For many people, the New Year can mean new beginnings. Now is a common time to make resolutions, so we asked our coaching team their advice on what to keep in mind with your own professional development.

Welcoming the New Year often compels us to think about the next 12 months and what's ahead for our life and work. While it is important to focus on your near-term objectives, be sure to also consider your long-term goals. Use 2019 to set yourself up for 2020 and beyond. – Phillip Andrews

Feeling great about your job? It's a good time to look over your resume and LinkedIn profile and update them with your accomplishments. It's easier to summarize the work you're doing when you're enjoying it! – Kristen Fitzpatrick

Networking is often thought of as an outbound activity. Who do I need to talk to about my career goals? How can they be helpful to me in my job search? However, fielding inbound requests from friends, colleagues, and other jobseekers can often be impactful as well. It's a great way to give back to students at HBS or your undergraduate institution. It's also a great opportunity to practice telling your career journey to a captive audience – a useful activity in your job search. Finally, you may continue to build your own network in ways you hadn't anticipated, perhaps meeting people outside of your own circle. This simple act of kindness can help set you up for success when you begin your outbound networking. – Cathy Hutchinson

Make your own professional development a priority this year! Do you want to develop a skill that needs some work? Are there strengths you have that are not being developed in your current role? Are there new systems you'd like to learn? Identify an area for improvement and put together your own training plan. Write it down and stick to it. Share it with a friend, colleague or partner who can help hold you accountable. Check out Harvard ManageMentor to see if one of those training modules might help. You will feel terrific taking care of your own advancement. – Lauren Murphy

Balance is an important aspect of Chinese philosophy, with the circle representing perfection and oneness. Our professional endeavors are only one piece of our circles, so pay attention to other parts to ensure that you complete your ring. Find those activities that allow you to be thankful for what is good in your life and work so you may have greater happiness and satisfaction. – Kurt Piemonte

An older alum once told me, with regret, that every year after receiving his bonus he'd tell himself, "I'll only endure the job for one more bonus cycle, THEN I'll leave the firm and pursue what I really want to do." He did this 37 times and never pursued his dream. Don't turn your back on what you really want – tomorrow is today. – Jonathan Shepherd

Challenge a long-held assumption about yourself, your work or your current situation. Explore how thinking differently about this topic might change the way you behave, the opportunities you pursue or the choices you make. It’s a low-risk exercise – you don't actually have to do anything differently, but it could inspire you to change something that isn’t making you happy. – Sarah Sikowitz

Did you know HBS alumni are eligible for four complimentary coaching appointments per year? Browse our directory to make an appointment.