STEP #4: UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE REALLY GOOD AT
The fourth step in leaving the law is where the rubber hits the road, and the leave law behind process can become highly rewarding.
The fourth step focuses on exploring your Unique Genius.
I shot this short video for you (it’s less than 2 minutes long) describing this first step …
… and if you prefer reading, I jotted below some of the points I talk about in the video.
https://youtu.be/Oq6t1rqeYHA
What is your Unique Genius?
Your Unique Genius is made up of those skills and strengths that come so naturally to you, so effortlessly to you, that you don’t even think of them as a skill. It is upon these skills that you do so well that you will begin to base your post-lawyer life and career. It is with these strengths at which you excel that you will begin to create a life of confidence and self-worth.
In other words, you want to be conscious of incorporating those skills that you are good at, that you are strong at, and that are in alignment with what you enjoy into any new job and venture you pursue. This pairing can make life and work easier, more enjoyable, and you happier, more confident and satisfied.
Why it’s hard to find our Unique Genius?
Sounds great right? Do what you like and enjoy and then get paid for it. Simple. Clear.
So why do so many of us still struggle at finding what we’re good at, what we enjoy, what our strengths are? Why are many of us still confused or unclear as to our life purpose or our life mission? Why are we often unable to connect our skills to a job or venture we actually like that actually pays or earns us the amount of money we want to make?
There are a lot of reasons, but it’s mainly because we don’t know where to look for help. We don’t know who else to involve. We can get overwhelmed by all of the (ostensibly) helpful (but still vague) “self-development†questions or comments we find online. And we don’t know which questions to ask.
The 3 ways you find your Unique Genius
At Leave Law Behind, we focus on three questions to help you unearth your Unique Genius.
Three confidence-building, motivation-accruing, initial baby-step to gain a better handle on our Unique Genius, questions.
Three questions, the answers to which can provide you with tangible, understandable, actionable next steps on how best to understand what you’re good at…and then do something positive about it.
1. What are you already doing (or would you do) for free to help people? This points to what you enjoy.
2. For what type of advice do people come to you? This speaks to what comes naturally to you.
3. What do people compliment you on? This points to your strengths.
One attorney I spoke with said he has always been known for (and personally enjoyed) his good speaking skills, his comfort in front of an audience and his easy rapport with people. It was these reasons that led him to choose litigation as a career.
But he soured on litigation, and became very unhappy.
While as a litigator he did a lot of speaking in front of people, he did not like the adversarial nature of the courtroom or the zero-sum game of the business. He realized that he was also good at creating things and collaborating with others. As a result, he is now moving beyond litigation to find roles as a business advisor (a “consigliere†he likes to say) or a strategic consultant. This lets him utilize his speaking and people skills in a collaborative and creative way he likes best.
If you are having difficulty brainstorming compliments, meet and speak with some close friends or family and tell them that you are not just fishing for positive comments, but rather that you’re very interested in having them list and explain some of your positive traits…so that you can actually internalize what it is you are good at and act upon this. Whatever it is, this can be a good reality check for your skills and a way to carve out a niche that you can definitely succeed at, because you’re doing something well in a way that others perceive the value of it.
This third step in leaving law behind helps us unhappy, disgruntled, potential-unrealized, not- totally-satisfied-with-themselves attorneys to understand ourselves better, to change our course (altogether or just slightly) in order to ensure we do and get paid for what we are good at and what we enjoy. It is a main pillar in the planning required to properly leave law behind.
I hope you enjoyed today’s email and video. Keep your eye you for the fifth step to leaving the law – I’ll send it out shortly.
And if you’d like to watch today’s video, click here.
Questions? Thoughts? Just want to vent? Hit reply or email me at [email protected] or call me on NUMBER.
Thanks
Casey
PS Questions? Thoughts? Just want to vent? Hit reply or email me at [email protected].