2018 Annual Review: Achievements, Challenges, Lessons

The moment has arrived for some thoughtful reflection and evaluation. Every December, I undertake my Annual Review, marking the sixth consecutive year of this practice, and I have consistently discovered its value in providing clarity and direction.Consistent with previous years, this Annual Review

The moment has arrived for some thoughtful reflection and evaluation. Every December, I undertake my Annual Review, marking the sixth consecutive year of this practice, and I have consistently discovered its value in providing clarity and direction.

Consistent with previous years, this Annual Review addresses three fundamental questions that guide my assessment of the past twelve months.

1. What went well this year?

Let's kick things off on a positive note by highlighting the successes and achievements.

Atomic Habits. I have shared this news with just about everyone I encounter, but for those who might have missed it: I released a book this year, a significant milestone after years of dedication!

Readers who have followed my journey over time are aware that this project represented a prolonged effort spanning multiple years. I first revealed the book deal in my 2015 Annual Review, detailed the writing challenges in my 2016 Annual Review, and noted nearing completion in my 2017 Annual Review.

Even into January and February of this year, I was deeply immersed in refining the manuscript. Had someone approached me during those intense final revisions and predicted that the book would achieve bestseller status by year's end, I likely would have been overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude.

As 2018 comes to a conclusion, Atomic Habits has been available for 11 weeks since its publication date of October 16, 2018. I invested every possible effort to ensure its success, beginning with three years of crafting what I believe is the strongest version of the book imaginable, yet the positive response has exceeded even my most optimistic expectations.

Key accomplishments include achieving recognition on prestigious bestseller lists and platforms:

• New York Times bestseller, reaching number 3 in Business and number 5 in Advice/How-To categories
• Wall Street Journal bestseller
• USA Today bestseller
• Audible bestseller
• Top 10 most sold titles on Amazon
• 4.9 out of 5 stars on Amazon based on more than 350 reviews
• 4.8 out of 5 stars on Audible with over 2,250 ratings
• Featured segment on CBS This Morning
• Stocked in airports and over 600 Barnes & Noble stores across the country
• Finalist for Best Nonfiction Book of the Year on Goodreads

Words seem inadequate to express my gratitude, so I will simply say, Thank You. It fills me with profound appreciation to know that readers are deriving value from the book, recommending it to others, and that my efforts are contributing positively to the world in some measure. Various purchasing options are available for those interested.

Reach and Impact. While precise measurement is challenging, I sense that the influence of my work has grown substantially this year compared to prior ones. Perhaps this perception stems from the thrill of witnessing so many people engaging with the book.

From the outset, I have prioritized expanding reach over maximizing revenue. Financial gain is not my primary goal; rather, my aim is to disseminate the most valuable ideas to the widest possible audience. This year marked unprecedented levels of engagement and growth in our audience base.

A snapshot of the year's metrics reveals the following impressive figures:

• 9 new articles published during the year
• 241,827 new email subscribers added this year
• Total of 453,037 email subscribers by December 31, 2018
• 10,600,219 unique visitors to the site this year
• 36,558,938 unique visitors since the site's launch on November 12, 2012

Amid these triumphs, certain challenges lurk beneath the surface of these statistics, which I will explore in greater detail shortly.

Travel. Following a year without visiting any new countries in 2017, I resolved to prioritize travel in 2018. I certainly followed through, embarking on an extensive travel schedule that far exceeded expectations.

The standout travel experiences of 2018 encompassed:

• Visits to 7 countries, including 5 new ones: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, England, France, Japan, and the United States
• Trips to 15 states, with 2 being new destinations: Arizona, California (visited 4 times), Florida (3 times), Illinois (2 times), Kansas, Massachusetts (2 times), Nebraska, Nevada, New York (5 times), North Carolina (2 times), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington (2 times)

I maintain many of the ultralight packing strategies outlined in my travel guide, while also adopting fresh methods to manage the increased demands of speaking engagements during these trips. An update to that resource is forthcoming.

Speaking. By the close of this year, my skills as a speaker and presenter have noticeably improved from where they stood at the beginning. Much of this progress can be attributed to consistent practice and repetition. The book's success has led to a surge in speaking invitations, far more than in previous years. I am enthusiastic about expanding this aspect of my work in 2019 and have compiled a list of upcoming events. Opportunities for speaking at companies or events are welcomed.

Charity Work. Early in the year, I committed to partnering primarily with the Against Malaria Foundation (AMF). This organization provides mosquito nets to safeguard children, expectant mothers, and families from malaria-carrying insects, representing one of the most efficient interventions for prolonging lives and aligning seamlessly with my mission to promote healthy habits worldwide.

