Ready to Make a Quantum Leap?

What do you do when you've done everything you can to transition out of the practice of law, and been able to make a little progress, but haven't been able to leave to create the work and life that your soul desires?

Or maybe you don't want to leave the law just yet but you're extremely dissatisfied with your career and your life (or lack thereof), so you've done everything you can to fix the problem but haven't been able to bring about your desired goal?

Find out why folks are studying with David Neagle to leap over just these kinds of hurdles and create the work and lives they want.

Let's put it this way - I'm so eager to learn more that I'm going to David's live event in Las Vegas July 28 - July 31.

So I asked David if he'd be willing to do a call for my readers so that you can find out how to blow your own obstacles out of the water, and he agreed!

Join me and David Neagle on:
Wednesday, July 2
8:30 p.m. Eastern (5:30 p.m. Pacific)

For more details and to sign up go to: http://www.leavingthelaw.com/neagle.htm

Good news about The Unhappy Lawyer

I just got interviewed for The Wall Street Journal Legal Blog about LeavingTheLaw.com and my soon-to-be-published book, The Unhappy Lawyer.

Check out the post at http://blogs.wsj.com/law/

Scroll down until you get to "What Holds Unhappy Lawyers Back From Leaving"

I was also recently interviewed by Melody Kramer of the National Association of Freelance Legal Professionals. The post is entitled, "Escaping the Legal Profession Is Becoming Its Own Business."

Here's that link: www.naflp.org

Lawyer-Turned-Entrepreneur

You know I love reporting to you when I find lawyers engaged in new creative ventures. I've got a fun one for you.

Check out the The Brevelle Linen Company, created by former practicing lawyer Courtney and her sister, Jennifer. It's a handcrafted linens business--baby blankets, aprons, pin cushions, tea towels. How cool is that?!

I just took at look at their site and saw some of the most adorable baby blankets. And, boy, do the pincushions make me want to take up sewing!

Your turn: http://www.brevellelinen.com/

Lawyer in Transition

After I get off a call with a client, I'm always thinking, "Man, I wish I could share what my clients are going through with the folks who read my newsletter and blog. Then my readers could see that they're not alone." Alas, those client calls are confidential, so I can't do that.

A few days ago, I was re-reading my journal entries from my "transition year." That's my term for the year I made the transition from law to coaching. It struck me like a horseshoe thrown at my head that here was exactly what I wanted to share with you from my client calls: the ups, the downs, the two steps forward, the five steps back, the angst, the triumphs, the doubts--all of it.

So I put together a special FREE report, "The Chronicles of an Unhappy Lawyer: A Glimpse of the Secret Life of a Lawyer in Transition."

It's a no-holds-barred, soul-baring, bird's-eye-view of my own shift from practicing law to an alternative career. While it's only one person's journey, I think it mirrors the adventures my own clients experience as they're making their transition.

If you'd like a copy send me an email at Monica@LeavingTheLaw.com

Is Making a Career Change Just About Common Sense?

During an interview about my book, The Unhappy Lawyer, a journalist asked me how I would respond to criticism that the process I use to help clients (brainstorm career possibilities and ways to explore them, deal with obstacles, create a plan) is just common sense.

The question made me laugh actually. Sure what I do to help lawyers is common sense. And for those lawyers who are highly motivated individuals, they probably don't need my help. They apply common sense and move on to fulfilling careers.

But that's not the majority. The majority of unhappy lawyers swear they can do it on their own and a year from now, 3 years, 5 years they're still practicing miserably.

When you're wrapped up in work and life, overwhelmed with doubts, surrounded by obstacles, common sense approaches to making a career change seem like they're in short supply. Having a coach is very much about having a guide--someone to help you navigate through the rough patches and cheer you on when you experience uncommon success.

So sure you can you do what I do on your own. The question is, will you?

Site for My Book The Unhappy Lawyer Coming Soon!

I'm having fun today creating a site just for my book The Unhappy Lawyer: A Roadmap to Finding Meaningful Work Outside of the Law (Sourcebooks, July 2008). It'll have some fun freebies, as well as a couple of tantalizing new programs to help you get out of the law and into a fulfilling career that pays the bills.

Just to give you a sneak peek: one of the freebies is a teleseminar I did on 6 powerful strategies to jumpstart your career transition.

The site should be ready to launch in a few weeks. When it's ready, you'll be the first to know!

The Power of Making a Decision

You want to get out of the practice of law. You're sure of that. Are you?

I talk to lots of lawyers who talk about leaving the law and finding an alternative career they love. They daydream about it, talk to friends about it, do a little searching.

But they're not committed to it.

How do I know they're not committed to it?

Because they're wishy-washy about it. They do a lot of "on the one hand, on the other hand." Because they do more talking than taking action. Because any little (or big) setback and they collapse under the pressure.

The ones who are comitted to it are busy. Busy taking baby steps. Busy setting what we call a "drop-dead deadline" ("I'm out of the law by such date or I'll drop dead"--not literally of course.) Busy climbing over, under, and around challenges (after they give themselves a little time to panic, fuss, and rant over how hard it is sometimes).

They're not so different from you. It's not that have a definite offer in place. It's not that they have each and every detail worked out. They often don't have people supporting them implicitly either.

But what they have is a decision, a decision that come hell or high water they're going to make this career change happen.

That's the first step really. Making a definitive decision that you will find and pursue work you love that pays the bills.

Need some help with this concept of making a decision and not wavering from it? Check out www.davidneagle.com and sign up for his free 4-part audio course The Art of Success.