Coach's Corner: Reach for the Stars: Getting to the Next Level in Your Career and Life
| Publication year | 2017 |
| Author | By Eleanor Southers |
By Eleanor Southers
Eleanor Southers is a Professional Legal Coach who helps attorneys at all stages of their careers to become more successful and contented. Working one on one, Ms. Southers guides attorneys to uncover and fulfill their goals. She can be reached at esouthers@aol.com or her website: www. southerslaw.net.
"Why bother? I'm making an OK living, I like my colleagues most of the time, my commute is hard but doable and I can handle my boss's temper most of the time."
Answer: Because you can do much much better and will have a truly great life and career if you step up to the next level in your development.
Answer: Because I have seen many attorneys who decide that they can do better in their daily lives if they plan for the next level and manifest it. And, by the way, that means change, patience, and determination. They have reached for the stars!
If you decide you too want to take this journey, you must first identify exactly what that next level looks like for you. This is how you do that:
- As in the quote above, identify all the areas you are not totally satisfied with but are putting up with;
- Then identify all the areas you really like in your life; and
- Next first look at your law career and realistically determine what your next level looks like. Is it to become partner? Is it to work less? Is it to earn more? Is it to have more responsibility? Is it to get more satisfaction from your daily work? Is it to contribute more to your community? Is it to retire?
As an example, let's follow Lisa on her quest to grow in her career. Lisa is thirty-five years old and has been an attorney for the past ten years. Lisa had part time jobs as a barista and as a law clerk before becoming an attorney. She was hired as an associate in a Big Law firm straight out of law school. She had come out of law school with an $80,000.00 student loan as her parents had picked up the rest. That loan amount is now down to $20,000.00 as she had been able to pay it off in large amounts when she was working for Big Law.
After becoming a fifth-year associate at Big Law, Lisa could see that she was never going to make partner and the grueling hours were killing her. She really wanted to have a family with her husband but needed income.
So she decided that solo practice was for her. She hung out her shingle and worked 60-70 hour weeks to get her practice going. Lisa did everything...
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