A New Year’s resolution is a tradition, in which a person resolves to continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behaviour, to accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve their life. The concept is to reflect upon self-improvement annually.
With 2020 being such an uncertain year, it was probably hard for people to keep any resolutions that weren’t achievable at home. The first few months of 2021 are also rooted in uncertainty, so I was sceptical about adding any pressure to my life with a New Year’s resolution. However, having thought about it, I have decided to set one, because I feel that it will be beneficial in the long run and I set resolutions throughout the year, so why not set some at the start too. I am however, going to tackle my New Year’s resolutions in a way that should make them more achievable.
Popular Resolutions
The top 5 New Year’s resolutions appear to be:
- Eat healthier
- Exercise more
- Save/spend less
- Quit smoking
- Start a new job
Whilst they all seem achievable, they also seem like big commitments. I’m feeling anxious just writing about them, but then I think of the joy that I’ll feel upon achievement and know that it’s worth setting one. I’m currently in a good place mentally, so if I were to fail, I’m in a position where I could handle it. If I wasn’t mentally prepared to set one, then I would most definitely not do so.
Breaking Down a Resolution
This is the part that I’m sure would make my therapist smile.
Rather than having one resolution that I constantly feel guilty about giving up on or putting off, I will break it down into milestones to achieve throughout the year. This way it will feel more achievable and I can celebrate the milestones rather than just the end goal. I know a year is a significant period of time, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like it – take 2020 for example, a year can fly past.
What Do I Mean?
So, instead of focusing on the overall goal, I’m going to break my resolution down into milestones. Basically, I’ll have smaller resolutions that amount to my overall resolution. I’m going to focus on the path rather than the destination in the hope that this relieves some pressure of achieving it. It also means that I can celebrate the milestones throughout the year and gain satisfaction for achieving the various steps towards it
I was going to use one of the top 5 New Year’s resolutions as an example, but instead I will use one of my New Year’s resolution for 2021. I know what you’re thinking – I have more than one resolution?! Yes, but I’m breaking them all down and approaching them with the mindset that I do not have to achieve the end result, achieving the first milestone for at least one of them would be great!
My New Year’s Resolution
So my main New Year’s resolution is to apply for training contracts. I’m not saying obtain one because that would be implausible given the time frame – the process for obtaining one isn’t quick.
Now you may think that this sounds like a simple goal, but it is a very daunting task and a lot of work goes into it. It’s a resolution that I haven’t achieved over the past 5 years. Why risk not achieving it again? Well, I’ve not previously used the approach I’m going to this year, so I’m hoping that this year is my year.
Breaking Down My Resolution
In no particular order these are the milestones that amount to my New Year’s Resolution:
- Research law firms that I would like to work at
- Speak to the Employability Sector at my University
- Make sure that I’m commercially aware
- Stay on top of my university work
- Update my legal CV
- Look into Vacation Schemes
- Look into volunteer work
- Think about why I want a career in law
Each of these milestones will not only help me achieve my New Year’s resolution, but they will also help me prepare for a career in law, so arguably this approach is a lot more effective than trying to achieve a resolution without prior thought or direction. Each milestone has smaller components that need to be completed, but I won’t bore you with the ins and outs. Although, if you’re interested in becoming a law student or applying for a training contract, drop me a message and I’d be happy to share.
I’m a long way from achieving my New Year’s Resolution (I mean clearly, seen as it’s only the 3rd January), but application deadlines are towards the middle/end of the year (depending on the firm), so I have a a decent amount of time to tick of my milestones and achieve my overall goal of applying for training contracts.
Think I Have It All Together? Guess Again 