The topic of transitions, and specifically the transition of leaving your job, is a delicate one. Many lawyers have reached out to me for help with this exact conundrum, and while some ultimately make the transition and leave their jobs, others choose not to. My goal this week is to provide a framework that will help you make this decision for yourself.

 

You might find yourself in a position where, overall, things are good in your professional life. You enjoy the people you work with, are well-compensated, feel your work is interesting, and there are a number of features about your career that you love. At the same time, you might feel troubled about something not seeming quite right, and if this resonates, you’re in the right place.

 

Can you relate to being in an environment that exacerbates your perfectionism? Do you see the unicorn-like prototype of lawyers who are the highest billers, always getting it right the first time and excelling on all levels, and find yourself trying to measure up against them?

 

Perfectionism tends to be a recurring theme among high-achieving professionals. In a culture that highly esteems perfection, there are often standards and expectations that go beyond what is realistically achievable or practical within the legal framework. If you have a sense that perfectionism is hindering you from pursuing what you truly desire, you’ve come to the right place.

 

We all resonate with a lack of motivation at one point or another, whether that’s professionally or outside of work. You’ve probably done your own research on how to find motivation and tried common strategies like setting smaller goals, taking breaks, or keeping to a regular schedule. If these tips haven’t proven to be effective for you, you’re in the right place.

 

We often unconsciously engage in and become reliant on sources of motivation that simply aren’t sustainable. Maybe you think you need passion to sustain you through a task, depend on fear to fuel you, or perhaps you’re hooked on feeling busy to stay motivated. These go-to strategies might provide short spurts of motivation, but the reality is they aren’t long-lasting.

 

How can you find work you love? What kind of career would ignite your passion? Many individuals find themselves asking these questions, which frequently arise in the coaching conversations I have with my clients.

 

Whether you’ve reached a plateau in your career, lost engagement with your current work, or are searching for something to reignite your passion in your professional life, this experience is particularly common among lawyers. There are several reasons why finding work you love can be challenging. If you’re unsure why you’re grappling with this question or how to transform your passions into a career, listen in for valuable insights.

 

New Year’s Resolutions have a monopoly as the ultimate goal-setting time of the year. With all the festivities that come along with the end of one year and the start of another, many of us set goals and work hard through the winter months for the promise of summer, but have you ever considered the value of a mid-year recalibration to assess how you want to spend the rest of 2023?

 

What kind of reset, recalibration, or revamping can you do midyear to set yourself up for success in the next six months? Summer and everything it has to offer is probably taking up much of your headspace right now, but I want to offer that time invested now in examining how you want the rest of the year to unfold can have big payoffs.

 

This week’s episode is dedicated to anyone who currently feels stuck. This is a topic that comes up frequently in my coaching conversations, and if you can relate to being in a phase of stuckness whether in your personal or professional life, what we’re talking about today will help you begin slowly inching forward. 

 

Many lawyers, at some point or another, fall into a stage of feeling stuck. This is an extremely tricky place to be because, on the one hand, you might know that you’re unhappy where you are, and on the other, there’s often a lot of resistance against moving forward. The good news is that feeling stuck is normal, and I’m offering solutions to help you address it. 

 

What constitutes a stressful week will look different for each individual. In a legal practice, common stressors in your day-to-day activities typically include emails, deadlines, court appearances, difficult conversations, or balancing personal and work life, as well as unexpected issues that require your attention.

 

Whether you have recently experienced a series of stressful weeks or find yourself in the midst of one right now, my goal this week is to share tips and tricks to help you navigate these challenging periods with greater peace, purpose, and ease.

 

What comes to mind when you think about networking? Do you see it as an exciting opportunity to connect with others and share your skills and aspirations about your career? Or is it something you find so cringy that you could never imagine doing it?

 

Whether you’re currently looking for a job in the short term or seeking greater professional connections over the long term, networking is a great tool to have in your arsenal. From brushing up your CV and searching online forums to sending out cold email applications, there are lots of different steps you can take in the process of looking for new opportunities. However, among all the available steps, the candidates who typically find the best-aligned jobs are the ones who go through the networking process.

 

If you listen to this podcast, you’re probably very curious about and interested in hearing from lawyers who take a different approach to practicing law. If going off the tracks is something you’re wondering how to do for yourself, you’re in luck because this week, I’m speaking to Erin O’Rourke and Piper Riley Thompson: two lawyers who are experts in this realm.

 

Erin is a solo practitioner who started her own firm in the midst of the pandemic, and Piper recently retired her license to practice law and is currently working as a senior career advisor at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law. They are also the hosts of the award-winning podcast Off the Tracks. From going in-house, niching down, and transitioning to diversity and wellness, they cover it all on their show, and they’re here to share their expertise with us.

 

Sometimes, our confidence isn’t quite where it needs to be for us to play bigger, go after the things that are important to us, and make the impact we want to have on the world. Whether you identify as someone who doesn’t have a great deal of self-confidence, or find yourself playing smaller than you’d like, this episode is for you. 

 

This week, I’m inviting you to examine the areas of your life and practice where you’re playing small when you would rather play bigger. Where are your confidence levels? Do you have the capacity to grow? And what could increased confidence translate into? These are some of the tough questions I’m offering you so you can find a way to create greater flow in your life and practice.