Seven Success Strategies: Part 2: Get Focused

An Article Series by Kendra Brodin

"In the absence of clearly-defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it." ~ Robert A. Heinlein

This is the second article in a series called "7 Strategies of Successful Women Lawyers." Taken together, women lawyers who utilize these seven strategies make progress while those who do not understand these strategies stay stuck.

The second success strategy is "Get Focused." It sounds easy, but it is not simple. How many times do we set or write out goals, only to forget about them or find other pursuits that are more interesting and tantalizing? Many women lawyers have "bright, shiny object syndrome," losing focus at every turn as another opportunity, divergence, project, or great idea comes along.

[Speaking on behalf of the women lawyers, I can say with confidence that] lawyers often tend to be naturally creative, and we love to dream and think about new things. While this is a wonderful attribute when creating a business plan or building new relationships or working on a case, it can also be an incredible trap when we allow our creativity to take over our mind and suck all focus and single mindedness away from us.

To get anything done, you must "get focused." [As a life coach consultant, I always tell people that,] if we do not have clearly defined goals, we will get distracted at the slightest suggestion. Suddenly we find ourselves wasting away our time and energy on things that either do not need to be done at all, could be done at a different time, or could be done by someone else. Social media entraps us. Learning through books and audios becomes a great excuse for not taking the action that we know we should be taking, meaning we spend more time over-learning than putting what we learn into practice. We lose focus, and with it, we lose our chances of success.

What we must do is strengthen our mental muscles that allow us to maintain a single-goal in our mind and make it the object of our attention and energy. This is not always easy. It takes practice. It takes discipline. But in the end, staying true to our goals, our lofty goals that move our spirits, will help us break free of those menial tasks that steal our precious moments of time.

Time is a limited and nonrenewable resource. [This life skill is directed not only to the women lawyers but also to the general masses]. When we waste our time, even on tasks that seem important but really are not, we are using up a resource that we cannot re-create. It has gone, gone, gone forever. Those minutes (or hours, or even days) spent on meaningless tasks that are not in alignment with your goals not only kept you from moving forward; that wasted time actually pushes you backward by taking away precious time that you could have devoted toward the realization of your goals. You now have less time to do what you need to do. You stole time from yourself that you could have used to create the reality you desire, all in the name of what?

Be mindful of what you are spending your time on. Are you spending your time and energy in alignment and congruence with your goals? Or are you enslaved by tasks and distractions that move you no closer to your ultimate dreams?

You must "get focused," starting right now. Without focus, you will pitter away the precious gift of time that you have been given to do the great work you are here to do, to grow your practice and yourself. Focus, act, and then revel in what you have created!

TODAY: Consider where you have lost focus. What are your time drainers? Where are you losing precious minutes and hours that could be used moving you toward your goals? Identify those time-suckers and make a commitment to move away from them, focusing on your goals and your dreams, and not letting anything stand in your way!

About the Author

Kendra Brodin, MSW, JD is author of the Happy In Law blog. With a powerful background as an attorney and social worker, Kendra helps lawyers experience the best of life and legal practice, while helping law firms attract, retain, and advance their best and brightest women attorneys.