ABA YLD

New Year and a Time to Keep Going
By: Rusty O’Kane

So you made it through the holidays, but somewhere along the way, the stress of family obligations, the extra cookies, and the credit card bill followed you into 2017. If you’re like most people, you probably made a New Year’s resolution to do something better this year. Whatever goals and resolutions you set for 2017, I hope you are still going strong—after all, we’re only a few weeks in. But if you’re like the 92 percent of people (according to Forbes) who typically do not keep their New Year’s resolutions, now is a perfect time to remember why we make them.

Most people make their resolutions in the hopes of improving themselves in some way. Maybe spending more time with family. Getting healthier. Running a marathon. Reading more books. Whatever it is, keep your eye on the goal and keep going.

The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division’s Health and Wellness Initiative is the perfect place to find resources to help you keep and maintain those resolutions—especially the program #Fit2Practice. Fit2Practice is the ABA Young Lawyers Division's yearlong health and wellness initiative, and it is about more than just physical and mental health. The program has everything you need to focus on making 2017 your best year yet—whether it’s improving fitness, mental health, nutrition, work/life balance, building a better business, or getting more sleep. There are stories from dozens of lawyers around the country about making daily improvements to live a life with balance.

You can learn more about #Fit2Practice by visiting the website here. I encourage you to scan the articles, share your hashtags on Twitter, and share your stories with other young lawyers all trying to make 2017 a great year. Good luck keeping those resolutions this year!

Rusty O’Kane is an associate in the Dallas office of Wick Phillips Gould & Martin. He is the District 26 representative for the ABA/YLD, representing North and West Texas. He can be reached by email at rusty.okane@wickphillips.com.