8 Tips for Making Reasonable New Year’s Resolutions for Your Career

As we approach the New Year, you’re probably reflecting on the past 12 months.

And, let’s be honest, some of that reflection probably involves a pile of failed resolutions. I would know. Been there, done that. And I know I’m not alone.

Why do so many of our resolutions fail? Because they’re usually huge and overwhelming.

But hold on a second. Imagine tackling those resolutions a little bit like a scavenger hunt — small steps instead of massive, overwhelming leaps.

Whether it’s acing that morning routine or finally mastering more than “Hola, ¿cómo estás?” in Spanish, the key is to make it simple, specific, and, dare I say, enjoyable.

Break your goals down into bite-sized steps. Set realistic deadlines. Track and acknowledge progress. Believe me — it’s easier and more fun than it sounds!

In this article, you’ll learn how to:

• Set the right goals based on your strengths and weaknesses
• Make your goals accomplishable
• Break goals down into specific steps that make it easy to celebrate milestones
• Be flexible, adjust, and pivot if needed

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Assess Where You Stand

Before you dive into those New Year’s resolutions, take a second to hit pause and check where you’re at. Where do you stand right now, academically and career-wise? Knowing where you are is the first step to setting goals that are both exciting and achievable.

Here’s how.

Take a Moment for Self-Reflection

Think about your future dream career and how you want to make it happen. Don’t just focus on grades or internships, get creative and imagine the kind of professional you want to be, what kind of setting you’d like to work in, or what values are important to you.

Try making a “career mood board” (yep, the Pinterest kind) filled with your dream job, skills you want to master, goals, and even quotes or images that get you fired up. If you need additional tips, here’s a LinkedIn article explaining how to make a career mood board.

If you’re not much of a mood board person, consider writing a letter to your future self. Or reverse-engineer it, and write a letter as your future self, to your present self. Imagine what that version of you would say. What would they be proud of, what advice might they offer, and how might they encourage you to keep moving forward?

This exercise can give you a sense of perspective and help you recognize the progress you already made. It’s less about being “objective” and more about giving yourself a moment to appreciate where you are and how far you’ve come.

Here’s a TikTok with a list of specific questions you can ask yourself to find or clarify your career path. I started answering them one by one and by the third one, I got really inspired:

@resumegenius

Finding the right career path for you is not easy. To get an idea of your ideal job, take the time to self-reflect and ask yourself these questions 💭 #careeradvice #careerpath #selfreflection

♬ original sound – Resume Genius | Career Tips

And here’s another one where the brilliant Gabor Mate explains how to assess your intentions and check if they align with your goals (and how your intentions can sometimes be misleading):

@intellectelevate

#gabormate Unlock Success with Dr. Gabor Maté: Intentions Meet Goals CC: The diary of a ceo #GoalAlignment #MindfulLiving #SuccessPath #GaborMatelnsights #fyp #viralvideo

♬ original sound – Intellect Elevate

Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Do a personal SWOT analysis and be honest with yourself.

Take a piece of paper and split it into 4 quadrants, one for each element. Then, list your:

• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats (yes, those last two sound a little dramatic, but they’re important).

Here’s a bit more info on the SWAT analysis and how to do one:

@natpriamo

Part 2! Do a personal SWOT analysis👏 @natalie priamo #postgradreset #postgrad #early20s #adulting Ib: Tam Kuar

♬ original sound – natpriamo

This will give you a more holistic picture of your situation based on which you can create an action plan for the future.

Thinking About the Dream Outcome

It’s time for some ✨manifesting✨. Imagine what career success looks like for you, not in some vague, “I want to be successful” way, but in real terms.

What would your dream job look like?

• What is the size of the company you’d like to work for? Corporation or a startup?
• Do you even want to work for a company or do you want to do some freelancing work?
• What kind of work would it make it the most enjoyable?
• What are some core values you’d like to upkeep in your work and share with a potential company you’d work for?
• What kind of work would challenge you in a sliiiightly uncomfortable way?
• Do you want to work remotely or from an office?
• What kind of people do you work best with?

These would help you figure out what you want and what you most definitely don’t, both equally important when considering your future career.

And here’s another fun system to help you gain some career clarity, decide what you want, and imagine your dream job:

@steveperkinsghc

@sundiem31 has a simple career clarity exercise for anyone who is desperate for a change but not really sure what that change looks like. So simple but so useful, not just for helping you see the bigger picture when you’re feeling stuck in the ‘career maze’, but it also teaches you how to talk about yourself and what you’re good at (for future job interviews!). #careertransition #careerpivot #careercoach #clarity #careerchange #careermaze #careergoals

♬ original sound – Steve | Career Sweetspot – Steve Perkins | Greenhouse

Set SMART Goals

“SWOT, SMART, what next, Maja? You’re going to tell me to be agile in leveraging cross-functional objectives?”

