Leaving the practice of law begins at the end of your comfort zone

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For unhappy attorneys like yourself, leaving the practice of law begins at the end of your comfort zone.

 

You believe certain things. I do too. We all do.

 

These “belief systems†govern how we judge, think, and act in this world.

 

Some beliefs serve us well:

- "The world is abundantâ€

- “Everything will turn out all rightâ€

- “Life is a game to be played, not a problem to be fixedâ€Â (and there are others).

 

Some beliefs do not serve us well:

- "I am not worthy and no one is going to hire meâ€

- “My worth as a human being is proportional to what I’ve achievedâ€

- “I need to be a workaholic to feel successfulâ€Â (and there are others).

 

And when we talk specifically about leaving the law, and transitioning from our legal practice into an alternative, “non-law†career, two other belief systems sabotage us:

- “There are only a finite number of “non-law†jobs I need to compete forâ€; and

- “As an attorney, no one in the alternative job world will view what I bring to the table as specialâ€

 

No more. No more will these limiting belief systems get in our way. This is it.

 

You have something special to give

 

Something amazing happens when you begin to leave the law—when you start:

- Embracing the unknown.

- Seeing yourself in a different way.

- Giving to something you love, believe in, and cherish.

 

You change. When you begin to leave your legal practice behind, you change. You evolve. A part of you fades away. You may have loved and needed this Old Self, but nevertheless, it’s ready for a change.

 

New You is ready to unfold. New You chomping at the bit, eagerly raising its hand, stepping onto that stage, excited to experience life.

 

New You is a creator. A creator of its own life.

 

New You knows that:

- Opportunities, career-related or not, are infinite

- Many “non-law†jobs are being created every day (and some didn’t exist 10 years ago)

- We don’t even know what new jobs will be created

 

New You has a stash of transferrable skills:

- Being the adult in the room

- Upselling client work

- Presenting ideas clearly

- Being an observant listener

- Writing well

- Putting out fires

- Meeting deadlines

 

New You is real. Not a fraud. New You has an energy, a gravitas, a maturity, a discipline, a full package. Rare, but prized, in the “non-law†world.

New You knows how special you are.

 

I’m not making this up. This is real.

 

Tracy Huang was a BigLaw attorney. She did litigation at a BigLaw firm and transactional work at a boutique firm. She’s a lot like you … wasn’t aligned with being a lawyer. She had a feeling deep down that she needed to do something else.

 

But she was afraid, unsure, and didn’t feel worthy of something special. She didn’t know how to take that first step.

 

Well, she didn’t know how to take the first step, but she did it anyway.

 

Last December, she started working through the Leave Law Behind Program steadily, baby step by baby step.

 

Last month, she left the law.

 

She’s now a Systems Analyst & Project Manager on the Operations Team at Mirasee. Mirasee is a highly respected company that serves visionary businesses and entrepreneurs who have something of value to share with their audience. Mirasee's goal is to make the world a better place by empowering people through business education. Mirasee helps people start their own online businesses that they feel passionate about.

 

And Tracy is an integral member of the team.

 

Let me repeat this one more time. Tracy left a traditional Big Law job to become a Systems Analyst & Project Manager for a dynamic and growing online business, within seven months of beginning the process.

   

Let’s debunk these two belief systems

Alright, let’s get back to those two belief systems we mentioned earlier:

- There are only a finite number of “non-law†jobs I need to compete for; and

- As an attorney, no one in the alternative job world will view what I bring to the table as special

 

Tracy recently emailed me the below:

 

Hi Casey

 

You might be happy to know that the CFO of Mirasee commented on an All Hands call essentially saying that she created the position just for me. Her words were, roughly paraphrased, "Hmm, she's not a good fit for [another job called] ACES, but she's really good and we don't want to lose her to someone else, so where can she be helpful?"

   

Did you see that? Tracy applied to Mirasee after thinking that the original job description fit well with her Unique Genius. She was herself in the interview.

 

And even though the original job actually didn’t turn out to be the fit she thought, the CFO was impressed with Tracy, both personally and professionally.

 

Mirasee CREATED A WHOLE NEW JOB just so they wouldn’t lose out on Tracy and could have her begin to add value right away.

 

Tracy co-created her job.

 

Imagine, imagine, imagine, close your eyes, because success, as Simon Sinek says, is when our reality looks a lot like what’s in our imagination …

 

Imagine lightness and connectedness and excitement, in your job and in your life and with your relationships.

 

Imagine tears in your eyes.

 

And you do not know why, but the tears are different this time.

 

They are tears not of depression, anxiety, or hopelessness.

 

Instead they are clear pools of water, waiting for a reflection to unfold.

 

Imagine openness, transparency and not needing to control everything. Imagine a meaning of purpose, drive, and connectedness. Awaken to embrace the unknown, for you are not alone.

 

Ask yourself not what Tracy would do, or what Casey would do, or what anyone else would do.

 

Instead, give yourself the answer and the meaning to your own life. Awaken to align and connect with your New Self.

 

If you’re serious about leaving your legal practice behind, and starting the path that Tracy is now on, then come join Leave Law Behind for a Strategic Career Coaching call. This is a one-hour direct conversation with me or Adam Ouellette (my business partner and fellow former attorney). We’ll hear your specific story and provide you with the best next steps to begin to leave the law.

 

This is real career coaching to help you take the first step to find your dream career. Sign up here.

 

And its price is over 60% off of our normal consulting fees. Click the below button to learn more and join us.

 

And if you're really ready to kick start leaving the law, if you have the dedication to do so, the best next step for you is to join the full Leave Law Behind Program. We're ready for you. Click here to learn more.

  Other Leave Law Behind blog posts you may like:   Two Main Beliefs That Hinder Burnt Out and Unhappy Attorneys From Finding Alternative Careers   What I wished I had known about money years ago