‘Having It All’ Is Overrated

// There’s a lot of talk these days about work-life balance — and for good reason. It’s no secret that lawyers often find themselves under a lot of pressure, putting in long hours and facing fierce competition. It only makes sense that many lawyers feel like they can never catch up. Constantly trying to juggle their work and their personal lives can be tough.

But here’s the thing: you don’t have to have it all (whatever that means) to be successful. In fact, you can actually be more successful if you focus on what’s important to you.

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Here are a few tips on how to do just that:

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Define Your Success

The first step is to define what success means to you. This may sound like a no-brainer, but it’s actually vitally important. Think about it: if you don’t know what you want, how can you ever get it? Take some time to sit down and really think about what you want out of life. What are your goals? What do you want to achieve? Once you have a good understanding of your desires, you can start working toward making them a reality.

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Prioritize Your Time

The next step is to start prioritizing your time, though this is often easier said than done, especially if you’re used to always being busy and putting in long hours at the office. It’s essential, however, if you want to achieve a good work-life balance.

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Start by identifying which tasks are most important to you, both personally and professionally. Focus on those tasks and let the rest go. It may seem like you’re not getting as much done, but you’re actually doing the things that matter most — that’s what counts.

Set Boundaries

Another important step is to set boundaries. This means learning to say no, both at work and in your personal life. As difficult as that may be for some, the truth is that you simply can’t do everything, and that’s OK.

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If you’re feeling overloaded, start setting boundaries. Decline worrying about the things that aren’t important to you. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel once you learn to prioritize and say no.

Make Time For Yourself

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Last but not least, make sure you make time for yourself. This is a vital part of finding a good work-life balance. You need to schedule time for yourself, just like you would set time aside for any other important meeting.

So put it in your calendar and stick to it. Make time for the things that are important to you, whether that’s spending time with friends and family or pursuing a hobby. If you make space in your schedule for yourself, you’ll feel refreshed and rejuvenated, which will help you succeed both at work and in life.

Final Words

In conclusion, you must focus on what’s important to you if you ever want to be successful as a lawyer. This may mean saying no more often and setting boundaries, but doing so will help you achieve your goals in the long run. So, make time for yourself, focus on your priorities, and remember that you don’t have to have it all to have what you want.

For more information, please watch Season 4, Episode 11 of the Notes to My (Legal) Self podcast “It’s OK to Stop Trying to Have It All” featuring Adele Tegger. In this episode, Adele discusses how to be successful without having it all and offers tips on how to prioritize your time, set boundaries, and make time for yourself.

Olga V. Mack is the CEO of Parley Pro, a next-generation contract management company that has pioneered online negotiation technology. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She founded the Women Serve on Boards movement that advocates for women to participate on corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat and Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security. You can follow Olga on Twitter @olgavmack.

Topics

Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Olga V. Mack, Technology, Work-life balance