lawyer mental health

Today we're talking to Jacqueline Figueroa who will tell you how to increase billable hours AND have a life.

Jackie's not just an accomplished insurance defense attorney at a national firm billing 2400 hours a year.

She's also a dedicated parent, a marathon runner, and was promoted to partner at her firm.

When Jackie and I started working together, it was a very different story. She didn't think being a partner at her firm was even in the cards for her.

Jackie's will inspire you and give you actionable tips if you're feeling overwhelmed by the demands of the legal profession.

In this episode, Jacqueline spills the beans on how she:

• got out of overwhelm and learned how to increase her billing to calmly bill her firm's 2400 hours requirement while still making time for her passions and family
• navigates the challenges of harmonizing her career and personal life by implementing effective time management techniques
• emotionally regulates in a high-stress profession: Jacqueline reveals the impact it has had on her life both professionally and personally.

Even if you don't need to bill 2400 hours a year or you have a flat rate model for your firm, you don't want to miss this episode.

Listen in because Jackie gives you what you need to help you calm the overwhelm and take control of your practice.

Panic isn't something lawyers like to talk about because it feels vulnerable to talk about.

Not only that, but feeling panicked can be paralyzing; we get a sense of overwhelm and don't know what to do to get out of it.

Panic clouds our thinking and decision-making abilities.

What if I told you that you have more power over it than you think?

Inside this episode of Be a Better Lawyer Podcast, you'll learn:

• what causes panic
• what to do when you feel panic
• questions to ask yourself about the future of your law practice

Listen into this episode to help you regain a sense of calm and deliberate action in your practice.

When was the last time you felt resentful?

All of us have felt resentment before, but most of us don't know what to do about it.

Staying stuck in resentment prevents us from creating open lines of communication and asking for what we want.

In this episode of Be a Better Lawyer Podcast, you'll learn how to:

✅ notice when you're stuck in resentment (before it causes problems)

✅ get unstuck and find out what you want

✅ figure out what you want and ask for it

You don't have to stay stuck in resentment and frustration.

Listen to this episode to clear your head and take action to overcome resentment.

Chances are, if you’re here, you want change. You want to evolve and expand.

But in case you’re new to this podcast and aren’t sold on change, I want to ask you a question:

Are you happy with where you are right now?

I hope you are.

Even if you are though, do you want to change anything in your life?

Do you want to feel more organized, more present, more connected?

Do you want to grow your practice or grow your ability to play bigger in your life?

All of that requires evolution.

It requires NOT playing it safe.

It requires NOT living by default.

Change can feel hard though because playing it safe feels like the right thing to do because it feels…well, safe.

Change can feel like you’re looking down a cliff and someone is asking you to jump without a parachute.

In this episode of Be a Better Lawyer Podcast, you'll learn:

👉 what causes us to play it safe

👉 the most common fears I hear from lawyers on Strategy Sessions

👉 how to begin evolving

We only have one life on this planet.

Decide to live it the way you choose and not on default.

Listen in to start taking actionable steps towards your next evolution.

Are you thinking or worrying? How do you know and how do you get into strategic thinking, so you can problem-solve better?

I answer these questions and more on today's episode of Be a Better Lawyer Podcast.

Calming anxiety is easier than you might think.

A few things you need to know:

1. Anxiety is normal.

There's nothing wrong with you. We simply weren't given coping skills for it.

2. Anxiety is nothing to be afraid of.

When we attempt to push through or avoid it, we can actually make it worse.

3. What us high-achieving/over-achieving lawyers tend to call anxiety is a general term.

Most of the time what we experience as anxiety has a layer underneath it.

There’s another feeling your body feels, but anxiety is like wallpaper covering a wall to hide what’s underneath.

When we peel back the wallpaper, we can see what really lies beneath.

That's when we can start calming anxiety.

Today you'll:

• uncover what's underneath some anxiety you feel
• get steps to help you feel better
• hear real-life stories of how lawyers overcame anxiety

After you listen to this episode, you'll have the skills to calm your anxiety.

When you do, you'll discover you're capable of so much more than you know both in your life and in your law practice.

Are you feeling "blah?"

It's probably because you're not taking care of yourself.

In this episode of Be a Better Lawyer Podcast, you'll learn

• what to look out for, so you don't stay "blah"
• questions to ask yourself to have more fun
• nspiration for your next move (to get you out of "blah")

Taking care of yourself is the game-change you didn't know you needed.

Listen in to get out of the "Blahs."