Slow It Down: Lessons for Women Lawyers

“As women in the legal profession, we are everything to everyone. Counselors, managers, mothers, partners, lovers and leaders. We work at full pace from the time we wake up in the morning until we close our eyes. Even our weekend mornings are ever-filled with duties and commitments as we head off to our tennis matches, take the kids to soccer, or volunteer at our church or temple. We are always organizing, moving and producing. The same is true for me in my business and law practice.

For the past 18 years, I’ve been focused on grinding out more work and growing my business, and it’s paid off in tangible successes. What I haven’t done, however, is slow it down.

I’ve never been well-suited to a slow pace. I’m a grinder. Nonetheless, I have found my insistence on pushing forward actually works against me. Sometimes you need to simply slow down to allow your brain to make the necessary connections. It is in these slower periods of relaxation or meditation that the best ideas and connections often come.”