Focus.

That is what it takes to reach financial success. It takes a persistent focus to get better every day, it takes a strategic outlook, and it takes a dedicated approach. Every year counts.

But each year brings new challenges. For investors (like you) this means changing industry, market, and company risks, all of which have to be factored into your investing outlook, 2018 is no different.

Those who have wealth don’t want to lose it and those who don’t are always chasing it. The reality is that neither ever quite feel comfortable.

The funny thing about wealth is that no matter how much you make or have, you tend to need more to feel rich. – Sam of Financial Samurai.

So, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the insights of the rich. What are America’s affluent worried about and what keeps them up at night?

Personal Capital thought this would be an interesting question too. In their study, Affluent Investor Outlook, Personal Capital in concert with ORC International, surveyed 1,000 investors with investable assets of greater than $500,000 about how they were preparing for the future.

The good news is that the future looks bright.

Almost half of all affluent investors are bullish on the market throughout 2018. They are poised for long-term growth and remain generally optimistic. The affluent believe that they can continue their bullish bets if they can learn from their missteps in 2017.

That’s right; even the rich make financial mistakes! Affluent investors said they could do better this year at increasing their financial position by lasering in on several areas for improvement.

Here are four significant mistakes the rich said they made last year:

• Did not save enough
• Paid too much for luxury items
• Spent too much on advisory fees
• Made emotional decisions in buying/selling investments

Do any of these issues sound familiar?

To discuss the survey and investing in 2018, I spoke with Michelle Brownstein, CFP and Director of the Private Client Group at Personal Capital.

While going over the survey in detail, we spoke about ways in which Millennials can take advantage of investing in 2018 and beyond.

What I recommend is for Millennials to look at their long-term portfolio allocation – for the next 20, 30, 40 years – and figure out how much they would like in stock, bonds, or alternative investments. – Michelle Brownstein of Personal Capital.

According to Brownstein, Personal Capital’s Investment Checkup Tool helps active and potential investors determine the correct portfolio allocation based on risk tolerance and other investing factors.

There are a ton of tools out there to help you start investing. Whether you are a seasoned investor or just dipping your toe into the markets, take the time this year to reexamine your portfolio allocation, avoid the four common mistakes of the rich from last year, and keep your momentum going.

Remember – because you are investing you are winning. Learning how to invest and where to get started will be the catalyst you need to ignite your money makeover.