Dear Advy,
After thirty (30) years of practice in private practice, I feel like I have lost the fire, the passion that drove me until very recently and motivated me at work. I now feel like practice is like a repetitive carousel that spins fast, yet I have no shortage of challenges with my responsibilities as a practice group leader. Is this normal? What can I do to find enthusiasm again?
Sincerely,
Going Through the Motions
Dear Going Through the Motions,
Finding your passion for work, like in many things, becomes more difficult after you have been doing it for a long time. Yes, after 30 years a lot of things will start to look familiar and repetitive. Yes, being busy is not the same as being engaged and enthusiastic. You’re describing a problem that many of us face, so thank you for your letter. Your first question is easy to answer. Yes, this is perfectly normal. It’s your second question that is harder.
Inspiration will not find you in your daily routine. If you want to find a way to enjoy your work again, you will have to make finding it a project you intentionally take on. That sounds onerous. The good news is that although there will be some work involved, some of it is also fun!
When you are able, take a step away from work – like really step away – and consider your career from a bit of a distance. The 2022 National Study on the Psychological Health Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada recommended that lawyers not only take vacations, but that as much as possible we fully disconnect from the office when they do that. That’s good advice, and not just to improve your mental health. Getting away – at any time of year - can also help you in the search you’re undertaking.
Leonardo da Vinci is supposed to have said:
“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”
Leo was talking about how to be better at painting, but his advice holds true for just about any endeavour.
Even if you can’t get away for long, consider your “fall reading”. What do your books (or movies, or podcasts, or whatever you might use to get your mind off the daily grind) tell you about what you still find interesting and exciting? Try experimenting with the media you take in. Many libraries have a program where you can borrow a random book as a way of shaking up your reading choices. Try plugging the name of someone you find interesting in interviews into the search function on your podcast platform of choice and see what comes up. You can even close your eyes and choose a television show or movie from a streaming service or just a basic television set that you might not have chosen otherwise and see how long you can manage to stick with it.
The point is to:
- open up the range of ideas that your brain spends time with;
- learn what ideas really resonate with you;
- consider what those “sticky” ideas say about what intrigues you now; and
- make a plan as to how you could integrate the things you enjoy into your daily work life.
Consider who you spend time with. In most work situations, it’s likely you have narrowed the number of people and – importantly – the kinds of people you interact with on a regular basis. Each individual is unique, yes, but we are remarkably good at finding groups of people who think in much the same way we do, and sticking with those people. That’s great in so far as it creates comfort and support, but it has the drawback of leaving us with little to challenge the assumptions we have developed about the world, which can lead to malaise about your career and other aspects of life. These kinds of “bubbles” are a notorious phenomenon in our social media and news environments but they can be just as pervasive in our in-person relationships.
Just as you can adjust your reading/viewing/listening choices to introduce more variety into your daily life, you can adjust your list of who you interact with regularly as a way of opening your mind to new ideas and perspectives. I’m not suggesting a wholesale change of your social circle. What we’re aiming for here is a chance to see what the current version of you finds interesting and stimulating and use that to build an approach to work that keeps you engaged, in much the same way as those four points above.
One great way to connect with people who are unlike you is to volunteer. There are many organizations out there looking for volunteers to help with all kinds of events and projects. Most local lawyer assistance programs in Canada offer a peer support program and, while it’s likely going to introduce you to other lawyers, becoming a peer supporter or mentor can also be a helpful way to broaden your interpersonal horizons. At the very least, mentoring someone else means you will be giving them advice about how to find meaning in legal practice and you might find yourself taking the same medicine as you prescribed to others.
You may also find some helpful suggestions about this in an earlier column that goes into the fulfilment many lawyers experience through mentorship programs.
Many people will refer to lawyers as having a “best before date”. The idea is that after a certain age or number of years at the bar, individuals become categorically incapable of protecting their clients’ interests. It’s true that our ability to serve clients changes with age, and it is also true that some effects of aging can have a bearing on ability.
However, you are not a tub of yoghurt nor is anyone else in this profession. You are a full human being at any age. I’m indulging in that rant because I suspect you either have heard that expression, had it said about you, or at least you have thought it about yourself. If not, you may hear it soon. Your abilities change as you age, yes. The problem with that “best before date” expression is that it assumes that change with age can only be negative. Yes, adjust what you do to match your abilities. Yes, get outside advice and feedback about what your strengths are relative to your peers. No don’t buy into a dehumanizing metaphor that you are only as good as some notional “best before date.”
Congratulations on three decades in practice! You’ve earned the opportunity to rediscover what you find enjoyable in your work and in life.
Be well,
Advy