How to be successful and happy - both personally and professionally.

1. Success & Happiness
Jim Chester
TILA Sane & Successful Lawyer Summit – July 8, 2016

2. Success Defined

3. S&H Link: Life and Work
• You can’t “turn off” a negative career and have a
happy personal life (and vice-versa)
• But, professional success doesn’t necessarily lead
to personal success & happiness
• Must define professional success by first defining
personal success
• In other words, the professional goals must help
fulfill the personal goals

4. S&H Link: Lawyers Struggle
• Studies show that lawyers are
 three times more likely to suffer from
depression than other professionals
 the suicide rate for lawyers is nearly six
times higher than for the general
population.
 The American Bar Association estimated
that up to 20% of U.S. lawyers suffer from
substance abuse.

5. Success Defined
• The internet, TV, and media have lots of
definitions and ideas about success
• What is a successful person?
• What is a successful lawyer?

6. Success Defined
Success is the progressive
realization of worthwhile
goals & dreams
“Don't just make
a living, make a
life worth living”

7. • What Success Isn’t:
 The absence of failure
 A final destination
 Achievement
 A public decision
Success Defined

8. Opinion vs. Fact
Opinion
1. a belief or judgment that rests on grounds
insufficient to produce complete certainty.
2. a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.
A Fact is a statement that is true and can be verified
objectively, or proven.
Success is an Opinion.

9. Objective vs. Subjective success
• Objective success is externally
defined
 It is what we think others will perceive
as success
 Or, what others define as success and we
adopt as our own belief
 Is RELATIVE

10. Objective vs. Subjective success
• Subjective success is internally
defined
 It focuses on accomplishing what is
important to us, not to others
 Is FIXED

11. Pitfalls: “Objective Success Mindset”
• How do we get caught up chasing other people’s
definitions of success?
• Marketing/Culture drive “consumption” and
“acquisition”
• The problem with lawyers feeling successful:
 Most humans are somewhat “goal oriented”
 Lawyers are typically very goal oriented and high-achievers
 Law school is based on competition

12. Pitfalls: The Achievement Illusion
• Goal setting is essential for success
• Need to figure out what we want to do
 (e.g., the “why” of marketing )
• Most independents ran “from” not “to” something
 Problem: no success without a goal
Achievement isn’t success unless it gets you closer to your goals

13. Goal setting
• Achievements
 Where most people start
• Goals
 If any, are objective or relative (e.g.,
“more,” “better,” etc.)
• Fundamental Goals (i.e., “purpose”)
Start with Fundamental Goals & then set Goals to accomplish them

14. Goal setting
• Set Personal FGs First.
• What is really important to you?
 Family relationships?
 Community service?
 Other hobbies/pursuits ?
 Health?
 Financial security

15. Goal setting
• ACTIVITY:
• List 4 Material Items/Things most important.
• List 4 people most important to you
• List 4 past events/memories that are important to you
(made you who you are)
• List 4 goal for the future

16. Goal setting
HOMEWORK:
 Draft your eulogy - what five things do you want to be remembered for?
 What five things, if taken from you, would be the hardest to live without?
 If you won $25 million in the lottery, what would you do? Change careers?
Relocate?

17. Goal setting

18. Goal setting
• Set Professional Goals based on personal FGs
• Set goals, both short and long term
• Goals should be at the limit of what you really think is
attainable (goals are limits)
Don’t be afraid of failure

19. Pursue your Goals
Once FG’s and Goals are Set –
develop specific PLANS to
accomplish them.
Break goal into steps, working backwards
from where you want to be to where you
are now.
- Revisit the Productivity Presentation

20. Pursue your Goals
Stay focused on YOUR FGs –
- Don’t get side-tracked by Objective Success Mindset
- Nor by struggles/failures

21. Check your Progress
Remember: Success is a journey – not a destination.
Periodically check status
- Acknowledge achievements and failures
- People often focus on failures
- (forgetting the successes on the way)
- Avoid OSM comparison
- Re-evaluate goals
Still relevant? Still important? Need new ones?

22. Successful Traits

23. Additional Suggestions
• Surround yourself with “successful” people
• Enjoy the moment
 “Retire” a few hours a week
• Want to feel valuable – help others
• Practice gratitude
“I’m not who I am
because I’m a lawyer.
I’m a lawyer because of
who I am.”