How to Make Lawyering Easier

Thinking career progression make things harder?

You are ambitious at heart. But all those things you’re supposed to do in order to progress – speaking at meetings, seizing opportunities, asking for feedback, networking, showcasing your value – these are such a trigger for your Imposter Syndrome, you think of career progression as just another way to make a hard job harder.

I get it. Working in an industry where the standards, the pressure to perform and the level of expectation is astronomically high, it’s easy to get caught up in the hardness of it all.

But being a lawyer doesn't have to be hard.

There is a way to make it easier.

Ease comes from having the right skills and tools

Most people think ‘ease’ is reserved for people with low aspirations doing jobs where there are no expectations.

But ease doesn’t come from the absence of difficulty and challenge at work. It comes from having the right skills and tools so you can deal with whatever the job throws at you.

Now for the good news! The skills that will bring more ease to your work, are the same skills that will help you progress your career. So you don't have to choose between career progression and peace of mind anymore. When you progress your career the right way, you get to have it all.

5 ways to progress your career while making lawyering easier:

1. Ask for more feedback - so you get better quicker. This may sound painful (rather than easy!) at first, but the sooner you find out what you're doing right and the quicker you get to the heart of what you're doing wrong, the better you'll get at what you do and the more confident you'll feel about how to do it.
2. Set boundaries and stick to them - so you feel more in control. When you have a standard for how you work and you commit to it, you're going to feel so much more in control. Sure, there are lots of times when it's hard to say no. But there are plenty of other times when you can (and should) say no and you can (and should) stick to it. And the better you get at saying no to the wrong things, the more available you'll be for the right things.
3. Keep calm - so you can keep your head when everyone's losing theirs. Learn to generate calm on the inside so you don't get overwhelmed by other people's anxieties and stresses. Keep your focus. Stay away from gossip. Avoid distractions. Work is so much easier when you do the most amount of work with the minimum amount of fuss.

Lawyering is hard.

Staying where you are without developing your skills keeps it hard.

1. Nurture those relationships - so you get the support you need. Building relationships may not seem as valuable as fee earning, but it pays the most dividends and will reward you more in the long run. People will get to know, like and trust you. So they'll be more ready and willing to sponsor or mentor you. And you'll have a line of juniors queuing up to work for you, which means help is on hand when your workload blows up.
2. Showcase your value - so you attract opportunities instead of having to look for them. You may not relish the idea of stepping into the spotlight to share your expertise in a presentation. Or to publish an article on that groundbreaking transaction you've just signed. But know that every effort you make to be visible brings a higher likelihood of being front of mind for your client when the next juicy big deal comes in.

Progressing your career makes lawyering easier.

Being more visible, asking for feedback, networking, building relationships, showcasing your value - these tried and tested career progression skills can seem daunting when you have Imposter Syndrome. But learning and developing these skills so they become your way of working will not just help you get the recognition you deserve, it will keep you lawyering with more ease all the way to the top.

In Imposter Syndrome Coaching for lawyers you learn to progress your career in a way that makes your every day experience as a lawyer so much easier and more fulfilling, and your long term legal career more sustainable. Enrolment is coming soon. Join the waitlist?to be the first to hear when doors reopen.