Do you identify as a risk-averse lawyer?

Not making decisions or hesitating for a long time can either help you stay stuck or move forward!

Let me give you a story of a recent WILL member.

She came to WILL a few months ago, extremely burned out and in the middle of a trial.  Great combination.

One of the things she wanted most was to make a decision about leaving her firm in order to give herself time and space to do WILL and find something else that would make her much happier.

She felt fear and doubt, worried about the money, and wondered if she would just “waste time doing nothing.”

During our last coaching call, she shared some new thoughts that included:

• If I keep staying, I will just keep staying.  I’m 36 now, and by the end of the year I’m only going to be older.
• If I stay through January to get my bonus, I’m just going to keep staying.
• Not making a decision is keeping me stuck in a decision I no longer want.

During the call, I had her envision the next three months if she takes a break.  How would she experience her days?  How would she feel if she spent her days sleeping in, working out, cooking good healthy food, and seeing friends?

How would she feel, if in 3 to 6 months, she was doing the things that she said she wanted, like having conversations, finding part-time work, and maybe starting her own thing?

She expressed that she felt pretty great envisioning these new ways of spending her days.

At the end of the call, I asked if she was ready to pick a date to give her notice.  She was.

She picked a date for less than a week from that day.

Yes, she may feel like throwing up before she has that conversation. She may even feel like she’s going to die.

But she won’t, which she’ll quickly see and learn.

And then she’ll be off to her summer of sleeping in, working out, cooking healthy food, and seeing friends. Sounds pretty good right?

Our decisions are thoughts combined with action.  And it’s our thoughts and actions that determine our results.

If you identify as a risk-averse lawyer, that’s just another thought.  What else can you think about yourself?  That you’re someone who prioritizes your health and well-being above the firms?

Even if it doesn’t feel quite true yet, would you like it to?

I’m here to help you make tough decisions!

Elena