We "Get To" Think About a Mindset Shift

Lawyers Who Launch

When you are looking at your task list at work, or your pile of files, or your ever growing inbox of unread emails you may feel like groaning. But if we tried reframing our daily attorney work, our continuing education, and our networking from “have to” to “get to.”

This is not a magic fix-all solution and we certainly are not telling you that you should be happy all of the time. We all have hard days and serious challenges. The world is a hard place sometimes. However, we all get into the rut of everyday life that can make everything feel like we have lost choice over our lives and we are just run by expectations of others and never ending to do lists. This mindset shift attempts to help you take back some of the control over your day.

Starting with our daily law practice tasks. Look to the deeper meaning of your practice. How are you serving your clients? Instead of saying I have to draft this brief, reframe it as, I get to draft this brief and advocate for my client. I get to seek justice. I don’t have to draft a will. I get to give my client’s peace of mind. I get to use my mind to craft creative solutions.

Thinking about getting to do something rather than having to do something inherently implies a choice that was not there before. It does not mean that it isn’t hard or challenging. But that affirmative choice is powerful. It also acknowledges the privilege that you get to do something not everyone gets to do.

Practical Exercise

Grab a piece of paper or open a document on your computer. Write down five things on your work task list. Now change them into “get to” sentences. Give it a little context.

How does that feel?

It probably isn’t life changing, but does it move the needle even a little bit?

Now You Get to Network

Networking is not natural for most of us. Whether you are applying to law school, have been in practice for 20 years, or are somewhere in between, chances are you have at least internally groaned at the thought of networking at some point. It is so easy to push networking off to the side because it is not something that we actually have to do. No one is going to give you a grade on networking or take you license for failing to network.

So if you do not have to network, why are we talking about networking?

That is because networking is a gift we give our professional selves and our practices. We get to network. We get to put ourselves out there and share our expertise with potential clients, referral sources, and colleagues.

Effective networking will allow you to expand your practice and your career. It is something you get to do in order to boost your success. You should be excited about networking because it is networking that will ultimately save you time and energy as you move along in your career.

We are sharing the strategies and tips that we actually use in our practices. We use these strategies to expand Lawyers Who Launch to reach more of you. Once you have a plan, networking is not hard, but it does take time to building those mutually beneficial networking relationships that we talk so much about. So stop wasting time on ineffective networking and start using your time to actually build your network, because you get to network.

LWL Design Shop on Etsy use code LWLPOD for 15% off your purchase
Nothing contained within this podcast is intended or should be construed to be legal advice and does not create any attorney client relationship. Your jurisdiction will have rules of professional conduct that you must follow. This discussion does not focus on the any such rules, including the rules from the jurisdiction where we practice.