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Lawyers, Overwhelmed, and Under-Motivated

Lawyers frequently find themselves feeling overwhelmed. Looming deadlines, too much work, too little office support, high-maintenance clients, billing, and rainmaking create a very busy life. Friends and family may not understand the pressures unique to law and the long hours required to maintain a successful practice. So a lawyer may feel both socially isolated and overwhelmed by the job - a potentially vicious combination.

Under these circumstances, you may experience decreased motivation to perform. If you feel perennially behind in work, sooner or later you may feel anxious and ultimately hopeless about ever catching up. Thoughts of "What's the use?" may enter your head. A feeling of futility may set in, like a hamster running in its wheel. In these circumstances, you are vulnerable to clinical depression, which will further impair your ability to do what needs to be done.

If depression and/or anxiety interfere with a your professional or personal life, professional help should be sought. Left untreated, these problems tend to take on a life of their own, creating a downward spiral in performance and diminishing quality of life.

At moderate levels, being overwhelmed and poorly motivated can be addressed by taking some time to think about your situation. Several very common circumstances that lead to these problems include:

• Poor fit between skills, personality, and the job
• Insufficient mentoring and guidance
• Crisis in your professional life (e.g., malpractice suit) or personal life (e.g., family illness)
• Poor business management practices

Whatever the cause, failure to address these issues can result in diminished quality of life at best and the ruination of a practice at worst.

Coping with the pressures of law practice is a lot like running a marathon - you have to find a pace that is sustainable. You must build up the endurance to keep going when the finish line remains distant. And it helps to connect your work to your personal goals and vision so you don't have to check your soul at the office door. If these tasks prove difficult, engaging the help of a coach can help you reduce feelings of being overwhelmed and increase motivation.

 

Make a free, no-obligation appointment. Contact Rebecca at Life Counsel for Legal Professionals today. For a free consultation call (206) 217-5438 or email.

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