Anxious Associate

I managed my anxiety and perfectionism pretty well,
 
Until I joined #BigLaw.
 
7 years later, I'm still dealing (almost daily) with the repercussions of letting my stress and anxiety creep up and out of control.
 
In hindsight, here's what I wish I had done that very first year:
 
⚖ Not keep my head down so much, and, instead, develop friendships with the associates around me right out of the gate.
 
⚖ Take control of the billable hour from the start. I'm not sure how I would have found out how to do this--I did organically two years later--but man do I wish I had those planning tools from the jump.
 
⚖ Be more intentional about feedback and reviews. Did you know you could email partners and senior associates a list of all the things you worked on with/for them ahead of the review cycle?
 
⚖ Maintain my workout (and tennis) routine.
 
⚖ Mindfully drink (and eat).
 
⚖ Not say yes for the sake of saying yes. By this, I mean thinking through what yes looks like and creating a dialogue about what's to follow.
 
⚖ Implement monthly and weekly planning sessions right away.
 
⚖ Start the rolodex of meaningful connections--playing catch up later is tough (as is building the habit of actually reaching out to folks).
 
I probably could go on and on.
 
There are lots of reasons people burn out in this job.
 
You do not have to be one of those people, and I hope to make it a long-term sustainable career for myself, by implementing these tools, experimenting with new tools, and continuing trial-and-error until I find what fits (adjusting every step of the way).

I'm not perfect at this. I'm often still anxious and overwhelmed. But, now, I have tools and routines and relationships that help me get through it.
 
What would you do differently in the early years of your career to make it more sustainable?
 
#lawyerwellbeing #bestadvice #legalissues #cultutre #selfhelp