Amy Lindgren

Well, we did it. We made it to another new year, with all the anticipation, hope and anxiety that might entail.

Once the champagne has stopped fizzing, tradition calls for resolutions to be made: What will you do more of in 2025 and what will you resist doing?

Or, as pundits might ask: What will you forget all about resolving to do in the next few weeks?

Despite their obvious flaws, I’m a big fan of New Year’s resolutions, not to mention their cousins, goals for the New Year.

What’s the difference between goals and resolutions? In my lexicon, a goal is something you can check off a list (eventually), while a resolution is the determination to change something on an ongoing basis.

Even if you’re more drawn to goal-setting, and the opportunity to complete an activity (as I like to do), there’s something to be said for looking at things from a more diffuse lens.

Following are four resolutions for you to consider adopting for a happy and productive 2025.

One: Make decisions in a timely way

Have you been wanting to switch jobs? Return to school? Downsize your home? If these questions have been nagging at you, it’s time to reset your decision-making process so you can move forward on something.

Here’s a formula for approaching your decision-making with more intention. Using a three-month window as your model, allocate the first month to gathering information, the second month to planning and the third month to implementation. If the decision is complex, go ahead and double or triple the time allotted to each step.

Remember: Even the decision not to move ahead on a particular path is a good outcome. In that case, the planning and implementation steps can be applied to whatever pathway you’re choosing instead.

Two: Improve your work life.

Do your work projects suit you? Do your schedule and compensation fit your needs? Are you getting along with others on the job? What more would you like to contribute or learn?

The first step in improving your work life is to review it. Once you’ve taken an hour or two to identify what’s most rewarding and most frustrating about your current work, you can look for ways to make improvements.

This is also a good time to review your overall career goals: Is this position a stepping stone to your goals, or a distraction from that journey? If your analysis suggests you are on the wrong path altogether, you might need to revisit the first resolution, to initiate a decision-making process.

Three: Improve your personal life.

How is everything balancing out for you? When you’re feeling overwhelmed, or as if you don’t have enough friends, or that you’re not managing your health well, it’s important to brainstorm solutions.

Again, set aside an hour or more, this time to review your life as a whole. Focus on identifying the things you find rewarding and those things that make you feel sad or unfulfilled.

This exercise may seem far removed from your career issues but in truth, our work and personal lives are almost always deeply intertwined. Hence, you might find that you can create improvements in your personal life by adjusting the work side of the equation. For example, even a slight change in schedule could create the space you need to develop hobbies or friendships.

Four: Honor your life goals.

If you’ve examined your work and personal lives and identified potential adjustments to be happier and more productive, it’s time to take the long view.

To start, ask yourself what goals you’ve set for yourself in the past that are not yet fulfilled. Can you identify the obstacles that deterred you? It’s helpful to slow down and ask yourself: What has made it difficult to reach my dreams?

The more specific you can get, the better your problem-solving will be. For example, if you’ve been caught in a cycle of over-work to pay bills that have been accumulating, it’s easy to see how a larger life goal could be pushed aside. Maybe the solution will involve better-paying work, or perhaps eliminating some expenses so you can work fewer hours.

Each time you identify a goal or dream that still holds your attention, return to the first three resolutions. One or all of the three may be the key to clearing a path to the life you most want to live.

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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.