10 Steps To Create A Prosperous 2018

By Jennifer Navarro-Marroquin

It’s a New Year.  

When the ball dropped at 12 am on January 1, 2018 your life was magically reset, and the slate was wiped clean.  At this moment you are starting a brand new chapter, where the pages are still unwritten.  Your outlook on the upcoming year is filled with possibilities and opportunities.  If you’re like most people, one of your New Year’s resolutions had something to do with making 2018 your most prosperous year yet.  These first days of the year are exciting with lots of new energy.  Now is the time to strike with purpose and focus, roll up your sleeves and do the work!

Are you ready?? If your answer is “Yes”, then here a list of the 10 Steps that will help you to create a prosperous 2018.  

1. Look back to jump forward  

It is important to do personal financial assessments.  This can be an uncomfortable thing that most people want to avoid, but it’s a necessary thing that MUST become a habit.  Do a 2017 financial review.  Look at the financial goals you hit, and didn’t hit.  Look at your savings and retirement accounts to see how much interest you gained or lost last year.  Check your net worth and afterwards analyze your data.

2. Create a 2018 monthly budget

A budget needs to be current, relevant, and doable!  Include the following categories in you budget:  monthly expenses, monthly savings, and spending.  Be as specific, and as accurate as you can.  Having a well thought out budget can make or break the prosperity progress you make this year.  To get more details on how to create a personal budget read THIS article.

3. Set money goals for 2018 that are realistic and customized to you

Goal setting is an integral part of prosperity.  What makes dreams different from goals?  Goals have a deadline.  While dreams are “somehow”, “someway”, or “someday”, goals are measurable and have an end date.  Set realistic money goals for all your saving vehicles in 2018.  The goals that you identify will end up dictating your financial choices in 2018.  

4. Speak to a professional

After doing your personal financial assessment, creating a budget, and setting your goals, schedule an appointment with a professional in the financial industry.  Have them help you look at your whole financial picture, and afterwards give you their input and tweaks.  The value of their recommendations are priceless and your money plan for 2018 can benefit greatly from their advice.

5. Save more by playing the “Needs vs Wants” game

Do this with expenses like: your online subscriptions, online spending, Lyft & Uber spending, and entertainment budget.  This can be a really fun exercise and can help you find the best kind of money “Found Money”!  You’d be surprised to see the dollar amount you can find in everyday expenses that can be cut out because they qualify as a want rather than a need.

6. Daily prosperity mantras

Mantras are short phrases that help to program the subconscious mind, and are great tool to use as you call in prosperity for 2018. How can you use these mantras? In the morning when you wake up repeat the mantras 3 times before you get out of bed. Repeat the mantra in the afternoon, and most importantly in the evening when you go to bed.  Here are some mantras I’ve used:

“Abundance flows to me, and through me, in expected and unexpected ways.”

“I Am one with prosperity”

“My prosperous thoughts, create my prosperous world.”

7. Do things that cost little to no money, but give you so much

Taking nature walks, having brunch at home with friends, checking out free local happenings and events.  This step is all about quality over cost.  Personally I’ve experienced the most joyful, connected, and loving moments in situations where I spent zero dollars.  Open yourself, and your calendar to more of these moments.  This is a fun opportunity to be creative and do things outside of your normal routine.  

8. Write down your greatest triumphs and challenges in 2017

Open up your journal and write down your greatest triumphs and challenges in 2017.  Your triumphs can be awards you received, income upgrades, or emotional breakthroughs.  Your challenges can be something you experienced in a relationship, in your business, or a financial hardship.  After writing down your list under both categories, write down what you learned about yourself from both your triumphs and your challenges.  Self-reflection is an integral piece to prosperity.  

9. Write down your greatest lesson in 2017  

Let’s be honest, there was a lot going on in 2017 globally and nationally.  The greats out there see times like these as awesome invitations to learn something about our world, our environment, and most importantly ourselves.  Write down your greatest personal lesson in 2017.  This lesson will be a potent gift you give to yourself this year, because it will allow you see things from a new perspective, and help you to not repeat past choices that don’t serve you now.

10. Look at what you have and be grateful

The key to living a prosperous life is the practice of gratitude.  Each day of 2018 make it a point to think of 5 things you are grateful for in your life before you get out of bed.  At the end of the the day think of 5 things that happened that day that you were grateful for.  Having this daily practice will allow you harness the power of the present moment to create the prosperous life you desire.  To keep it simple, make gratitude your state of being.  

These 10 Steps are a great start to making serious changes with your money in 2018.  If you want more in person information, drop into one of my free upcoming workshops at Community Well.