Scroll down to read along with the imperfect transcript
In the cutthroat world of law, burnout is often the unwelcome companion on the journey to success. In this episode, I share a powerful blueprint to liberate lawyers from the shackles of burnout without resorting to drastic measures. Here’s why you need to hear this:
Key Takeaways from the Episode
Discover Your Inner Power: Unearth the internal resources that empower you to make confident decisions. Recognize that blowing up your life is not the only escape route—there’s a better way.
Craft Your Own Narrative: Explore the stories of lawyers who transitioned successfully without compromising their well-being. Learn the art of creating a plan that aligns with your passions and aspirations.
The Roadmap to Courage: Gain insights into the three pivotal skills—Clarity, Confidence, and Courage—that form the roadmap to liberating yourself. Confidence is an internal journey, and you are the key to unlocking it.
Reclaim Your Identity: Embrace radical honesty and transparency to identify who you truly are. Define the clients, services, and pay that resonate with your authentic self.
The Cycle of Clarity, Confidence, and Courage: Navigate a sustainable cycle that puts you in control, allowing you to move at your own pace and tolerate risks. No unsafe decisions—only a gradual process of gaining clarity, confidence, and courage.
Select Quotes from the Episode
“You do NOT have to blow up your life. You can make a plan.”
“At the end of the day, I want you to be able to say what you want, do only what you want, and say no to what you don’t want.”
“Don’t blow up your life. Let’s make a plan. Let’s get you and every other lawyer you love un-stuck!”
This episode is not just a podcast; it’s a guiding light for lawyers seeking fulfillment, success, and liberation without the chaos. Tune in and chart your course towards a thriving legal career! 🌟
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Imperfect Transcript from this Episode
Alright, so let’s talk about what we came here to talk about: getting un-stuck without telling everyone around you to go F themselves. 🤣 No, seriously, though. I have definitely wanted to do that in my life, and I am sure you have … and that will only take us so far, and it’s sure to piss off a LOT of people in the meantime, so let’s not do that, k?
In all seriousness, thogh, what I usually see with clients is that they’ve held on so long to a toxic and untenable situation that by the time they can’t take it anymore, they’re so far into burnout that they feel like they have NO choice but to blow it all up.
And I want you to know, first and foremost, that’s not true.
You do NOT have to blow up your life. You can make a plan. Remember my 5-year plan I talked about in Episode 1? Remember that 2008 to 2013 plan to be in Europe fulltime? And I made it happen. Not by blowing up my life, but by executing a plan.
Most lawyers I know go from one toxic situation to the next, but each time, they laud how LESS toxic this place is – as if not having stuff thrown around is better than being yelled at still … It’s incredibly frustrating to me to hear that, because I know there’s a better way to be a lawyer – working your way towards being a joyful and thriving lawyer, which is why I wanted to share my client’s story with you in Episode 5 – so you can see that it’s possible not to blow up your life or take no for an answer. You have way more power than you think you do.
And if you’re tired of barely scraping by, tired of being stuck, lacking confidence and serving your clients with a far inferior quality than you’re capable of, then this episode is for you. Because I don’t want you to scrape by or be stuck. I want you to do work that lights you up with people that make you excited to wake up each day.
I usually get lawyers at a handful of transition times after they’ve been barred. I usually see lawyers at 2 years, 7 years, 10 years, 15 years, and coming up on 20 years. I have clients in their 60s preparing for retirement and I have clients in their late 20s.
So many of these lawyers are ready to leave the law, but they don’t have a definitive plan. That’s becaus ethey don’t know what they’re going to do with themselves once they’re retired.
Who are you when you leave work? Who are you when you close your office down for the day, and shut down the computer? Who are you when you’re on vacation, taking 7 or 10 days, but only feeling truly rested in two or three of those 7 or 10 days.
So many of my clients really dislike their job, but they like the financial security it provides because of student loans – and when they come to me, they’re ready to make changes despite this. So many of them were feeling suffocated by the lack of support from family, especially when they’re trying to explain to them why they’re stepping away from a traditionally successful job as a litigator … when all they want to do is have ONE client in-house, or they don’t even be in the practice of law anymore and instead, use their skills as a law-adjacent consultant or a C-Suite Executive running a business or operations or HR. Because let me tell you – you will never NOT be a lawyer. Ever. No matter what you do, you will always have that perspective and training and education. Even if you don’t have a private practice license anymore.
So what needs to happen to get you the confidence you need to take the next steps?
Well, it’s three key skills, actually. Those are Clarity, Confidence, and Courage. I call this my Roadmap to Courage and I’ll talk more about it in Episode 11, but for now, know this: What you need is NOT EXTERNAL – there is no secret to confidence. What you need is INTERNAL – you are the secret. We need to tap into what YOU want + WHY – then, we can make a plan so you can go and get it! This is what *I* do – help you see that exactly the thing that’s standing in your way of living your life and running your business – whether that’s freelance, your own practice, a firm or agency – whatever — IT STARTS WITH YOU – INTERNAL YOU.
At the end of the day, I want you to be able to be radically honest, transparent, and be able to identify who you are and what you want. That includes the kinds of clients and the kinds of services you actually want to provide, as much as it includes the pay you want in your life. At the end of the day, I want you to be able to acknowledge who you are for maybe the first time EVER in a safe space – whether that’s with me or in therapy – and then pinpoint what you’ll put up with (and not). I want you to feel good about why you want what you want, so that nothing stands in your way. Ultimately, you need to be able to say what you want, do only what you want, and say no to what you don’t want and have a whole body hell yes to only what you want.
Like I said, I’ll talk more deeply about this in Episode 11, but these three things together – clarity, confidence, courage – they are the keys that you need to gain your confidence back without blowing up your life. Together, these three things create a cycle. And you’re in control of that cycle, at the pace you want, with the risk level you can tolerate. I will never ask you to do anything that is unsafe, because that’s NO way to make decisions. For me, it’s all about helping you get that clarity, so you feel that confidence to take that first step – that courage – so you can get even more clarity and repeat the cycle again. Don’t blow up your life. Let’s make a plan. Let’s get you and every other lawyer you love un-stuck!