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4 tips to achieve your goals in 2018, according to a leadership expert

Billionaires Bill Gates and Richard Branson both tout the importance of having big goals and going after them.

But if you're jumping on board the "new year, new me" train, better buckle up for a bumpy ride: Research has found that only about 8 percent of people achieve their New Year's resolutions.

So this year, before you scribble down a handful of ambitious to-dos only to feel discouraged when you fall behind by mid-January, do things a little differently.

According to leadership expert Michael Hyatt's book "Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals," these tips can help you set and actually reach your objectives.

Start with the right mindset

First, you have to shift your thinking. We "tend to experience what we expect," writes Hyatt, calling doubt a "goal toxin."

Specifically, think about the beliefs that are holding you back and swap those for thoughts that encourage you to move forward.

You need to "recognize that most of the barriers we face are imaginary," Hyatt writes. "There are a million thoughts running through our heads, but we alone get to choose what we're going to believe."

It not only helps with reaching goals, but multiple studies have found that optimists tend to be physically and psychologically healthier than pessimists, and researchers in another study found that positive thinking can even boost your performance at work.

Craft specific goals

Simply jotting down something vague like "do better at my job" likely won't cut it. Instead, focus on goals that give you clarity and direction. According to Hyatt, goals should be specific, measurable, actionable, challenging but realistic and exciting.

Writing down your goals is also a must, Hyatt says.

A mix of "achievement goals" and "habit goals," as Hyatt calls them, is also key. An achievement goal is a one-time accomplishment, something like, "I will get a $10,000 raise by Q3 of this year." A habit goal represents a new, ongoing, regular activity like, "I will respond to all unanswered emails every week by Friday at 3 p.m."

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