Lawyers who are not happy need to look elsewhere and have confidence in their abilities to learn a new field or to focus on new issues and earn a living at it. For example, if you're a personal injury lawyer who's tired of the expanding legislative restrictions on fees and who sees opportunities in labor law, don't refuse new personal injury cases while you're still researching and marketing for clients in the new area. Move away from your current activity as your new business grows. This belief means that you educate the client about the judicial system and the particulars of her matter, develop reasonable expectations in the client, and then perform as though this were your only client. Appreciative clients will always come knocking when this attitude is genuinely expressed.
Most lawyers are hard-working professionals.
But, increasingly, many think like employees, merely punching their time card on a daily basis. Your actions should be based on keeping clients and increasing the firm's revenues and profits, a sure recipe for personal success. Instead of just reacting, look ahead for solutions to client problems. Too many lawyers are so busy with immediate concerns that they cannot look for ways to solve future problems. Successful lawyers think about the long-term effects of actions taken now and in the future.