Leverage For Lawyers

By Elizabeth Zelinka

Welcome to the next installment of my blog series, “Life After Big Law.” 

 Here’s another thing that lawyers are trained to believe—and in the world of big law it is true.  Activity (especially frantic activity) has value.  In fact, you actually charge for it, so the more the better.  Every hour you are running, filing, typing, drafting, calling and talking are billable and therefore valuable.  At a law firm, down time induces feelings of anxiety, tension, frustration and restlessness.

 And when you are laid off or otherwise depart from big law, suddenly vast amounts of free time confront you.  Imagine the terror.  I’ve known it first-hand, and I see it every day.

 If you are reading this and recognizing yourself, read on.  Unless you are trading hours for money, being busy is not the same thing as being productive.  In fact, it is the opposite.  In the context of finding your next opportunity, being busy is what you do when you don’t know what else to do.  And knowing what else to do is really the million dollar question.

 That goes back to clarity, as you recall, and to find clarity you need to slow down to a standstill and allow yourself the luxury of quiet, uninterrupted, guilt-free time and space.  The most valuable thing you can give yourself right now is permission to slow down and begin to see the possibilities for your future beyond finding a job—any job—as quickly and frantically as possible.  Once you have identified where you want to go, a few highly productive hours will go much further than day after day of random activity.

Elizabeth Zelinka is a Strategic Growth Consultant and Career Coach with Zelinka & Prince Search Partners.  She can be reached through her website at http://zpsearchpartners.com.

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