How to Make 2018 the Year of What Not To Do

Ahh, the New Year.

It gifts us the opportunity to make those 'new year’s resolutions.'

It allows many of us to make that endearing "new year, new me" statement (rolls eyes about now).

Seriously, who are we kidding?

We've convinced ourselves that we're going to be able to change a lifetime of bad habits, just because we've got a new calendar.

All the New Year ends up being is the year of 'same old failed promises.'

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Success often doesn't come down to what you do, but rather, being able to know what not to do.

Here's just one thing you can learn, in roughly a minute's reading time, to help you create that "what not to do list", that will make sure those 2018 promises actually stick.

Leave that bleedin phone alone

Let's face the music.

We're all becoming obsessed with our phones.

Heck, you're probably most likely reading this article on your smartphone right now.

Millenials (those born approximately post-1984) check their phones on average a staggering 150 times a day.

But Baby Boomers are just as bad.

A massive 52% use their mobile technology during meal times.

Whilst nearly 60% of all adults check their emails during holidays.

You don't have to be a technology expert to know about the dangers of mobile phone addiction.

Just reflect on the amount of quality time you're spending with your friends and family today, compare that to only ten years back.

But for those of you who would like the scientific backed analysis, here's the situation:

• Those WhatsApp messages, social media posts, and emails all contribute to the release of dopamine in the human brain.
• It's the same neurotransmitter that rewards you for accomplishing a goal (think of that ecstatic feeling you get when you got a new job or when you got that pay increase).
• But this dopamine release creates a false sense of accomplishment.

When we think of addiction, we think of narcotics or alcohol.

But in today's world, the mobile has become the most addictive drug.

But you don't have to go to rehab to find the solution - just put this effective plan to action and you'll be on your way to mobile phone sobriety in no time.

How, you ask?

Leave your phone during the first hour of the morning, and last hour of the day.

I know that may sound difficult.

But whatever you do first thing in the morning, often is the most important.

It sets the tone for how the rest of your day will go.

So instead of picking your phone off the side of your bed (which, for sanities sake, you should really stop doing), leave it alone.

Just for one hour.

Read a book perhaps. Do some exercise if you're feeling like a superhero. Or worst case scenario in instances of super laziness, sit up and watch the birds fly outside.

Truly successful people start like this (okay, maybe not the bird thing).

"   I try hard not to check e-mails   until I get to the office, which is usually between 9:30 and 10 a.m."

- Tumblr founder David Karp, who sold his company to Yahoo for $1.1 billion.

And when it comes to night time, leave major mobile phone interactions at least an hour before you decide to call it a night.

Being productive in the morning keeps the mind free.

And having a clear, phone free conscience before you sleep naturally results in you getting a better quality nights rest.

The result?

You can wake up earlier to achieve more the following day (that's right, 4:30 am club here we come).

Conclusion

It's not easy leaving our phones.

We feel like we'll be missing out on something potentially important if we do.

But contentment shouldn't originate from someone else's recognition - it should emanate from your desire, pursuit and accomplishment of personal goals.

You'll only be able to do that by creating that environment and attitude for success.

Simply apply those two crucial controls to bring about a sense of prioritisation and teach yourself that discipline to set yourself up for the rest of your busy day.

All you have to do is fix this one area.

By starting the day by not doing something, you create that sense of success.

And end the night with that feeling of accomplishment.

Or as others call it, cell phone addiction liberation.

2018 doesn't have to be that year of cliched goals and disheartening failures.

Let it be the year of controlling the mobile phone cravings that are getting in the way of your pursuit of success.

All you have to do is make 2018 the year of mastering what not to do.

Sometimes, it really can be that easy.

What's your best advice to help achieve more goals for 2018?