By Murray Gottheil | January 30, 2024
Photo by Keira Burton at Pexels
When I practiced law, I worried a lot. I worried about making a mistake on my files. I worried that I was too busy. I worried that I was not busy enough.
I even worried for the people at my firm who were too busy to worry for themselves. It was sort of a free service which I offered.
Louis, one of my early partners, worried about nothing. He knew no law. He had no professional standards. His client service was abominable. He just did not care enough to worry about anything.
Fred, my first boss, also worried about nothing. His theory was that as long as you could afford the deductible under your malpractice insurance, there was nothing to worry about.
I cared too much about my clients and my professional reputation to be like Louis. I tried to be like Fred. I really did. But I just could not do it.
So I kept on worrying.
Of course, there were things that I never worried about which I should have worried about. Things like my fitness, health, and personal relationships. I suppose that I might have worried about those things if I had the time, but I was too busy practicing law, developing business, and worrying.
At least back in the day nobody made me feel guilty about worrying. Most of the people who surrounded me in the profession were too busy worrying themselves to take time off to tell me that I worried too much.
When I retired, I thought that I would finally stop worrying. But then I started reading posts on LinkedIn. I now know that there are many people who are honoured and humbled to announce that they have figured out how to run their professional practice, while preserving their mental health, winning awards, growing their business, taking time off to spend with their children, and succeeding financially. I realize that I do not measure up.
That worries me.
Murray is a happily retired lawyer who lives in the country, drives a pick-up truck, writes, teaches and mentors. You can reach him at [email protected] or see what he is up to at lawanddisorderinc.com.
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