Gosh am I ready for a break.  Who else is?!  It’s been relentless these past few years and I’m looking forward to something a little less full on in 2023.

So I’ve decided to take a break.  More than my 3 week holiday over Christmas.  A year off from the “everything else” and “all the other hats”.  I’m exhausted.

A couple of years ago I started a process of refining what we do.  It started with the refinement of the practice areas for Life Law Solutions – you see our law practice used to do all things, a general practice firm, “door law” (anything that walked in the door) – if you had any sort of legal problem we could help you.  Over the years we refined that to those things we were passionate about.  Personal things problems that people experience – family law separation and divorce, wills and estate planning, estate disputes and property matters.  That has refined even further in the past few years to family law and all things estates – planning and administration.   It’s freeing.  We love working in those areas.  We have great relationships with lawyers who love other areas to help our clients who need that assistance beyond what we can offer.

The same has applied away from the law practice.  I had a desire to simplify, to stop saying yes to all things and to focus on those things that were important to me.  My law practice Life Law Solutions, Acumen Leadership a place where lawyers can learn about things that matter, and my family and home time.  And that is it.  Anything that didn’t serve those things was a firm no. 

But as I round out 2022 I’ve worked out that those refinements are not enough.  I’m tired, very tired and “somethings gotta give”.  So I’m following my own advice to stop doing all the things and I’m going to give myself a break.

What’s that actually mean?  I’m going to pause the work I am doing in my Acumen space.  Not forever, just for now.  It’s a big call because I love it and there are so many good conversations to be had about life, law and leadership and how we see people around us.  It’s a pause on the Acumen Ascent program and other training planned for 2023, it’s a pause on the podcast.  It’s a pause on all things that aren’t related to my family and my law practice. 

I am going to get on and do the other things I love.  I am going to keep lawyering as an Independent Children’s Lawyer and run my law practice and work with my fabulous team.  I am going to spend my time away from work doing all of the things I love, spending time with my boys, getting back to reading books my brain will have space for, and resting (and there is always time for knitting and quiet contemplation).

If I’m honest, it’s disappointing to me because it’s something I feel passionate about but also freeing.  I know it’s the right decision for now.  One of the entrepreneur women I follow from the States said this:

This was my idea, this was my choice, what if I just make a different choice?

I have chosen to do “all of the things”, to set these expectations for myself, causing the exhaustion.  So for now I am going to make a different choice.

I’m giving myself a break, physically, emotionally, literally.

So as we round out 2023 and take some time for reflection I’d encourage you to have a look around.  Are there things that aren’t serving you.  Have you taken on too much in the quest to do all things. What can you let go of to make things just a little easier as we head into a new year. 

As I’ve said previously this law gig can be tough.  The weight of expectations of others our client’s, our team, our bosses and ourselves is huge.  The perfectionism can be crippling, the hours can be tough, it can be exhausting keeping it all together. 

If we don’t pause from time to time and assess all of the things that make up what we do, the overwhelm creeps in and we can find ourselves exhausted all the time and that’s no place to be.  We need to learn to recognise that, to step back and rest and reset.  We can’t do our bit to better ourselves or the profession if we are exhausted. 

That’s all from me for now.  I might pop back in from time to time and share some thoughts but for now, stay curious and keep learning.

Elizabeth