Life is too short to spend it doing something you hate. That’s why it’s so important to define success for yourself and work towards a career and a life that energizes you and fulfills your passion.

But I can hear the objections now… 

that sounds great, but I’m stuck in this job and I hate it but I can’t leave because there’s nothing better…”

I get it… most of us can look back at our career and identify time periods that we didn’t love. First of all, if you find yourself in this situation, it’s important to have a long-term plan to get you moving towards something you truly enjoy. But in the meantime, there are likely steps that you can take to make your current position more fulfilling. Here are four suggestions.

Take control of your time by learning to say no. One of the most common complaints I hear from lawyers relate to demanding people – often clients and colleagues. These lawyers constantly feel pressured and behind the eight-ball. They end up stressed out, working long hours, and hating every minute of it. The solution is to learn when and how to say no. With clients, it can be as simple as “I can’t get that for you right this minute- but I can have it to you within 48 hours, is that okay?” With colleagues you can take the same approach, or you can tactfully let them know that you don’t have the time right now to spend on their request. When you learn to say no, you take back control of your time, and that’s a BIG deal.

Figure out what you do enjoy about your work and how you can spend more time doing that. Chances are there are some aspects of your work that you enjoy. What are they? How can you put yourself in position to do MORE of this type of work? For example, if there’s a specific type of matter that you enjoy, consider telling your managing partner how much you enjoy it… and why you think you do a great job at it. If much of your work comes from referrals, let your referral sources know what kind of work you’re looking for!

Make time for rest, relaxation, and sleep. When you’re overworked, often the first thing you sacrifice is sleep. And you likely find yourself sacrificing time with your family and friends. You may also find it difficult to find the time to exercise, to read, and to pursue your other interests. It’s important that you do everything you can to manage your time efficiently in order to MAKE time for these non-work priorities. Otherwise you’ll wake up one morning and realize that you’re miserable.

Create a longer-term plan which will move you in a direction you’re excited about… and start taking baby steps! You may be in a difficult position at the moment and you may have limited options. But the GOOD NEWS is that this situation won’t last unless you let it! Make the commitment to figure out what you want your career and your life to look like and create a plan to get there. Figure out what success looks like for YOU and begin acting on it. I would love to help you with this process if you’d like to chat – feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email.