The Top Professional New Year’s Resolutions SA Pros Have Picked for 2020

Fellow SA pros, we’re in the future.

Sadly, I’m doubtful that 2020 will bring us flying cars, time machines, or campus programs planned instantaneously via mind control. 

Yet, despite 2020 not being the futuristic utopia depicted by many ye olde sci-fi stories, it can still be a year of tremendous change and growth — if you make it one.

Enter: professional New Year’s resolutions. Unlike personal resolutions that are all-too-easy to break the moment you neglect to call your grandma or stop by the gym, professional resolutions can be long-term, gradual commitments.

In other words, instead of putting pressure on yourself to start a new habit the moment the clock strikes midnight on January 1, you can commit to growing professionally at your own comfortable pace — slowly working up to new habits and a new #SApro you.

What might these resolutions be? Well, here are a few ideas, which I curated from wonderful pros from all around the country:

facebook comment from Kimberly Newton that says ' Kimberly Newton Resolutions 1. Work on updating and reconciling my budget every Friday so the first of the month isn’t ???? 2. Dedicate time to my professional development 1-2 times a month 3. Be more patient with walk ins. 4. (Continue to) Improve my assessment'

 

Facebook comment from Daniel Ayers that says 'I am working on a blog and monthly newsletter to create physically safe areas on campus. Watching a blind student walk into a center door divider 25 feet from the accessibility office; because she missed it with her cane; is extremely disheartening. We need to do better. It hurt her and I felt bad because I was too far away to help prevent the incident. Doing things the way we have always done them is no longer acceptable.'

 

Facebook comment from Carolyn Duven that says ' I am looking at my personal wellness in a professional context. I love McDonalds and I cannot keep eating that for lunch. I also cannot continue sitting at my desk to eat because I don't really get a break from work. So, one of my resolutions is to no longer eat fast food during the work week and to no longer eat lunch at my desk.'

 

screenshot of a Facebook comment written by Brittany Mijatovic that says `I had a couple of New Year's resolutions that I was excited about - one was carving out an hour each week of dedicated pro-dev (reading articles, researching a best-practice area, etc.). I also have set dedicated times on my calendar to be out and about on campus (walking my building for res life or simply out of my office when in student activities) - it's so easy to get bogged down in programming, the pile of paperwork, etc. Sometimes just making time to be visible was a super helpful break for me and resource for my students! Don't forget taking care of yourself is making you better for your students - one year I forced myself to actually take time for lunch. It made me feel better and more productive throughout the day!`

The 2010s have been a wild decade. Perhaps, like me, you started your student affairs journey during this time and are feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation heading into the next ten years. 

But, no matter where your career journey takes you, I hope you’ll make the most of the upcoming roaring ’20s — no flapper dresses nor fedoras required.

Marty McFly from back to the future saying to his girlfriend 'You mean we're in the future?'

Have you made any other resolutions? We’d love to know what you’re aspiring toward! Connect with us on Twitter @themoderncampus.

Jodi Tandet

About the author: Jodi Tandet (she/her) is Modern Campus's Content Marketing Strategist. She's a proud graduate of Emory University, where she majored in Creative Writing, and of Nova Southeastern University, where she earned her master's degree in College Student Affairs. She previously worked for Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, where she engaged students in co-curricular programming at Cornell University and The University of Pittsburgh. Learn how we can help get your students involved.