Page 28 - Palm Beach Vol 7 No 1
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5 Steps
to Extinguishing Burnout
and Reigniting the Flame for Success By Lesley Poladsky
It’s not easy being a service-based business these days, and the struggle is exempli ed with the demands of working in, or toward, a high yield-
ing law  rm. Many attorneys feel like they are walking a tight rope between serving their clients and serving their business. With clients demanding attention 24/7, little time to do tasks such as billing and invoicing, trying to stay up to date on new statutory rules, and mentoring new associ- ates (yeah right!), it’s no wonder feelings of burnout might creeping up.
Here are just a few ways to take a step back, re-evaluate and create a game plan for moving forward and connecting with the original passion that drew us into the legal  eld.
No. 1 Connect with Your Values. A values statement is a common recommendation when starting a business, but sadly many businesses create it and  le it away never to consider it again. By identifying and con- necting with values, you have a roadmap to prioritize and make decisions quickly, especially when being pulled in a million directions. A value statement can be used to communicate to employees and clients what is of utmost importance to the  rm, providing guidance for the employees to con dently act on behalf of the  rm.  e same can be said for individual value state- ments. It aides in making decisions which align with values, priorities and personal goals, ultimately bringing a sense of enjoy- ment, ful llment and success overall.
No. 2 You Can’t be Everything to Every- one. Nothing will burn a professional out faster than over committing and not del- egating. Take some time to focus on the top priorities of the practice. Look at the
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return on investment (ROI) for each task and evaluate how the ROI would change if delegated.  is will allow your focus to be on the million-dollar tasks rather than the $10 per hour tasks. Start narrowing down and categorizing to-do lists and goals by looking at core values and the potential ROI. Evaluate how important the goal is by looking at the contribution to the overall values and goals of the  rm, the potential cost of not doing it versus doing it, and most importantly if it is worth the time it takes to complete it.
No. 3 Take Time to Engage in Relation- ships. Take time to listen to what clients and associates are expressing by acknowl- edging and validating what they are com- municating verbally and nonverbally, and then invest in the response.  ere will be a noticeable change in the energy within the practice and how everyone feels when communication is a priority and it is han- dled as such. Law school doesn’t provide nearly enough training on e ective com- munication skills – a vital part of building a successful  rm. Focus on consistently evaluating and improving communica- tion skills and methods for everyone in the  rm. In each conversation, try focusing on acknowledging and validating one thing the other person says. Over time, you’ll see how people respond to this type of regular communication.
No. 4 Don’t Allow Perfectionism to Get in the way. Perfectionism o en causes pro- crastination because we allow the desire to achieve perfection to sabotage us from ever getting started. We overwhelm ourselves with the desire to control the outcome and o en forget to re ect on the progress we have made. We tend to only celebrate the
homeruns and forget about the base hits, which can be equally as bene cial when added up. By focusing on progress, it al- lows the team to feel a sense of success daily while creating a motivating energy to push and keep going toward the ultimate goal. Start by creating progress lists, rather than to-do lists.
No. 5 Detach From the Outcome.  is may sound counterintuitive, especially in the legal  eld when everything is driven by outcomes and wins, but detaching from the outcome is an energy release that pro- vides a lasting sense of freedom and peace.  is is a topic that usually requires some coaching and takes time to develop but it can be extremely powerful. Ultimately, none of us can control the outcome; we only play a role in it, and it doesn’t serve anyone to carry the weight and burden of worrying or obsessing over the inability to control it.
The stress of a career in law can be overwhelming and can suck the joy out of the profession, but it doesn’t have to. The commitment level to become an at- torney is high, and even higher to feel successful while doing it. Recommit to “the why” of choosing this profession, use values to prioritize and guide deci- sions, focus and commit to enhancing communication, and watch as the flame of fulfillment and success starts to burn a little brighter.
Lesley Poladsky is a certified professional coach, consultant and the owner of Up- town Professional Coaching. Visit Uptown- Coach.com for more information or email [email protected].


































































































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