It’s the first month of the new year. Are you on your way to achieving your New Year’s resolutions, or have you already faltered or given up completely?
According to business and life coach Tony Robbins, 80 percent of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions by the second week of February because they don’t have a solid plan in place.
To help you become part of the percentage that sets clear goals and sticks to them, CNBC Make It talked to seven millennial CEOs and executives about their goals for 2018 and their roadmap for success.
Porter Braswell, CEO and co-founder of Jopwell:
2018 Goal: To be more present in the moment
How he’s sticking to this goal: “While it is so important to multitask efficiently, it is equally important to know how to unplug and focus. That is what I’m working on this year and I’m encouraging my team to prioritize as well.
“A close mentor of mine told me to always make sure you give your team your full attention, no matter how hectic it can feel to run a startup. This year, I’m making a concerted effort to put my iPhone away and give those I meet with my undivided focus. This is something I’ve noticed makes every interaction more meaningful and can go a long way in building lasting relationships.”
Beck Bamberger, CEO of BAM Communications:
2018 Goal: To regularly measure results
How she’s sticking to this goal: “A lot of people write down their goals, but then they file them away and rarely look at them. The old adage, ‘What gets measured, gets done’ is so relevant to achieving goals. You need a strong habit to review the goals just like brushing your teeth or making your bed. I review my goals every day, at the same time and in the same setting (after I run in the morning, usually about 6:20 a.m., outside, while I’m stretching.) This makes ‘forgetting’ what my goals are nearly impossible and therefore, I don’t lose track of getting them done.”
Liz Wessel, CEO of WayUp:
2018 Goal: To be better at delegating assignments
How she’s sticking to this goal: “Like many startup founders, I’ve spent the first few years at WayUp working on things like user support (aka responding to every user’s email), sales strategy, product road mapping and more. Recently, we took an exciting step and hired our entire executive team. Now that I have an incredible group of leaders around me, I’m looking forward to managing results and being able to make decisions from a higher level.”
Angela Benton, CEO and founder of NewME Inc:
2018 Goal: To focus less on busy-work and more on the tasks that produce meaningful results
How she’s sticking to this goal: “I always start with setting strategic goals before setting tactical goals. It’s important to know where you’re going or where you want to go and it’s easy to get caught up in busy-work that isn’t actually moving you closer to your goals.
“Once I set strategic goals I check in with myself every month to see if the culmination of my work for that month has gotten me closer to where I want to go. If it has, great! If it hasn’t, I still have time to regroup and refocus in the coming month. The idea of using this method is that, hopefully, by year’s end, you’re where you want to be.”
Joseph Fasone, CEO of Pilot:
2018 Goal: To use my time and my team’s time more effectively
How he’s sticking to this goal: “Running a fast-growing company, the demands on my time are immense both in and out of the office. My past tendency has been to let these demands —whether it’s back-to-back meetings, or a constantly full inbox or dinner with prospective clients — command my schedule.
“In 2018, I’m focused on putting systems in place to ensure I am using my time and the time of my team most effectively. Most immediately, I am committed to going into meetings with clear intentions and goals so that my team is equipped to continuously evolve and improve in order to drive innovation where we see it needed most.”
Jonathan Jackson, Co-founder and head of corporate brand at Blavity:
2018 Goal: To focus less on the small stuff and more on projects that have the most impact
How he’s sticking to this goal: “In 2018, I’m focusing on a concept I read about, having a deep year — building in constraints that help me focus on the most impactful things I can be doing. For me, it’s less about keeping my resolutions, and more about whether those commitments are actually in line with what I say I value, and what I am hoping to solve.
“I set my goals in terms of the impact that I want, and the incremental steps that it will take. Those might be moments of intense focus, others could be [gradual] steps, but all of them are things that actually excite me, which helps me stay focused when I have dips or get off-track.”
Brett Adcock, Co-founder of Vettery:
2018 Goal: Create a better learning environment for staff
How he’s sticking to this goal: “As a founder, it can be difficult to take a step back from managing the day-to-day in order to focus on our broader business strategy. My co-founder, Adam, and I have aggressive business goals for 2018 and know that in order to meet them we need to create an environment where our team has opportunities to grow alongside us. This means investing time to teach people to become great managers. If our team is empowered to be a part of the company’s growth, it will only lead to all of our success.”
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