December 18, 2025
3 Min Read
The start of a new year is often a moment to take stock of where you are professionally, and where you want to go next.
For many lawyers, that reflection includes questions about skill development, specialization, and long-term career direction. But once the pace of work picks up again, even well-intentioned professional development goals can quickly fall to the bottom of the list.
Turning a resolution into meaningful progress requires structure, clarity, and a realistic plan. We asked colleagues across OsgoodePD to share practical strategies for setting — and sustaining — professional development goals in the year ahead.
Set clear professional goals
Like any goal, you need to identify what success will look like. Make it tangible and realistic. Set a date by which you want to achieve it and clearly define, in as much detail as possible, what you’re working toward.
Visualize what success looks like and what the tangible outcomes are. Having a specific goal and time frame helps you track progress and recognize when you’ve achieved it.
Plan for sustainability
Once you have a clear goal in mind, the next question is how to achieve it in a way that’s realistic and sustainable. Break your goal down into achievable steps, and factor in work and personal commitments, as well as time and financial constraints.
Consider how you can work toward your goal within your chosen timeframe without turning it into a source of stress or burnout. Are you interested in further study but already managing a demanding workload? Is reducing work commitments an option, or would part-time study or a series of short courses be a more viable fit?
For lawyers balancing busy practices and competing priorities, choosing a learning format that aligns with your schedule can make the difference between setting a goal and actually following through.
Track progress and recalibrate
Check in regularly on how close you are to achieving your goal. What’s helped or hindered your progress? What lessons have you learned along the way?
Tracking your progress helps maintain perspective and momentum, and you may be surprised by how much you’ve already accomplished.
Choose learning that fits your practice
Work to your strengths and acknowledge your challenges. Do you prefer learning spread over several months, or a more intensive format? Are shorter, focused learning opportunities more realistic given your workload?
Your practice area, career stage, and schedule all play a role in determining what kind of professional development will be most effective. Understanding what works for you makes it easier to commit and to follow through.
Use tools that support progress
Consider whether there are tools or technologies that can help you stay organized and focused. Can you learn during a commute, over lunch, or from home? Is there a community you can engage with to exchange ideas and perspectives?
Small structural supports can make a big difference in maintaining momentum over time.
Adopt a growth-oriented approach
As careers progress, it can become harder to change habits or challenge existing ways of working. Adopting a growth mindset can help.
Psychologist Carol Dweck’s research highlights the difference between fixed and growth mindsets. A growth mindset recognizes that while ability and knowledge matter, development comes through sustained effort, reflection, and learning. Adding the word “yet” to your thinking can help shift perspective: you may not be there – yet.
Consider your next learning step
At OsgoodePD, we support lawyers at different stages of their professional journey. As you consider your learning goals, available time, and budget, it can be helpful to explore both short-term and long-term learning options that align with your priorities.
Osgoode’s Professional LLM programs offer an in-depth, part-time path for lawyers looking to make a sustained investment in their professional growth, while other programs provide more targeted ways to build skills and knowledge over a shorter timeframe.