Mistakes

You will make mistakes.

It is not if, it is when.

You are human, not a robot.

There's a lot of talk about perfection in #biglaw.

Either you feel the pressure to be perfect,

Or you suffer from perfectionism,

Or some one actually is holding you to that impossible standard--yourself or a partner.

And it is just that: an impossible standard.

It is the practice of law, after all, not only something we're learning as we go, but something that is ever changing, and something built by and done by humans and humans make mistakes.

So, what do you do when you make that mistake?

💪 own it;

💪 do not shy away from it;

💪 do not punch up or punch down--leave blame and anger to private moments;

💪 come up with solutions;

💪 ask for help;

💪 do not sit on it--move quickly;

💪 discuss ways avoid it in the future;

💪 breathe;

💪 give yourself grace;

💪 know you are not the only one making mistakes; and

💪 move on.

Of course: all of this is easier said than done.

But the sooner you learn to do this, the better off you'll be--more resilient and ultimately more confident and more successful.

Ignore the voice telling you that you have to be perfect.

Question the voice placing such high expectations on the table.

You are an attorney, sure, but you are a human above all else--we all are.

No one is perfect and learning how to address and deal with inevitable mistakes is critical to achieving your goals.

You got this.

#lawyerwellbeing #bestadvice #culture #gettingthingsdone