Spartan Lawyer Winter 2018

5 WAYS TO BE A HAPPIER LAWYER AT ANY STAGE IN YOUR CAREER

Adapted from Nancy Levit and Douglas Linder’s The Happy Lawyer, 2010

  1. CHOOSE WORK THAT ENGAGES YOU.

    To find satisfying work, start by understanding your own strengths and seeking out an environment that enables you to use them. Levit and Linder also emphasize the value of being professionally challenged, and in experiencing some variety in your work.

  2. CONSIDER HOW YOUR TASKS ALIGN WITH YOUR VALUES.

    There are elements of every job that are repetitive, anxiety-provoking, or boring – it’s not all soaring victories and acclaim. But even the less-than-enjoyable parts of your workday can have meaning if you can connect them to your beliefs about justice or making a difference.

  3. LOOK TO BALANCE YOUR WORK WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

    You’re more likely to feel positively about your job if you’re able to consistently meet both your professional and personal obligations; that is, if you don’t feel as though work continually undermines your ability to experience life beyond the office.

  4. CREATE MORE REWARDING WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIPS.

    Levit and Linder posit that the clearest route to being happier in your job is to invest in stronger connections with your colleagues. If you seldom experience trust, positivity, and a sense of being valued in your current environment, they recommend starting the job search.

  5. FOCUS ON THE SMALL PLEASURES OF YOUR WORK.

    Even if you don’t love your job as a whole, you probably find some aspects of it satisfying. Meeting with your clients, mentoring summer associates, developing a litigation strategy with your colleagues – figure out what you genuinely enjoy and appreciate those moments as they come.