The Importance of Constantly Setting Bigger Goals as a Lawyer

I have always thought I could surround myself with trustworthy people. That I could honestly assess and evaluate people's character and hire attorneys, managers, or accountants that would protect me and have my best interest at heart. All people (lawyers aren't an exception just because they work in a competitive career track) want to feel supported, loved and accepted.

But just as you can never relax with setting goals, you shouldn't put your guard down when dealing with people in this business. You never know which lawyer in your firm will go to your competitor or try to become a partner by climbing on your shoulders. Accountants steal money; hiring managers hire their relatives; partners steal your clients and resources, and sometimes even try to steal your practice.

Unfortunately, it happened to me countless times. You can never trust someone for a long time in a law firm. When I hired strangers, they tried to steal from me and get ahead. When I hired friends or family, they conspired against me and tried to undermine me. Trust is time-bound, and you can only trust until you are useful to the other person. The moment they can get something better in a different practice or with a different person, they'll go after that opportunity.

It's not because they are bad people. It's just how it is in this world. People look after their own interests and things relevant to them. They might form alliances, but that is trust with a deadline. It would be best if you never were too trustful. At least not for a long time. No one will care as much for your accomplishments as you are—no partners, organizations, friends, or family.

You can never stop setting goals and chasing them, and you can never relax if you want to achieve success. You can never stop fighting, and you always need to set bigger goals. If something sets you back, whether an untrusty lawyer, a missed deadline, or a whole week when you couldn't work, you get back up and create new opportunities.
 

Goal Setting for Constant Improvement in a Law Practice

The most successful attorneys set big but measurable goals. They do everything they can to achieve them, and they constantly review them. They write them down on a piece of paper, read them regularly, and think of new measurable goals to reach each new stage of life. For example, if their goal were to get hired in a big law firm after law school, they wouldn't be satisfied once they reached it. They think about milestones they want to achieve next, write them down, and do everything in their power to achieve them. They make sure they are the expert in what they practice. Some even get an accountability partner to help them fulfill their more measurable goals. However they choose to accomplish their goals, they never stop. That could be fatal for their career.

When I decided to move to Malibu and shrink my firm, I made this big mistake. I felt accomplished enough to relax and kick back. Until that point, my earnings were climbing steadily every year, and I thought it would continue even if I worked less and remotely. The opposite happened because I stopped trying. My income and influence decreased. I lost a lot. You will, too, if you stop setting goals.

Every business has employees like that -who feel like they have done enough and now should just get paid for their past accomplishments. They had a burst of short-term motivation, achieved what they had set, for example, going in-house or making partners, and now they want to relax. And that can really backfire on you, especially if you are at the top.

I heard a story about a young attorney, a partner in a big firm, who brought in millions for his company and pointed out the firm's dead weight with some of its older partners. He wanted to take a personal leave for a year to relax, and the company allowed it. The firm still earned from its clients while not paying his salary. When he wanted to return from the personal leave, they didn't want to let him. This arrangement was too lucrative. Now he is suing the firm. But had he not taken time off to relax, nothing like this would happen. He would still have his clients and business.
 

Achieving Your Goals Should Not Stop You

There are many people, attorneys, who want to jake it easy at some point in their life. But it would be best if you never took your foot off the gas because your fight and drive are the only things you really have that can help you in your career. So, you need to challenge yourself and work on yourself and your skills constantly.

Most people are naive in how they see the world and do not want to open their eyes. They want to believe they are successful. They want to trust people around them and believe in their support system. The truth is everything depends on your ability to fight through what the world throws at you. If you can show your fight and determination and the will to be challenged and to grow, it doesn't matter that you didn't go to a top law school. You can still come out at the top in any law firm. Because those are the people law firms, want to hire.