Fear is something all attorneys feel but few are comfortable acknowledging. Many rush past feelings of fear, preferring the emotions of anger or blame. To overcome obstacles in their practices, however, attorneys must learn to face the dragons of their fears, rather than avoiding those things that scare them. Let’s consider the mysterious nature of fear and how it guides law practice.
I recently spoke with “Amanda,” who is on the brink of becoming a junior partner in a big firm. She said she was always glad when her senior partner gave her a new project, because she disliked being out of work. She generally breaks down projects and figures out how long it will take her to get them done. But she doesn’t want to complete the project too quickly, because she’s afraid of not having any more projects. Looking down at her hands, she said she tried to stretch things out a little.
