How to Thrive in Life and Law

HOW TO THRIVE IN LIFE AND LAW By: Emily Heird

Vantage View Coaching

HOW TO SET AND ACHIEVE GOALS

Welcome to 2023! We have arrived at the beginning of the new year. Most people associate this time with a clean state and promises of a fresh start to finally make those changes they›ve promised themselves year after year. “This is going to be the year I›m going to lose 10 pounds.” “This is going to be the year I don›t get behind on recording my time.” “This is going to be the year I _________” fill in the blank of goals that come to your mind.

Depending on where you get your numbers, statistics show that somewhere between 81 percent and 92 percent of New Year’s Resolutions fail. 8 out of 10 times, you are more likely to fall back into old habits after about two weeks. Behavior change is challenging. If it were easy, we would all be the healthiest, happiest, most ideal version of ourselves.

If New Year’s Resolutions don’t work, is there a better way? Yes, there is.

Step One: Identify your Goals

Start with questions about what you want to experience in 2023.

How can I have improved health and more energy?

How can I spend more time with my kids and family?

How can I hit my income goals?

How can I have more calm in my life?

How can I have more time freedom?

How can I continue to grow in my career?

How can I have more rest or vacation experiences?

How can I improve my organization and systems at work to be less stressed?

One of the first exercises I have my clients do is to think about who they want to be and what they want their life and career to look like 3 or 6 months from the start of our work together. Some clients have never thought about who they want to become or what type of life they want to build. They’ve been in survival mode and on a path they think they should follow in law.

Step Two: Break the Goal Down into Smaller Steps

Once you have created these questions, you can focus on the steps needed to reach the outcomes. With my clients, I map out how they will get from point A to point Z. Mountaineers who climb Mt. Everest don’t just show up and climb the mountain. They map out training and nutrition regimens and execute those daily. They gather the proper equipment, hire sherpas (expert support systems), and plan a route for the ascent. Depending on the weather and other factors that impact the climb, they must adjust the route as needed. If they focused solely on the outcome – I want to climb Mt. Everest – then they would be much less likely to reach the summit than if they focused on all the steps, one by one, that would get them to the top.

If you have a goal to lose a certain amount of weight, break it down

1. Lose one pound. 2. The daily activity you are going to do for exercise. 3. The daily food intake. After you lose one pound, the next step is to lose one more. Refine and repeat the process.

Humans are not good at being patient. We want immediate results. One reason New Year’s Resolutions don’t work is that people rely on the motivation, energy, and promises of a new year, which wears off in about two weeks. They give up when they haven’t lost 15 pounds in those two weeks.

If you have an annual income goal, break it down into quarters or months. Identify how many new clients you need to retain monthly to hit your monthly income goal. Review each month to see if you are on track, had a surplus, or had a deficit. Then adjust your workload the following month. Reviewing your progress helps prevent taking on too many cases, becoming overcommitted out of fear of scarcity, and operating in the dark about your income goals. You have data to inform your decisions. You have a process to trust, leading to the yearly income goal.

Step three: Adjust your Mindset

After you have your goals identified and the journey mapped out, changing your identity and mindset is a crucial component. We act according to how we see ourselves and the beliefs that live in our subconscious and drive our behavior. Not changing these beliefs is another reason New Year’s Resolutions fail.

I worked with a lawyer who was over-committed with his workload. His goal was to work only the required billable hours each month to improve work-life balance. He was a month ahead of his targets when we started, impacting his relationship with his kids. He was either at the office too much or stressed and irritable when he was home. He said in passing, “I have an inability to say no.” This belief was part of the subconscious factors driving him to say “yes” to cases and extra opportunities. He did an exercise to identify what he wanted to say yes to based on his career and lifestyle goals. Then he shifted his mindset: “I only say yes to cases and opportunities aligned with my goals.” Or “I say no to opportunities not aligned with my goals.” He developed a series of questions to answer to help him pause before automatically saying “yes,” guiding him to his decision.

Step four: Pursue the Goal

Commit to your goals and the execution of daily habits.

Share your goals with others. People want to support you in achieving goals.

Identify accountability partners or expert support systems.

If you miss a day, keep going. Recommit to your goal the next day. Aim for progress, not perfection.

Set your environment up for success. For example, if you plan to work out in the mornings, lay your clothes next to your bed.

Trust the process and have patience.

See the small steps adding up and celebrate your progress along the

way.

You can reach your goals in 2023. Here’s to your success!