Have you ever met people whose lives seem to be awesome? I certainly have! As rezooming attorneys we may see those people as the ones who have already returned to the law or who never left. They have the awesome jobs, money and lives we wish we had. If it weren’t for the kids, the move, the downturn in the market or a myriad of other reasons why we left the practice of law, voluntary and involuntarily, we would be where they are now not still waiting or finally embarking on rezooming our careers.

Dr. Jaime Kulaga’s wonderful article, Top 3 Reasons Why Some People Just “Have it Good”. will resonate with you rezoomers because some of the reasons she lists for people hav[ing] it good, or not, are the same ones that tend to hold us back from easily rezooming our careers.

The Top 3 Reasons Why Some People Just “Have it Good” are:

• Number 1- They don’t make decisions at low points in their lives.
• Number 2- They have positive attitudes even in tough situations.
• Number 3- They spend their energy dollars wisely.

Number 1 – Don’t make decisions at low points in their lives.

When deciding to return to the practice of law do it with a positive attitude and not out of desperation. This is much easier said than done. If we are returning to the law by our own choice, positivity comes along with the adventure. We are not in crisis. However, if we make the decision to rezoom in crisis, often the negative domino effect occurs. It perpetuates one bad choice after another leading to the continuation of the negative outlook at our prospects. Dr. Kulaga says, “When [negative] emotions become dominant in decision making, the decision is often not the right decision. It’s a decision made out of spite, revenge, anger, sadness or desperation, and not out of clear mindedness, analysis, or basic common sense.” Taking the time to reflect on why you are rezooming your career and focusing on the positives of that rezooming ensures the outcome make the dominos fall in a better direction.

To overcome the “crisis mentality” Dr. Kulaga’s valuable strategies will help you stay positive. They prepare you for the rough times by having you make a list of all the great reasons you are rezooming your career. There have to be some future aspirations or lasting great memories you have from when you practiced law. They will fuel your desire to rezooming. Kulaga instructs you to write them down and pull them out as needed. She says,”reflection [on positive experieinces] will boost your self-confidence…step back from the situation and…..[clearly assess] as opposed to… impulsive[ly] deci[de].” She believes the best form of decision making is done by “retreat, rethink and then react.” Sound advice for rezoomers.

Dr. Kulaga goes on to suggest you find some “strong and honest supports in your life,” a mantra this rezooming column has repeated over and over. Rezooming is not for the faint of heart. Even the strongest among us need cheerleaders and confidantes who we can trust with our scariest fears and most difficult choices. These people will be our diehard supporters.

Number 2 – They Have Positive Attitudes Even in Tough Situations

Believing you can do it goes a long way toward getting you over the rezooming hump. Engaging in “positive thinking” Kulaga say “give[s] your mind time to process a situation…..open[ing] [you] up to seeing the wider range of choices currently available to you.” This the best reason I know for staying positive no matter what you see in front of you. If you deeply understand everything is working out for you, it is. You learn from each experience. Learning from all your experiences, in a positive manner, makes each endeavor valuable, even the bad ones! You don’t want to repeat the same mistake twice. Understanding mistakes happen helps you remain positive and look at each and every opportunity as a learning event, while remaining filled with the anticipation of a wonderful outcome. If you can, the learning curve will be short and the consequences of the mistake minimal.

Number 3 – They Spend Their Energy Dollars Wisely

I love the concept proffered by Dr. Kulaga of choosing what to worry about and labeling that worry as “energy dollars.” We rezoomers worry a lot. If we use a visual and tangible concept to limit worry we will be more than half the way home. Rezoomers waste energy worrying about their families and how they will fair once the attorney rezooms his/her career. If they are alone, their energy waster centers around how they will get it all done by themselves?

Dr. Kulaga sees progressing in “crisis mode” as expending “double or triple the amount of energy” of a person operating in a “clear minded state of rest.” She suggests we pay more attention to the negative energy we bring into our rezooming sphere. “Focus on how to create more opportunities in your life as opposed to dwelling and ruminating on what is not going right for you” Kulaga says. If you take a moment and focus on what you have to be grateful for; your law degree, your support system, or your dogged determination, the “positivity and clear mindedness” Kulaga discusses will enable you to deal with any issue that arises.

Take these three tools and use them on your journey. See the glass as half full. Each tool above will serve you well, my rezooming friends. Now get out there and rezoom!