legal sanity

These last days of Summer, my kids are busy reuniting with friends and preparing for school. (Shockingly, I now have a middle- and high-schooler in the trio.) Their don’t-quite-know-what-to-do stir craziness is ironclad proof of the change that’s in the air. Truth is, it’s hard to segue into the Fall. The more laid-back Summer is a welcome respite from the normal work-life routine.

During my recent vacation, I had the chance to go through the virtual folder where I store ideas for blog posts. Here’s a sampling that resonated for me as I prepared to return home and re-engage my solo law practice. I hope it gives you a bit of fuel for the seasonal transition. As always, if you have any other ideas or stories to share, please send them along.

At Harvard Business, Peter Bregman tells us how we can benefit professionally by ignoring our gut and pausing before reacting. If you’re in the throes of a career change (or just fantasizing about a new day job) you can add a soundtrack to your endeavors courtesy of Steven DeMaio’s wonderful Quitter’s Playlist.

With a compelling visual aid, Spike at Brains on Fire reminds us that, more often than not, it’s the little things that make companies (and the people behind them) remarkable.

Over at AmEx’s Open Forum, Chris Brogan offers some great pointers for improving our email communications while Matthew E. May gives us some insight into honing our observation skills.

Those of you who find business inspiration in great design will enjoy this Fast Company selection of Tasty Design Treats for the Fall. And, if you happen to have lost touch with your inner child this Summer, Jenny Williams will help you reacquaint in the cool Fall air via her Wired article on 30 Classic Games for Simple Outdoor Play.

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Even though there’s been a bit more encouraging news about the state of the economy, the media (mainstream and otherwise) still inundates us with story after story of global, national, local, professional and personal crises in the face of the financial undertow. Even my 8-year-old - who’s mood largely rises and falls with the performance of his beloved New York Mets - told me the other day that people on the news look so unhappy or angry that “they should just call it the ‘bad news hour.’”

He makes a great point. As lawyers, on the professional front alone, we consume huge helpings of bad news every day – from mainstream media coverage of the economic downturn to niche stories on the sorry state of the legal profession and the latest tallies on law firm firings and closures. It can be a real challenge to not get weighed down and stressed out on this steady diet of negativity.

So, I was very heartened to read a great Harvard Business post in which leadership consultant John Baldoni compels us to Find Ways to Make Good News. Baldoni opens by crediting CNN for its coverage of the life and death of Stephen Tyrone Johns, a Holocaust Museum security guard who was shot and killed in the line of duty by a white supremacist. He then asserts that business leaders owe themselves and their “people” a “break from the relentless progress of bad news.” To help them along, Baldoni suggests that they find and share one piece of good news every day. Or, taking it a step further, they can make some good news via their own positive actions.

You’ll find some complementary tips and tools in this New York Times story on Dealing with Recession-Related Stress. If you’re in the Washington, DC Metro Area on June 24-26, my friend and colleague Charlie Badenhop is leading a stress management workshop for coaches, consultants, leaders and other professionals. You can learn more about it here.

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