Do Sweat the Small Stuff

We’ve all heard the saying “don’t sweat the small stuff”, and when it comes to letting go of the worry associated to minor things that don’t have a major impact on our lives, this is a powerful context.

However, reframed in another way, sweating the small stuff can be thought about as a way to really focus on the small things that make a big difference in our lives. We all know small habits like eating well, sleeping enough and exercising regularly make big difference to our lives, but how many of us really live these philosophies?

We’ve written out a blog post detailing 5 small but powerful practices that if you were to implement into your daily schedule – the rest of your year will look tremendously different.

Will you be stepping to take on the challenge?

1. Do two things everyday that you dislike

When learning a new skill, the learning curve is always a challenge. At some point, you’re most likely going to suck at it, it’s not going to be enjoyable and you’ll want to give up. In Seth Godin’s book “The Dip” talks about how most people give up when they perceive the barrier too great to overcome – often times just before the big breakthrough. If you are able to ascertain whether or not pushing through this dip is worth your time, you may be rewarded with greater profits, glory and long-term security.

So our recommendation is to reflect upon the top two skills required to become a master of your craft and ensure you nurture the skills that you may not be so proficient at each and every day. According to The Balance Careers, for lawyers the top 5 most Competitive and Attractive Legal Skills for Job Seekers are as follows:

1. Oral Communication
2. Written communication
3. Client service
4. Analytical and Logical reasoning
5. Legal Research

If there are skills in this list that you’re not an expert at – it’s worth carving out some time each day to hone your craft. The greater value that you can add to your work and your clients, the greater the long-term payoff. Ultimately, by pushing through the initial hurdle of cultivating a new skill, the things that you don’t enjoy, eventually become something you’re good at. Naturally, your experience of completing these things will improve.

2. Surround yourself with positive influences

We all have heard the saying “proximity is power” but that power can be stifled when you’re surrounding yourself with the wrong people.

If you’re committed to a levelling up within your career, do yourself the ultimate favour by getting in proximity with those that are playing the game at a higher level… and minimise the time with those who slow you down.

3. Read an hour per day

Schedule in an ‘hour of power’ where you dedicate time to self-learning. Books are an incredible source of information – often condensed from dozens if not hundreds of different sources, with authors typically writing the book over several months or even years. Think of all the time and effort it takes to create a book on one particular topic – making it a regular practice to read will help fast track your understanding on a topic or skill.

4. Write 10 new ideas per day

Become an ideas machine. Why? In James Altucher’s own words – “IDEAS ARE THE CURRENCY OF LIFE. Not money. Money gets depleted until you go broke. But good ideas buy you good experiences, buy you better ideas, buy you better experiences and buy you more time. Financial wealth is a side effect of the “runner’s high” of your idea muscle. Like lifting weights at the gym, pushing yourself to come up with ideas makes you stronger.”

5. Daily gratitude practice

It’s a simple practice but noting down the things that you are grateful for each and every day is an effective method to help train your mind to see the positives. In his book, Life, the Truth, and Being Free, coach and speaker Steve Maraboli says, “Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.”

Sonder Consultants are a boutique legal recruitment firm specialising in both in-house and private practice, and have opportunities in domestic and international markets. For more information on career advice or opportunities in your respective field. Contact Kevin for a confidential discussion on: email kevin.sinnott@sonderconsultants or give him a call on 02 8277 4511

“The 3 C’s in life: Choice, Chance, Change. You must make the Choice, to take the Chance, if you want anything in life to Change.”