Growth. It's the journey we all embark on in life. At PBI, we've embraced "growth" as our word of the year and we're ready to make 2024 count. What about you?
The legal field is extremely competitive. It can often feel like you need to constantly be learning and evolving in order to keep up with your colleagues. That's why it's of the utmost importance to embrace having a growth mindset. The opposite of a fixed mindset, a growth mindset is believing that there is always room to grow your skills and knowledge. It is the pursuit of bettering yourself wrapped in a positive outlook.
Read on for tips on how to nurture a growth mindset--and if you're truly serious about growth, be sure to join us for Friday's live webcast "Business and Ethics Basics of Law Firm Management." Effective law firm management is crucial for the success and growth of firms of all sizes! In this dynamic program, attendees will be provided with the important tools needed to ensure their firm management practices are up to date in these ever-changing times. See you there!
Lead with curiosity. A growth mindset is believing that there is always more to learn. Curiosity is linked with growth because it is the desire to learn and explore. They lift one another up. Instead of pressuring yourself to show constant improvement, lead with your curiosity. What do you love? What are your capabilities? Which of your interests would you love to dive deep into? It can be a topic in your field or a new hobby you explore in your free time. No matter what it is, approach with an open mind and an appetite for learning. Allow yourself to investigate without judgment.
Utilize metrics. How else will you measure your achievements? Think about the goals you want to achieve in a specific timeframe. You will also need the means to gather and compare data. Perhaps marketing is your focus, and you want to grow your social media following or number of website visitors--you can use Google Analytics to track your success. Or perhaps your goal is simply to raise the number of clients you serve. Recording the data will give you a visual for your growth.
Ask questions and seek feedback. There's a lot to be learned through those we surround ourselves with. If you are a young lawyer, seek more experienced lawyers and ask them for their wisdom. Consider looking into a mentorship program. If you work on a project with others, ask them for feedback on your strengths and weaknesses. What can you do to improve? Insight from others can be extremely useful when you're seeking growth.
Do not fear failure. As children, we fearlessly tried new things, but as we grew, fear of failure set in for some of us. It's only too easy to remain in our comfortable niches as adults, shying away from taking risks. Remember: everything you do is a contributor to growth, even when you fail. Fearing failure can block you from attempts to grow. Embracing a growth mindset means embracing failure as an option.
Embrace the challenge. Changing the way you think isn't an easy feat. It's going to require time and effort to shape into a habit. Be prepared to put in the time. You have to be willing to persevere past the obstacles. It can be intimidating facing down a challenge you don't feel qualified or prepared for, but that's the point--to get outside your comfort zone and build your skills.
Leave room for play. All work and no play can leave you feeling dull. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is to just be. Take a break from the grind. Soak in the contentment of where you are in life. Pull the focus away from improvement and refresh yourself with fun. Return when you feel good and ready.
Remember, positive change takes time! And don't forget that PBI is always here to help you grow your knowledge and improve your practice with award-winning CLE. Check out what's coming up here!