuristic for putting together an analysis of the factors in your calendar -- not hypothetical -- but actually from the last year that created a disproportionate amount of peak positive states or peak negative states.
"I'm looking not only at big events but weekly routines.
"And I noticed, for instance, in a yearly review perhaps two years ago that morning group exercise -- whether that's a private exercise session or some type of class -- had a high correlation to elevated well-being (self-reported well-being) for that week. So that's something that I then doubled down on in the years following.
"But I don't take New Year's Eve and the few days leading up to New Year's to set New Year's resolutions. I take that time to do a previous year's review, where I very literally go through my iCal week by week. And I look at everything.
"And this seems like it would take a long time, but it really only takes perhaps a half hour, which is time very, very well spent."
Gary VaynerchukVaynerMedia co-founder and CEO Gary Vaynerchuk wants to do better than he did last year.
"I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. I believe that if you are making a New Year's resolution you are not auditing yourself on a daily basis. You should be making a daily resolution."
