It's no debate that the legal profession is plagued with long-suffering professionals who are stressed, depressed, and living with the belief that life as a lawyer just has to be this way. Although they realize that there are other options, many feel stuck; in fact, some have accepted the notion that being a lawyer is just miserable. But not everyone feels this way! After my decade of practicing law and several years coaching lawyers, I have met hundreds of lawyers who have created careers they love. What sets them apart from the rest of unhappy lawyers is that they have learned to curate their own careers.

What is a curated career? It's one that involves deep reflection, intentional thought, and a vastly different set of questions than we currently ask ourselves in law school about how to choose a job. It is not a happy accident or a lucky break — it's the result of deliberate actions and choices that align with one's personal values. A curated career is individual to you and you only. Creating such a career lies within your own power. Some may help you along the way, but no one can do the work for you. There is, however, a roadmap.

Step 1: Likes/Dislikes/Tolerates

The roadmap begins with what I refer to as a "likes/dislikes/tolerates" list. As the rather uncreative name suggests, this is a list that tracks every work task you like doing, every task that you absolutely despise doing, and tasks that you can tolerate as long as you don't have to do them frequently. It may seem straightforward or even simplistic, but it actually takes a good amount of reflection and being honest with yourself about what you truly enjoy doing. Many lawyers who complete this exercise initially write out all the tasks they think they "should" like because of their current job, like researching or arguing in court or going to conferences. After the first pass, they eventually move some likes to the tolerates list or even to the dislikes list. The power in this exercise lies in the courage to admit that perhaps you strongly dislike some core aspects of your current role and that you deeply enjoy tasks that you only get to do every once in a while. No matter how your list ultimately ends up, it is compelling to see your own words written down on paper.