Overcoming career change anxiety
E95: Making tough decisions more effortless
I’m often asked by other lawyers, “How did you make the switch from law to coaching?”
I’ve always enjoyed the intellectual challenge of practising law and, with a handful of exceptions, the people I’ve met along the way — both lawyers and clients.
Yet, I’ve also found immense joy in coaching, helping people become effortless leaders and rediscovering joy by putting health at the heart of their success.
But there’s something else in the air when I hear these questions.
Some lawyers asking me are fed up with never having time for themselves. Dinners cancelled. Holidays disrupted. Domestic partners lashing out with those guilt-inducing words: “Again?”
Some love being lawyers — the intellectual challenge, their smart colleagues — but think their current place of work isn’t right for them. “I’ll be better off somewhere else,” they say to me.
Mostly, what’s in the air is fear.
A fear of failure.
That’s what’s really behind their question, “How did you make the switch from law to coaching?” — How did you overcome the fear of failure and step off the path of success you were on?
The funny thing is I never answer that question by sharing what I did.
It’s not because I don’t have an opinion. Rather, it’s because everyone has the capacity to be resourceful, creative, and whole.
Take me, for example — I love cold showers, ice cold. I swim in the tarns of the Lake District to charge up my mitochondria.
But just because I enjoy cold water doesn’t mean it’s a universal recommendation for everyone.
Similarly, my journey from law to coaching isn’t a blueprint for everyone. What worked for me won’t necessarily work for you.
Not offering any guidance when someone’s seeking my advice wouldn’t be helpful either.
So, when I’m asked about my switch, I share what I think is more helpful: tuning into what’s important.
From procrastinating to deciding
Recently, I started in a new role as Head Coach for the Beyond Connections programme.
But before I signed up, I was procrastinating.
Should I add this to my thriving coaching practice? Will it give me enough time to carry on running workshops, and giving talks to professionals about how to rediscover joy in what they do?
The thought of taking on a new role for a new-ish organisation left me in doubt, and fear.
What if this?
What if that?
My brain wouldn’t stop its endless loop of ‘what if?’s.
Then, I remembered what’s most important: making decisions through the lens of what I need most.
I reconnected with the three core needs I rely on when making career decisions or navigating big transitions: excellence, ease, and autonomy.
And the beautiful thing about focusing on our needs is that they also take you out of the endless 'What if' loops.
Excellence
Okay, I’ll admit this one is a bit tied to my tendency towards perfectionism. I know when to dial it back, but excellence is non-negotiable for me.
I want the people I work with and the experiences I create to be of the highest standard.
Whether I’m leading a team or coaching clients, excellence drives everything I do.
Ease
Burnout as a junior lawyer taught me one thing: I don’t want to exert more effort than necessary.
For me, ease doesn’t mean avoiding hard work.
It means putting in the right kind of work, so the results feel effortless.
Autonomy
It's frustrating, isn't it when clients get in the way of your best laid dinner plans?
Now, my clients and I agree on timelines that work for both of us. My time is no longer something that money or someone else’s agenda dictates.
Autonomy - often over our time, but it can be over other things, too - is an important factor in bringing joy to the work I do. Without enough autonomy, joy in what I do can quickly disappear.
ps If you're an entrepreneur, lawyer, or high-performing professional seeking to pause, recalibrate, and lead with more effortlessness, get in touch and let’s have a conversation.
Focusing on your core needs when making big decisions takes you out of the endless “What if?” loops and brings alignment between your efforts and your goals.
Once, I coached a senior lawyer for one session only after he reached out on LinkedIn and asked me the question “How did you switch out of law?”.
He was on the brink of leaving the law entirely, or leaving his firm, or leaving behind his years of hard work and building his career.
After a few moments of reflection, he realised that what he needed wasn’t a complete career change but simplicity.
He discovered that his need wasn’t to exit his legal career, but to create space by simplifying his workload, and rediscovering what made him enjoy the law in the first place.
👉 Over to you!
When you’re faced with a tough decision, whether it’s about your career or something else, start by asking yourself, “What do I need most right now?”
That single focus could make your next step — big or small — feel a lot more effortless, and bring just a little more joy to what you do.
That’s it for this week!
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To your health, joy, and success—one step at a time!
Eric
Unorthodox career transitions are the best. And there's not nearly enough content out there showing people how to get started.
re-stacked!