Leaving the Law Part – 6/6

Strategy #6
The Power of Planning

If there is one thing lawyers do well, it’s planning. It’s all a part of the legal training right? But it’s astonishing how many lawyers approach the career change process in a haphazard fashion.

Who here is an avid reader of job postings? Don’t be afraid to admit it. You’re not alone. I know I did it. The way we approach career change is to read a job posting here, maybe read an article online about career planning there, talk to a friend, maybe read a book.

This is what most people think of when they think about career planning. We don’t have a structured approach to making a career change, and, yet, we’re surprised when our dream job doesn’t magically appear from our scattered efforts. You gotta have a plan.

Keep it simple. Make a list of what it’s going to take you to get from Point A: practicing law to Point B: starting your new dream job. If you’re not sure what you want to pursue yet, start there. You could even list Strategies #1 – 5 as your plan.

Once you’ve got your list, take each item and break it down into 3 – 5 baby steps. Baby steps are very important. Looking at a list with no baby steps can lead to feeling overwhelmed. Make your baby steps concrete; for example, "Explore becoming an architect" is not a good baby step. It’s fine as a part of your list but you need a clear action items for baby steps. So, "conduct an informational interview with an architect" is a good baby step.

Baby steps complete? Here comes a crucial part. Make sure you set deadlines. You can set deadlines for the big pieces or the baby steps of your list. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you have a sense of your overall timing. Without deadlines it’s easy to fall into complacency at work and find yourself 6 months down the road without progress.

Last and most important, create some accountability. By nature humans need accountability. That’s why your teachers used to make you get your tests signed in middle school. Get your significant other or a buddy (someone supportive) to hold you to your deadlines, someone who can help you commiserate or celebrate as needed.

Got your plan? What are you waiting for? The sooner you get started, the sooner you can pack up your boxes at the firm!