Between endless questions asking how the bar exam went and when you will see your results, unsuccessful attempts at fixing your sleep schedule after your post-bar hiatus, and exploring new practices you have no prior experience or knowledge in, life as a new associate is full of highs and lows. Prior to our respective start dates, most of us have typed into Google some iteration of "How to be a great first-year." Like many other recent law school graduates who recently began working at their first post-bar exam job, my daily emotions land somewhere on the spectrum of fairly stressed to extremely stressed over a plethora of self-created problems. However, I have been lucky enough to speak with attorneys in my office who have been in our position, understanding the controlled chaos we have been thrown into, and have given advice on simple goals to focus on to succeed early in your practice. The list below is not exhaustive, but the highlights of what I try to remember when trying to traverse the life of a first-year associate.