I'm on the brink of leaving the legal profession altogether. The money isn't enough compensation for my lack of a personal life. I billed over 2,100 hours last year because it was required by my firm, and I can't imagine doing that again this year. Help!
Frustrated
Dear Frustrated,

Your question reminds me of something the psychologist/lawyer Benjamin Sells says about how lawyers tend to handle unhappiness on the job: They either quit or they cope. Nothing else occurs to them except to bail out, on the one hand, or find a way to rationalize an untenable situation on the other.
See the following articles for more information:
- 25 Reasons Most Attorneys Hate the Practice of Law and Go Crazy (and What to Do About it)
- Do Lawyers Have More Mental Health Problems Than Other Professions?
If that's what you're doing, it's hardly surprising: After all, lawyers are trained to view the world in terms of competing positions. Still, in order to take care of yourself and get what you need, it's important to step out of that mindset. Otherwise, you'll miss out on other options (yes, they do exist). It's helpful to ask yourself some questions.
Is it really the hours that are pushing you toward the door? If the only thing driving you up the wall is the hours-that is, if you like the job other than that-consider taking up some kind of contemplative practice. Spend some time (even a few minutes) every day in silence, simply being. You'll feel energized and centered, and you'll be more attuned to opportunities to find pleasure in the passing moments. It will make the hours, however you're spending them, richer and more enjoyable.
What if it is about more than the time? Many lawyers suffer acutely from the loss of a sense of meaning in their work. If that's true for you, then certainly the feeling will be exacerbated by extremely long hours. If you can decouple the two, you'll give yourself a chance to get at the root of the problem so that you can seek new sources of meaning in your work.
- See You Should Not Dabble: To Succeed It's All or Nothing for more information.
Advice from Ask LawCrossing is intended to help job seekers make informed career decisions; please weigh advice against your own specific circumstances.