Are you pre-programed with what you SHOULD do? With no room for what you WANT to do? Has complacency set in and you’re just going through the motions? Is complacency sucking the oxygen out of your dreams, your courage and your passion?
I have the great privilege of working with lawyers. And I know too well, the answer to those questions isn’t good. It doesn’t have to be that way. The legal profession is a traditional one and consequently, it tends to create traditional environments, procedures and expectations. Yet there are lawyers who have broken the shackles of tradition.
It takes guts to swim up stream. It takes courage to believe in yourself. And it takes wisdom to apply the skills you honed practicing law in a different way.
Are You Content?
Are you content with your life? It’s not contentmentthat makes most of ustype-A personalities happy. It’s actually the opposite. It’s the momentswhen we are striving, driving and reaching, that are when we feel the most energized and alive. May I ask you… are you unhappy?
Carve Out Time To Think.
Think back… what were your goals? Get into law school? Pass the bar? Get a job? Be a solo? Be a litigator? Be a partner? If those were the goals, what did you think was next? People spend more time planning vacations than planning their lives. Does that ring true for you? So… Carve out time to THINK. Think about what gives you joy and lights your fire.
Are You Running TO or FROM?
I caution you, it should be something you are running TO. Creating a future because you are running FROM something and you will be creating small, safe and with limits! Instead create a BIG audacious dream… to run TO!
Trust Your Gut.
Trust yourself, you’re smart; you have expertise and experience that will serve you well. Trust that it will all work out.
You have courage and passion. I know you do! How do I know? Because you graduated from law school, you passed the bar and you are a practicing attorney. But, over the years…you may have just misplaced your courage and passion. The road to success will be arduous, and if you have reconnected with your courage and passion you will thrive on the challenges and you’ll have the stamina to reach your goal. Trust your gut and reconnect with your passion and courage!
Fear!
‘But, no…. I can’t do that! I don’t know enough! I’m not good enough!’ Oh, that familiar feeling of inadequacy. I was listening to a podcast on Lawyerist, of an interview with Alan Dershowitz. He was talking about his feeling of imposter. He confessed, ‘I don’t fit in. I’m not as smart as people think I am. I still get nervous.’Well, If Alan Dershowitz, the world-renowned professor, lawyer and scholar, has fears, why wouldn’t us mere mortals? It’s not about the fear, that’s a given! It’s what we do in the face of it!
Don’t Listen To The Naysayers!
Not the one in your head or anyone else. As a lawyer you are trained to find the pitfalls and assess risk. That makes you a good lawyer. But it doesn’t serve you well when creating your next BOLD MOVE. First, Figure out five ways you can make something work before you look at the pitfalls. Next, Choose your circle of friends and colleagues wisely.
Surround yourself with like-minded people. You will feed off of them. They will encourage you and remind you that YOU can do it!
Take ownership of your FUTURE.
Create the life you imagine. Remember, a great idea is worthless without execution. Execution is everything!
What is your destiny? What will your tomorrow look like? Do you have what it takes to break the shackles of tradition?