My commitment involves allocating 5 percent of after-tax profits to charitable initiatives, meaning that every book purchase, course enrollment, or article engagement contributes indirectly to these efforts. To date, our donations have resulted in tangible outcomes:

• Distribution of 4,685 malaria nets
• Protection for 8,433 individuals
• 87 additional years of life expectancy
• 2 lives directly saved

With this established partnership in place, I draw motivation from the knowledge that no day is truly unproductive. Even if personal tasks remain unchecked, every dollar generated through the business advances positive change globally.

2. What didn’t go so well this year?

Shifting focus to the tougher aspects, here are the areas that fell short of expectations.

Deadlines. Regrettably, I struggle to recall meeting any deadlines throughout the entire year. The book deadline? Utterly missed by over a year, though I am deeply thankful to my publisher for their understanding and flexibility. Revamping my habits course, initially slated for summer? That remains pending. Even this Annual Review is posting a day behind schedule.

This issue permeates even smaller, everyday commitments, such as punctuality for meetings. Feedback suggests I possess an overly optimistic perception of time, a polite phrasing for consistently underestimating the duration required for tasks.

In those spare 15 minutes before an engagement, others might think, Great, I can depart early and arrive ahead of time. My mindset, however, defaults to, Excellent, 15 more minutes for my current task, departing precisely when necessary to arrive just in time.

Addressing this remains a puzzle. I value my optimistic time perspective because it motivates maximizing productivity per hour. The benefit is substantial annual output; the drawback is a minimal buffer for disruptions. Success hinges on flawless execution; any hiccup risks delay.

Weightlifting. Throughout 2018, I completed 141 workouts, averaging 11.8 sessions per month. Superficially impressive, these figures represent a decline from the previous year, revealing underlying inconsistencies upon closer examination.

A monthly breakdown highlights the impact of key events: manuscript submission in February, book launch in October, and a nationwide media tour in December.

Workouts per month in 2018:

• January: 18
• February: 7
• March: 12
• April: 14
• May: 10
• June: 16
• July: 14
• August: 14
• September: 12
• October: 8
• November: 11
• December: 5

One silver lining I take pride in is refusing excuses like, Book launch means no workouts. Achieving 8 sessions amid chaos proved superior to skipping entirely. Prioritizing even brief 15-minute gym visits sustains momentum effectively.

My peak lifts for the year included:

• Back Squat: 400 lbs (181 kg) for 1 repetition
• Bench Press: 280 lbs (127 kg) for 1 repetition
• Deadlift: 500 lbs (226 kg) for 1 repetition

These are respectable achievements personally, yet none qualify as personal records. With nearly a decade of consistent training, this marks the first Annual Review without a new personal best in any major lift, underscoring the performance dip.

Writing Trajectory. Producing only 10 articles in 2017 set a personal low; astonishingly, 2018 saw an even further reduction. This diminished output rippled into other business facets, such as website traffic peaking in early months before trending downward.

Short-term implications are manageable, but as emphasized in Atomic Habits, success trajectories outweigh momentary results. Current visitor numbers matter less than the declining pattern. With the book now complete, 2019 demands rebuilding a robust weekly writing routine.

3. What did I learn this year?

Reflecting on key insights gained over the past year yields several profound takeaways:

If you don't know what to do, focus on the fundamentals. Sustainable progress thrives on simplicity. Bypass trendy techniques and invest in foundational habits offering outsized returns.

Examples of high-impact daily habits include:

• Achieving 8+ hours of sleep nightly
• Weightlifting three times weekly
• Taking a daily walk
• Saving at least 10 percent of income
• Reading daily
• Consuming more water and fewer other beverages
• Keeping your phone out of reach during work sessions

Mastery requires both impatience and patience. Impatience fuels decisive action, urgency, and efficiency daily. Patience enables deferred rewards, accumulation of efforts, and faith in long-term processes.

Curiosity is crucial. An innate drive to learn emerges as an indispensable life skill. Without it, external aid yields limited results; with it, even modest talent unlocks extraordinary potential.

Entrepreneurship is never as sexy on the inside as it appears on the outside. Behind every admired entrepreneur lie numerous unseen struggles and complications.

You are only as mentally tough as your life demands you to be. While challenges arise naturally, so do periods of ease. Comfort breeds fragility; like an unused muscle, resilience diminishes without regular trials. Self-imposed challenges become essential during calm times.

The margin between your best performance and your average performance is less than you think. Comparing 2017's 15.7 monthly workouts to 2018's 11.7 seemed minor—a mere four fewer sessions, or one weekly. Yet, 2017 brought personal records across lifts, while 2018 yielded none. That single weekly difference separated peak from average outcomes.

Move toward the next thing, not away from the last thing. Identical direction, vastly different motivation and energy.

No is a decision. Yes is a responsibility. Declining one option is straightforward; accepting one commits to rejecting all alternatives. In 2019, I aim to scrutinize yeses meticulously, safeguarding my time deliberately.

And with that, the review concludes. Thank you for joining me in this reflection. Wishing everyone a joyful New Year ahead!