Want to leave your job but can't (yet)?

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Subject: Want to leave your job but can't (yet)?

Success Without Sacrifice

N E W S L E T T E R

Anti-hustle strategies for lawyers who want more control, impact, and life.

The partner you work with is impossible. The work isn't what you expected. The culture isn't a fit.

Your brain screams... Leave! But you can't (or really, don't want to) yet because:

You're in the middle of a career-defining case.
You moved to this firm only a few months ago.
You're working towards something specific that requires you to stick it out (for a bit).

Sometimes staying IS the right call, but only when done strategically.

[And white-knuckling it, hoping things will get better, isn't staying strategically. It's a recipe for total burnout.]

Here's what staying strategically looks like:

STEP 1

Know Why

Define why you're staying - with specificity.

I'm not talking about some vague "I should stick it out for a while to better my career" statement. I want you to write down all of the concrete reasons for staying.

Reasons you can return to when things get hard. Fill in the blanks below:

"I'm here to ______. I'm getting _______ out of this. This will help me ______ in the future."

STEP 2

Define Your Endpoint

Even if you don't know the exact day you want to leave (or begin your search), you must know the trigger (or milestone).

Again, be specific about this trigger or date. It must be something specifically tied to your "why".

When the deal closes.
Once the judgment is handed down.
18 months from now.

Make this trigger/milestone non-negotiable.

STEP 3

Keep Your Eyes/Ears Open

If the right thing comes along, you're allowed to take it (you do not have to stick to your plan). This requires a mindset of openness.

Decide now that you're still open to opportunities. Know what the "right" thing would be.

And network intentionally to open up some possibilities (whether at the time you plan to leave or sooner).

STEP 4

Protect Yourself

You know you want to leave. There are real reasons for it (that aren't going away). You need to protect yourself while staying through:

Boundaries.
Support systems.
Daily practices that keep you grounded.

And know your non-negotiables. Meaning: what you won't do, what you won't put up with, and when it's time to leave, regardless of the reasons for staying.

There's a difference between hard and harmful. Know this difference for you.

Want to go deeper into these steps and get my top daily habits to keep you grounded? Listen to this week's Life & Law episode here.

If you're in a tough situation and wondering whether to stay or go — or if you've already decided to stay and need a strategy — this one's for you.

XO,

Heather

P.S. Part of protecting yourself is proper self-care, which is why I highly recommend joining my Self-Care Challenge (if you haven't done that yet). ↓ ↓ ↓

No Time for Self-Care?

(And feeling the cost of that... Daily?)

Join my 7-Day Self-Care Challenge to build simple self-care habits that actually stick. This is about long-term sustainable habits that will have you feeling more grounded and energized (without a complete routine overhaul).

Join the Challenge

A B O U T

H E A T H E R

Former BigLaw partner. Lawyer coach. Cancer survivor. Mom x2. Recovering overachiever.

I traded in my $2.5MM+ practice to help lawyers create the kind of success that doesn’t come at the cost of their well-being.

Learn more about me here.

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Subject: Want to leave your job but can't (yet)?