As legal professionals, embracing a growth mindset is crucial for both personal development and professional success. In this article, we explore 3 practical ways you can apply a growth mindset in the law, unlocking pathways to accelerated career progression.

It is true that stress is part of the job and it is not a realistic expectation to remove all sources of work stress and remain a lawyer. Indeed, a certain level of stress is what makes the job exciting and challenging. However, poorly managed stress can eventually lead to burnout which can have a long term impact on our career and our wellbeing.

On 23 July the Victorian Legal Services Board & Commissioner released the report of a qualitative study it conducted of Victoria’s legal profession in 2019. The report was titled the “Lawyer Wellbeing Project”. Its aim was to identify the systemic drivers of poor wellbeing in the Victorian legal profession.

Research indicates that Hope, Efficacy, Resilience and Optimism all work together to obtain better results on psychological well being, job satisfaction, commitment and performance than each of the elements alone.   This powerful combination is known as “Psychological Capital” but it’s often referred to as the “HERO Mindset”. 

Happy 2020 to you all! I hope you had an opportunity to reflect and recharge over the summer break. I caught up on some reading and an article titled "Life Crafting as a Way to Find Purpose and Meaning in Life" caught my eye because it touches on some of the topics I covered in my reflections on the importance of personal legacy. In essence, if your personal and professional goals have a greater purpose then you will be energised and motivated to achieve them.

"What do I want people to say about me at my funeral?"

Recently it occurred to me that I have made many important decisions in my life by reflecting on my own personal legacy and asking this question. It sounds weird, but for me, its a way of asking "how does this decision fit with my view of myself and what I want to achieve in my life?"