In law school, I struggled with putting myself first and getting lost in the endless assignments coming down the pipeline. At times, it felt like my purpose was to put out the fire in front of me… and then move to the next one. Finish the outline at all costs, stay up as late as necessary to avoid an embarrassing unprepared cold call. If you allow them, these tendencies can spill over to de-prioritizing yourself as an associate as well. Of course, there are times as a law student and attorney where your work will feel all-consuming and you may need to put in more hours than normal. Working hard is okay, but remember you have limits too. For those of us who take comfort in efficiency, it can feel wasteful to step away and do anything else. Over time, I have come to understand that rest is as equally productive as work and that I need to “pay myself” in the same way that I pay others with my time and efforts.
So, what does this mean? As a law student and junior lawyer, you will almost always have a full plate. During the year, law students need to read hundreds, maybe thousands of pages weekly and towards the second half of the semester, keep up with finals as well. At large firms, associates are expected to put in the long hours and be on call basically all of the time. Under these conditions, it can start to feel like you don’t have control over your life and exist to fulfill the needs of others. Don’t succumb to these impulses and be sure to carve out areas for yourself. It’s called boundaries, people. Think of your time each day as a collection of $100, make sure to keep some cash for yourself before handing it out to others. Cheesy I know, but it helps me rationalize putting myself first when I feel like can’t or shouldn’t. I hope this approach helps my fellow Type A personalities to be less hard on themselves.
Exercise. I know, I know, you heard this before. I have always exercised religiously. In law school, you can work out in the morning, between classes or in the evening. As an associate at a big firm, your best bet is typically to exercise before work. Be sure to fit in at least thirty minutes of exercise 3-4 times a week. If a partner told you to hit the gym regularly, you would do it. Stay accountable to yourself in the same way. If you receive an email at 7:30 am, it is rarely something you cannot either leave for later or just respond “will do,” and get to it when you log on for the day. No matter how crazy my day gets, I take comfort in the fact that I did something for myself before work even started and therefore will not neglect it if swept up in a sea of emails. You will feel more in control and your mental health will thank you.
Literally pay yourself first. This applies more to working lawyers than law students, unfortunately. I was broke in law school too, your time will come. In corporate law, more associates than you would probably expect live paycheck to paycheck. I think this happens for a couple of reasons. First, you have been broke throughout law school and it feels good to finally be able to tell yourself yes. Second, corporate law can be demanding. When you feel chained to your desk, splurging on an online purchase can be cathartic. While you do deserve to treat yourself, remember that stuff is just stuff. If you have loans, put your budgeted amount to your loans first before any unnecessary material purchases. If you invest within your firm’s guidelines, keep up with that too. Should you ever decide to make a career change, the nest egg and shrinking loan balance will mean more to you than the latest bag.
Keep your space clean. When you are in the middle of finals or a closing, it can be easy to forget to run the vacuum or launder your sheets. Take baby bites if necessary but don’t let your home deteriorate. Looking over at an overflowing laundry basket exacerbated my stress during finals week. Don’t let this stuff pile up!
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