Imagine you’re a young law firm partner trying to build your own book of business who feels stuck because:

• What’s the best strategy (you’ve already tried things that haven’t worked)?

• What if you say/do something wrong?

• How will you know if what you’re doing is working?

You don’t have to be a law firm partner to put yourself in these shoes.

We’ve all been afraid to get started, work hard and put ourselves out there for fear of:

• Missing the mark.

• Having our opinions or actions questioned.

• Not getting what we want out of it.

You know where these thoughts typically lead?

Thinking, strategizing and planning around all the things that could go wrong. Which then leads to:

Procrastination.

When high-achievers procrastinate, it’s not because they’re lazy or afraid of hard work. It’s usually due to fear.

But guess what?

You get to choose what role fear plays within your life: as fuel or as an impediment to achieving the things you really want.

Time to start choosing to use fear as fuel, Friend.

How?

Start by challenging your brain’s inherent assumption that everything that will go wrong can go wrong.

Showcase that things can go right.

And then remind yourself that, even if things don't go as well as you'd like (and even if you make a mistake or go in a wrong direction), you'll still learn from the experience.

There is growth.

The best way to do this is to ask questions:

• “What could go right?”

• “What can I learn?”

• “How might I grow?”

Work to shift your mindset to motivate yourself to do the thing.

This doesn’t mean ignoring all the potential pitfalls.

You can still - briefly - plan for potential setbacks and what to do if things don't go as planned.

But doing it this way enables you to use your fear as fuel instead of allowing it to stop you in your tracks.

XO,

Heather

P.S. A majority of attorneys allow fear to get in their way of understanding the business side of law. Which is why I invited CPA Kyle Smith to discuss how to boost profitability by tracking some simple metrics.

This interview will give you the knowledge you need to start getting comfortable with the financial aspect of growing your own law practice. Listen here.