Why you need to be selfish

There are lawyers out there who really care about the work they do, who find satisfaction and fulfillment in being an attorney, who enjoy reading and soaking up the finer points of the profession, and who find meaning in representing their clients.

You are not that type of person.

You went to law school and became a lawyer for any or all of a host of reasons: Because you wanted a stable job or because of the allure of being an attorney or because you thought you wanted to change the world or because your parents wanted you to go to law school or because you felt growing up that you always wanted to be a lawyer.

And looking back, these reasons might not have been the most critically thought out.

Or they were reasons driven by other people in your life, not you.

Or they were reasons that now do not align with your priorities.

And because of this, being a lawyer has begun to shape up for you as simply a job where you trade time for money. It’s become a job where helping clients or companies or institutions make (or save or protect) their money feels more and more shallow and stressful, and less and less fulfilling and meaningful.

And if meaning is important to you now, then it’s time for you decide why you are on this planet. You can call this your mission, your vision, your purpose, your reason for being.

And sure, we can jump ahead a bit ... your purpose here on earth is ultimately about helping others, about serving others, about making a positive difference.

But first off, your purpose is about you. You. You.

You need to be selfish in order to give. You can’t give to others until you have given to yourself. If I know you well enough, you’re likely feeling low on energy, lacking strength, a shell of your former self. I remember my third year in law school, I was fumbling for some sort of direction, feeling aimless and lost, and writing in my journal that my “confidence was on fumesâ€.

If you're on fumes now, you are not ready to help the world. You must first help yourself.

This is where Leave Law Behind can help. Take a small, easy step to leave the law: sign up here for a 1 hour Strategic Coaching call with me, Casey.

Or accelerate the process of leaving your practice behind: join the Leave Law Behind Career Coaching Program here.