I get it, corporate talk overload, but bear with me here because setting SMART goals really works.

SMART stands for goals that are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Here’s what it means in practice.

Specific and Measurable

Your goal should be specific and well-defined. Instead of saying, “I want to get better at writing,” go along the lines of, “I want to write 500 words a day for two months to improve my writing skills.”

You should also be able to track your progress — meaning your goal is measurable. In the example above, the 500 words per day is measurable.

How will you know if you’ve achieved your goal? By counting the words.

But also by measuring if your writing is improving, and you can do that by sharing it with your friends or family, starting a blog, or sharing in relevant communities (think Facebook groups, Reddit, Quora, Threads, or other platforms like Medium). It might help you gain valuable feedback and connect with interesting people.

Achievable (but Stretching)

One of my old managers once told me he wanted to keep me slightly uncomfortable with my tasks because the magic happens outside our comfort zones. And, as much as I’d hate to admit it, and as much as I love my comfort zone, he was right.

What does this even mean and why do I bring it up?

Well, your goals should be realistic, but they should also stretch you just beyond your current capabilities. It’s like the perfect workout, challenging, but not impossible.

You’re aiming for growth, so it should feel a bit uncomfortable because if it doesn’t, you’re probably playing it too safe.

So, what would this look like for our “writing 500 words a day” example? Perhaps aiming for 700 words after all, which might make you stretch just enough to push yourself without breaking. Or setting a different topic every day. Or increasing the number of words every week. Or getting out of your comfort zone by sharing your writing with others and asking for feedback. Feel free to get creative.

Relevant (but Time-bound)

Your goal should matter to you and align with your bigger aspirations, but it should also fit into a realistic timeline.

This means setting realistic due dates for your goals, but also using your calendar year wisely by syncing your goals with key academic milestones, like internship application deadlines, midterms, or finals.

For example, “to land an internship with my dream company” is a goal very relevant to your career, but not really time-bound. Setting a goal like “I’ll apply for 5 internships by the end of March” ensures you’re accountable for time-tracked progress towards your overall goal.

If you tie your goals to specific dates, you’re creating a roadmap that combines your ambitions with your schedule.

Examples of “SMART” Goals

Let’s go through specific examples to give you more clarity (and hopefully inspire you).

1. To build a professional network via attending events

• Specific: Hit up at least three industry events or conferences (virtual counts too).
• Measurable: Swap contact info with at least ten professionals at each event.
• Achievable: Student discounts and online webinars = major life hack.
• Relevant: Stick to events that align with your dream job (tech meetups, marketing workshops, etc.)
• Time-bound: Wrap this up by the end of the semester, ideally before May 2025.

2. To boost technical skills through certification courses

• Specific: Get certified in something useful — Google Analytics, Adobe Creative Cloud, you name it.
• Measurable: Finish all course requirements (100%, no excuses).
• Achievable: Set aside five hours a week to study, squeezing it between classes and your social life.
• Relevant: Pick certifications that align with your career dreams. Duh.
• Time-bound: Complete it by June 2025, with plenty of time to brag about it on LinkedIn. Need help to spice up your LN profile before you start bragging? We got you: here are 15+ tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile.

3. To secure a summer internship

• Specific: Apply to at least 15 internships in your chosen field (or however many meaningful ones you find).
• Measurable: Keep track of your applications and responses in a handy spreadsheet.
• Achievable: Tailor your resume and cover letter for each gig, and ask a career counselor for help.
• Relevant: Go for internships that match your major and interests.
• Time-bound: Have an internship offer locked down by March 2025 for a summer 2025 start.

4. To improve your communication and public speaking skills

• Specific: Sign up for a public speaking course or join Toastmasters (yep, it’s a thing).
• Measurable: Deliver at least three speeches or presentations during the course or club meetings.
• Achievable: Dedicate one hour a week to practice. Slot it into your busy schedule.
• Relevant: Work on skills that’ll come in handy for future job interviews and team meetings.
• Time-bound: Finish the course or hit a speaking milestone by April 2025.

5. To gain real-world experience through a passion project

• Specific: Kick off a personal project, like a blog for Creative Writing/English or a coding project for computer science.
• Measurable: Put in at least 20 hours a month and create a checklist for key tasks.
• Achievable: Use free online resources and get advice from mentors to keep it moving forward.
• Relevant: Make sure the project builds skills you’ll need for future jobs.
• Time-bound: Wrap it up and showcase your work in a portfolio by June 2025. Another perfect opportunity to brag on LinkedIn.

Break Down Goals into Actionable Steps

I recently read a Reddit thread where people complained about failing to meet their New Year’s resolutions every time. Then someone said it’s because those resolutions feel too overwhelming, so they just stop trying.

