It’s a new year, which means it can be a new you. Many take on New Year’s Resolutions. Perhaps a different approach is better.
1) Don’t “set goals.” Build a plan you can execute on your worst day.
Most New Year’s resolutions fail for a boring reason: they aren’t operational. “Get better at depositions” is a wish. “Do two deposition-prep sessions this month and ask a senior associate to critique my outline” is a plan.
Start small and specific:
- Pick three outcomes you want by year-end (skills, relationships, health, money — your call).
- For each outcome, write a short to-do list you can start in January.
- Then take it one step further: break each goal into “next actions” you can complete in 30 minutes.
One of your best tools is embarrassingly low-tech: write down what you’re proud of and keep it where you can see it. It’s not vanity; it’s fuel. Confidence isn’t just a personality trait in law — it’s part of the product.
2) Replace willpower with systems: checklists, calendars, and repetition.
Law rewards consistency. And consistency comes from systems, not motivation.
A practical trick: build checklists for repeatable tasks — witness interviews, depo prep, discovery responses. Most of what we do can be reduced to a checklist, and every time you use it, you improve it. That’s how you quietly become the “always prepared” associate.
Another simple system: review your calendar forward so deadlines stop ambushing you. And keep a running case list so you can spot which file you’ve neglected and re-engage it.
3) Stop overthinking. Start doing. (Yes, it’s that blunt.)
Lawyers are wired for analysis. That’s why clients hire us — and it’s also why we get stuck. The profession breeds analysis paralysis: we think, analyze, ponder, then do more of the same instead of deciding and moving.
The fix is uncomfortable: run more experiments.
- Draft the outline and send it.
- Make the call instead of sending the tenth email.
- Offer to take the first cut at the motion even if it won’t be perfect.
Businesses beta-test. They try, fail, adjust, repeat. Lawyers should, too.
4) Build your “pack” — not just friends, but strategic relationships.
Young lawyers love to talk about “networking” like it’s a gross chore. It’s not. It’s professional survival. We’re pack animals. We work best in teams.
An innovative relationship plan is specific. One list worth stealing: have at least one relationship in each category — a lawyer in your practice area, a senior lawyer, a solo, a recruiter, a bar leader, a legal journalist, a strong public speaker, and a legal marketer. That’s not random. That’s an ecosystem.
And don’t wait for “networking events” to start. Build a tribe: three or four like-minded young lawyers, weekly coffee, ongoing support. The job gets lighter when you’re not carrying it alone.
5) Put “reps” on your calendar: speaking, writing, and client communication.
Skill doesn’t come from reading about the skill. It comes from doing the skill badly and then less badly.
Public speaking is the clearest example. If you’re starting with bar gigs, your first few presentations might stink — and that’s normal. There’s no replacement for reps. The best advice for fear is exposure therapy: scale it from coffee conversations to small groups to bigger rooms.
Same with writing. If you want to become a strong legal writer, write more. If you want to become a visible lawyer, publish and speak. The New Year is a good time to decide what you’re going to be known for — and start building receipts.
6) Be intentional about your career moves: don’t chase dollars at the expense of development.
The market will always tempt you: more money elsewhere, a shinier title, a faster track. But early in your career, training is leverage. If you’re at a place that mentors you, develops you, and gives you opportunities, think before you leap.
That doesn’t mean tolerate disrespect or dysfunction. It means separate the two questions:
- “Am I being treated professionally?”
- “Am I being developed into the lawyer I want to become?”
Money matters. But so does becoming excellent — and excellence compounds.
7) Be proactive in your cases: set the agenda, or someone else will.
A lot of young lawyers unknowingly practice defense (or plaintiff) law reactively — responding, reacting, chasing. You want to push your cases forward and dictate the speed, tone, and activity. Said differently: be proactive, set the agenda, and move the ball — regardless of which side of the “v.” you’re on.
That mindset is a career accelerant. Partners trust the associate who drives cases, not the one who waits for instructions like a slow printer.
8) Use AI wisely — and protect your clients (and yourself).
AI is here, and pretending otherwise is malpractice-by-denial. But reckless use is just as bad. One non-negotiable: warn clients not to upload your work product or attorney-client communications into public tools. Prompts and uploads can be discoverable, and there’s no attorney-client relationship with a chatbot.
Your New Year assignment: learn the tools, understand the risks, and become the lawyer who can use technology without becoming its cautionary tale.
9) Guard your mental health like it’s part of your job (because it is).
“The kids aren’t alright” is not a slogan; it’s an observation about a profession that can be a perfect cauldron for anxiety and depression. The answer isn’t “toughen up.” The answer is to build support, keep lines of communication open, and stay aware of changes in yourself and your colleagues.
Also: humor helps. It’s an antidote and a vaccine for stress — use it.
The New Year takeaway
This profession rewards the unsexy stuff: discipline, consistency, and doing the work when you don’t feel like it. Hard work is still the difference between stasis and movement. And success is sustained discipline.
So tackle the New Year like a lawyer:
- Define the objective.
- Build the system.
- Gather the right people.
- Take the next step.
- Repeat until it’s yours.
And if you’re waiting for the perfect moment to start, stop. Every new positive habit begins with a decision. Decide.
Frank Ramos is a partner at Goldberg Segalla in Miami, where he practices commercial litigation, products, and catastrophic personal injury. You can follow him on LinkedIn, where he has about 80,000 followers.
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