A Satisfying Career

I have had a long and satisfying career in law.  My path was not straight and I pivoted at least 8 times in my career.  Some jobs were very short stints because of toxic work environments and I knew that quitting was my only healthy option.  Other jobs, after many years of service, I recognized that I no longer felt passionate about what I was doing and knew it was time for a change. This isn’t to say that I would encourage anyone to quit their job without having a plan in place and having some back-up funds to carry you through to your next job.

But I do believe that you don’t need to quit law, altogether, to be happy. You worked hard and spent a lot of money to obtain that law degree.   I suggest that you think about whether you want to make the effort to re-invent yourself or re-brand yourself within the traditional or non-traditional field of law.  If you really see yourself as wanting to pursue something altogether different from law then recognize that this will involve giving up your financial security for some time while you re-establish yourself in your new career and it will involve changing your identity as a lawyer to something else.  If you really want to succeed at a new line of work then I think the hardest part of this is to give up your title as a lawyer.  If, for example, you decided that you wanted to become a scuba diving instructor, then nobody cares that you were a lawyer.

If you do choose to stick with being a lawyer then you might think about re-charging your batteries by taking a long vacation, without any interruptions.  You may say, that you can’t do this because who will mind the shop when you are away?  Well, if you don’t have a reliable law clerk or office administrator then there are agencies that will provide temporary freelance lawyers to oversee your law practice.   Maybe you need to clear your head of the negative thoughts about your job to be able to see some of the positives.  I really encourage you to take a breather, unwind, rest your mind, don’t worry, the work will still be there when you get back. There is nothing so urgent that it can’t wait.  Maybe you might lose a client or 2 because of your absence but then you might pickup 2 or more because you can now focus and feel refreshed.

Take time to reflect before making a move.