It makes total sense.

Big and broad resolutions seem more intimidating and thus overwhelming. You don’t know where to start with them, what exactly to do, or how to make meaningful progress.

The solution is simple: break them down into smaller, more actionable, and manageable steps.

Create Micro Tasks

Breaking big, overwhelming goals down into daily or weekly micro-tasks makes everything more manageable and clear.

Instead of saying, “I’ll finish this project by the end of the semester,” set mini-deadlines:

• “Research for 30 minutes today”
• “Write 200 words this week”
• “Finalize the research by January 30th”, etc.

Not only will it make more clear how to achieve your goal, but you’ll also know your progress every step of the way.

Here are some fun tools to help you keep track of your tasks, or manage your projects:

• Asana
• Notion
• Trello
• Google Keep for quick to-do tasks

This will help you check off your daily to-dos and keep you on track without burning you out or overwhelming you.

Celebrate Milestones and Treat. Yo. Self.

Back in the day when I finally defended my master’s thesis and was officially no longer a student, I allowed myself to be happy for, like, 30 minutes. I was on to the next adventure then — finding a first job. Which is not easy and made me miserable. Basically, I chose to be unhappy.

Looking back, I was a fool for not allowing myself to celebrate that huge milestone. And you guessed it right — I used to ignore the smaller ones too, which led to a burnout later on in my career.

So learn from my mistakes. Reward yourself for your progress, no matter how small.

It will keep you motivated and make the journey feel like a journey, not an endless grind.

Celebrate with simple pleasures like grabbing that overpriced coffee from your favorite café, going to brunch with your friends, or binge-watching a few episodes of your favorite show.

Here’s why celebrating small wins is important:

@dharandjayshow

Celebrate your small wins ❤️ #adamw #motivation #inspiration #podcast

♬ original sound – Dhar and Jay Show

Embrace Flexibility and Adaptation

Not sure if you thought about it, but embracing flexibility and being adaptable will be key to meeting your goals.

Develop Resilience and Adaptability

You’re going to face setbacks because success is rarely a straight line. Period.

But here’s the thing: when things don’t go as planned, don’t beat yourself up. Think of those “fails” as epic quests that didn’t work out. They’re not failures, just detours.

A growth mindset is key here. If you approach challenges with the mindset that every mistake is an opportunity to learn, you’re already winning. So if you bomb an exam or your first internship doesn’t pan out, instead of getting discouraged, ask yourself:

• What happened?
• Why?
• What did I learn?
• What steps will I take to prevent this from happening the next time?

Here’s a personal story: I have two folders on my computer. The first one is the “fails” folder where I keep track of the projects and tasks that didn’t work out as I intended. I write down the details and the lessons I learned — because, let’s be real, our brains are wired to forget the unpleasant things and tend to remember only the good.

This folder helped me develop resilience and adaptability and know exactly what to do and how to do it each time I encounter a situation in which I previously failed.

The second folder is the “wins” folder where I keep track of wins, successful projects and collaborations, or just positive feedback I received. It evens things out and helps me put them into perspective each time I fail or something goes wrong.

You can try this approach and see if it works for you.

Here’s a few more tips for building resilience:

@docamen

2024 is the year of brain health & resilience ✨

♬ original sound – BrainMD

Don’t Be Afraid to Pivot

Your goals and path aren’t set in stone, and you have the right to change them as you go, especially if your circumstances change too.

If something’s not working out, it’s okay to pivot. Heck, even if it’s working out all right (alright, alright…), but you still want to make the change, you can, and should.

Look at Matthew McConaughey. The dude completely pivoted his career from being the rom-com heartthrob to taking on serious roles like in Dallas Buyers Club and True Detective:

He wasn’t afraid to leave behind a comfortable niche and embrace something new. It’s a perfect example of how pivoting isn’t about quitting but about recognizing when something no longer fits and being brave enough to switch gears.

So, when life (or your goals) shifts unexpectedly, remember: that you can change direction too. You don’t need to stick with what you planned if it no longer excites you or pushes you in the right direction.

Summary of the Main Points

• Failing New Year’s resolutions has happened to a lot of us — and it’s usually because our goals are too broad and general.
• To meet your goals, it’s best to make them reasonable and specific.
• Before deciding on your goals and making resolutions, assess where you stand and identify your strengths and weaknesses.
• Then, make your goals SMART.
• Break down your goals into actionable steps you can track.
• Celebrate milestones, no matter how small, and don’t be afraid to pivot and change plans.

So, there you have it! I hope this guide helps you set and strategize your resolutions in the new year. If you have questions or want to share your goals and resolutions with us, feel free to share and tag us on LinkedIn. Or send me an email to [email protected].

Thanks for reading and happy holidays! ✨