Remember Carpe Diem! Some law professor along the way probably threw it out to you. Seize the day! Be a Roman General! Have a plan. Never let grass grow under your feet.
But, how does that apply to you as young women lawyers. Here’s how.
Life does not always hand you what is convenient at the moment. But, when an opportunity comes your way, seize it. Embrace it. If it involves a certain amount of inconvenience for you, be flexible, change some plans to take full advantage of the opportunity. It likely will not come again.
Here is how it worked for me recently. The Book Launch for my new book was a great success, and Legal Bisnow made it the lead article later in the week. What a boon for Best Friends at the Bar! I had been waiting for that for years. Here is a copy of the article, and I am sure you would agree.
But, I had plans for the weeks following the Book Launch. I was tired from planning and producing the event, and my desk looked like a bomb had exploded in my office. I needed time to regroup and catch up. I could almost feel the simple joy of the slowly-sipped cafe lattes and a few long walks among the beautiful fall foliage that I had planned.
That is not what happened. I had been given an opportunity, and I needed to maximize on it. That article was a great promotional tool for Best Friends at the Bar, and copies needed to be sent out through my networks. That meant hours of research and personal e-mails to hundreds of contacts. Not group e-mails. Personal e-mails that are what personal contacts expect to receive.
Similar opportunities will come your way many times in your career. Just when you are looking forward to a night before the TV, someone will walk into your office with an invitation to attend a networking event or a client dinner. It does not fit into your plans, but it has the potential for experiences that could enhance your career. You know that the invitation is coming at the last minute — which usually means that someone else is a no show — and that annoys you a little. You were not the first choice.
Or, you just got off the plane from a business trip. You are tired and need to rewind. The last thing you want is to get on a plane again right then. But, someone will walk into your office — or call you on your cell phone — and ask you to fly to Timbuktu to meet with a new client. Ugh! I can feel your pain.
You need to take advantage of these opportunities. You are young and resilient, and although things do not always work out the way you had planned, you can handle the change of plans and the inconvenience. And, you can handle it without letting others know that it is an inconvenience to you. You can be a team player, and it will be noticed.
So, Carpe Diem! Just do it. It will be good for your career, and it will be good for your personal future. It will get you ready for motherhood — and the time when you will need real flexibility!
As for me, the post-event marketing is done, and I have had my share of cafe lattes. The sun is still shining, and the fall colors are brilliant. Life goes on, and I did not miss the opportunity. It feels good!
