With the first quarter of 2018 in the books, I look forward to the rest of the year in a way that is grounded, hopeful and optimistic.

First things first, I realize that this year is going to fly by. I looked up, and before I knew it, Easter is here.

I had an uncle die a few weeks ago and had some friends lose their mother, so it's been a bit of an emotional time that makes me reflect and take a look at life as a whole. I have big dreams and goals, but more than anything right now, I appreciate life.

For this reason, I have an outlook in the forefront of my mind that I'm choosing to carry forward through the rest of the year.

1. I Want To Get The Most Out Of Every Moment

We don't have this life forever.

The older I get, the more this message gets hammered home for me. A couple years back, I was in a car accident where my car got totaled. The other driver recklessly crossed over from a shoulder, over two lanes, while doing more than 100 mph and struck my vehicle from behind.

My wife was driving and I had two of my friends in the backseat.

I went through a wide range of emotions, from fury to intense vulnerability, and had PTSD for a while after.

Thankfully, none of us had any physical injuries aside from pretty bad soreness and concussion.

My biggest takeaway from this car accident was that in one careless moment of chase, a wife could lose her husband and vice versa, friends can lose friends and children can lose parents. As morbid as that sounds, it's a reality that has, in a way, freed me to take more chances and live the life I want to lead.

We're here for a finite period of time, and I meditate on this from time to time to help me in my everyday life.

2. I Find Myself Focused On My "Why"

It's one thing to exist, and another entirely to know why I get out of bed every morning to take on my day.

Sure, we all want to make a lot of money, love our kids and enjoy the work that we do. But sometimes it takes some deeper reflection to understand who you are, what you have to contribute and why you want to contribute it.

This is something that I revisit in myself regularly, so that I can shift my focus and put my all into everything that I do. When this is the foundation, you will find that your actions are truer and you'll give less credence to your insecurities.

What's more, your hard work and toil will feel like an act of giving, rather than task after task in search of satisfaction and validation.

3. I Want To Improve My Health Little Bit Little

Since I'm faced with death a lot these days, I also find myself doing what I can to take care of myself.

I'm less concerned about how long I get to live, and am more concerned with making sure that the quality of life that I live is as great as possible.

This starts with watching what I eat and holding myself to regular exercise and disciplines. Ironically, the more discipline I exercise, the more freedom I feel like I have.

When I'm not focused on my health, my body aches, I'm sitting down all the time and am not feeling alive in the least. However, when I choose to push myself, it's easier for me to get out of bed in the morning, I sleep sounder and I feel like a ball of energy.

I want to be around for my kids and grandkids, with the ability to play, travel and spend time with them all in a truly meaningful way.

Every day is another chance to write my story, and these three mindsets that I'm carrying through 2018 will be powerful ways to push me forward and find meaning in it all.