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2020 New Year's Resolutions (Ideas and How to Accomplish Them!)


I've always been the type of person that thinks New Year's resolutions are dumb. If you want to do something, why wait for a new year? Well, last year I turned a new leaf and decided to try out making a resolution and realized that I LOVE it. The month of January is usually a little cold and sad, and it gives you something to focus on to bring you out of the after-holiday slump. Plus, it starts the new year with motivation and a goal - which gives you the opportunity to accomplish something. Along with all those things, I think it's great to be mindful and set goals to better yourself regular, and doing this at the new year is a perfect way to incorporate self-growth into your schedule.

Personally, I think it's a good goal to make both big and small new year's resolutions, along with ones that are specific and more vague. For example, you could have a big and specific goal like "I want to get a job working for a private practice law firm in my home town" or a small, vague one like "I want to give out more compliments." Don't forget that your resolutions should be personal - you  need to care enough to accomplish them! And resolutions are for the whole year, it's not something you accomplish just in January. So don't worry about focusing on something that can be accomplished right away.


For me, this year I am trying out a new system where I am going to make three resolutions: one to help myself, one to help others, and a goal for the end of the year. Personally, my 2020 resolutions are:

  • FOR ME: Drink more water! I am the worst at drinking water (I prefer soda and coffee... oops) but I need to get better at hydrating to keep myself healthy. 
  • FOR OTHERS: Take a reusable cup more often to coffee shops. This may sound vague, but I actually want to be somewhat specific and say I'm shooting for 80%. You may wonder how this is "for others." To me, this is all part of living a more sustainable life so others can enjoy the earth for years to come. However, "be more sustainable" is a little too vague for a resolution for me. So I am making this goal more specific in hopes that not only can I be sustainable with my takeout coffee habits, but so I can also be inspired to live sustainably in other ways!
  • END OF THE YEAR GOAL: Secure post-clerkship employment! This is CRAZY to think about considering I have only been in my clerkship for four months and I am clerking for a two-year term. However, those of us in the legal world know that firms start hiring a year in advance, which means the end of next summer and all of next fall I will be looking for a job. So my goal is to secure a position by the end of the year!
Now obviously, I don't expect everyone to share my same resolutions. However, I know that different goals will fit different people. So below I've compiled a list of some ideas and some helpful hints to help  you accomplish them!

"FOR ME" Resolution Ideas


  • Exercise X number of times per week! This is a healthier spin on the classic "I want to lose weight" resolution. Losing weight focuses more on body image than health. However, exercising does so much more than burn calories. It helps keep your body healthy, relieves stress, and gives you a fun activity. Different amounts of exercise fit different lifestyles, so set a number that works for you. And help ease yourself into it. If you never work out now, don't set your goal at 5 times a week - that is way too much of an extreme change. Instead, try 1 or 2 days a week to start out.
    • HOW TO ACCOMPLISH:
      • Find a workout buddy to keep each other accountable
      • Join a gym that costs money! If you're anything like me, you won't want to waste your money on something you won't use.
      • If you're new to exercise, try workout classes to learn things you might like.
  • Dink More Water! So as I already told you, this is mine. I love drinking different beverages - coffee, tea, soda, juice, etc. My fridge is always stocked. But one thing I hate drinking is water. I'm just not into it. However, our bodies are made up of mostly water, so it's probably pretty important to drink quite a bit of it. 
  • Make Mindfulness a Habit! I lovvveeee the idea of this one! I'm a big advocate for taking control of your own mental health, and this is a great idea to help. Being mindful basically just means learning to focus on your own thoughts and processing your own feelings in a healthy way. This is a great general goal, because there are so many ways you can accomplish it. 
    • HOW TO ACCOMPLISH:
      • Go to a weekly yoga class. For those of us that have attended therapy, I'm sure a professional has suggested yoga at one point or another. While it's great for your body, the practice of yoga focuses on breathing, which can help you learn to concentrate on your thoughts while your mind and body are in a restful place. When I have been going through my hardest times, I have literally cried at the end of yoga classes because it created a space for me to practice being mindful and process my feelings in a healthy way.
      • Journal! To tell you the truth, I've always wanted to be one of those people who journals, but I've never been able to accomplish it. However, I've found when I am able to keep up with one even for a short time, it has been a great way to focus on my thoughts.
      • Try meditation. There are several apps that can guide you through it and some places even have classes!

"FOR OTHERS" Resolution Ideas


  • Any type of "Go Green" goals. Listen here, people. The earth is dying. We should all do our part and be more sustainable to help ourselves, those around us, and future generations. Last year my goal was to be more sustainable overall, but that goal was too broad. So I recommend choosing something specific if you want to make a sustainability habit.
    • HOW TO ACCOMPLISH:
      • Bring a to-go cup to the coffee shop. This is simple, but for people like me that grab a to-go coffee almost daily, this is one little thing you can do that inspires big change.
      • Donate to environmental charities. Even $5 a month can help.
      • Next time you buy products, switch to something more eco-friendly. Need sandwich bags for lunches? Try these silicone ones instead.  Need cotton rounds for makeup? Try reusable bamboo ones instead. Literally whatever you need, search for an eco-friendly idea on Amazon.
  • Volunteer X times per month. I love this resolution because it's FREE. All you have to spend is your time. Every community is in need of help. Maybe you could volunteer socializing with senior citizens at a nursing home. Maybe dogs at your local shelter need walked. Maybe trash needs cleaned up on the highway. Even giving one hour per month can make a big difference in your community.
    • HOW TO ACCOMPLISH:
      • Check for volunteer opportunities with your school or any professional organizations you might be in. This can double as a networking opportunity if you plan right.
      • Look for places you utilize in your community that might need help. Do you run at a local park? See if there is a volunteer park clean-up committee. Did you adopt your pet from a shelter? Maybe that shelter needs help with something. Utilize free tax prep services? See if they need volunteers.
  • Review every purchase you make. So I'll admit, I'm stealing this idea I saw on my friend Brandy's Instagram comments. Because I stole it, go check out her blog - The Legal Duchess. Not only is her blog one of my biggest inspirations, but she's actually the sweetest person. Anyway, I saw one of her Instagram followers comment that they resolved to review every purchase they make online, because we all rely on reviews so much. I thought this was a great idea! It's something so small, but we all use these reviews almost daily.
    • HOW TO ACCOMPLISH:
      • Set a reminder in your phone for a week later every time you get a new product to review one week later.
      • Go through your past Amazon orders once per month and review all of your purchases you've made.


"END OF THE YEAR GOALS" Resolutions


So as most of you know, I started this blog to focus on law school things. Since I've now graduated, the focus may drift. But in the true spirit of being a law school blog, here are some resolutions that are law school/law related.
  • Graduate law school! This is for all you 3Ls out there. You are so close, make sure to focus in on this final drive and get it done!
    • HOW TO ACCOMPLISH:
      • Keep doing what you've been doing. If it's worked so far, don't quit it.
      • Keep your stress levels low! Not only do you have school stress, but life is about to change in a major way and that can take a lot out of a person. Practice being mindful and make time for a little fun.
      • Enjoy the final run!
  • Raise your GPA! So for some of you, graduation isn't as near. So in the meantime, do what you can to help your future self out and focus on school so you can get good grades.
    • HOW TO ACCOMPLISH:
      •  DO YOUR READINGS. Honestly this is 90% of the battle. Just do your readings.

  • Get a kickass job or internship! Not going to  put a long section on this, because I've already written plenty of posts on it. Check them out here:


Obviously, that is just a snippet of some resolutions out there, but there are so many more. What are your resolutions?
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