Nichols made a list of how he can become even better after a strong first year in the NFL. He has that piece of paper in his dorm room at Olivet Nazarene. It travels in his bag and often finds itself in meetings. Nichols won't share the contents of his list, but it's personal and motivating.
Just as he enjoyed the success of 2018, Nichols also refused to forget how disappointing it felt when finished.
"That feeling burned me so bad," Nichols said.
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Nichols joined the Bears a year ago as a fifth-round pick out of Delaware who was facing a battle to earn his place in the team's defensive line rotation. By August, it was clear to the Bears that they had quite the impressive player and person.
Nichols quietly remained by the side of veterans defensive linemen like Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman, asking questions and absorbing all he could. He saw more reps alongside those two than any other Bears defensive lineman.
"The thing that I thought was special about Bilal Nichols was the way that he came in," Hicks said. "I had a lot of respect for a young man that would come in and be able to put away pride, ego, whether he was the man or not at the school that he came from.
"He said, 'Hey, I want to learn. I want to be better. I want to grow. I want to do this. And be willing to receive information.' You can't put a value on that.
"He was humble, focused and all those other terms that we throw around that makes a good person."
For Nichols, it was just being himself. It paid off. He played in 14 regular-season games and started in six, recording 28 tackles -- including 20 solo tackles -- while adding 3.5 sacks. The Bears were eager to sing the praises of a Day 3 draft selection who became an instant-impact player.
Instead of looking at what he did accomplish, Nichols chose to remember what he didn't do -- and what he can do in 2019.
"That's just who I am as a person," Nichols said in reflecting on an unchanged mindset from his rookie season. "I never live on my past things. I'm always looking to improve.
"I made tremendous gains, but I'm nowhere near where I want to be. I still got so much further I need to go. I'm just excited."
Now with the Bears at training camp, Nichols feels comfortable in the scheme and with his assignments but not with his own self. He's working with the same reserved demeanor that produced success as a rookie.
There's a list of reasons why Nichols can keep getting better.
"I got high standards for myself this year," he said. "I'm not going to lie, I hold myself to high standards and I'm going to reach them. Just continuing to work hard. My rookie year was good but not good enough. I put that behind me. I'm not worried about my rookie year anymore. I'm worried about year two."