One reason many people say they don’t like lawyers is that we appear to be negative people. We’re the ones who tell everyone why things won’t work.

Hey, we’re just doing our job.

Lawyers are said to be bad in business because we’re risk-adverse. We see what can go wrong and we don’t like to take chances. We stay safe but we also miss a lot of opportunities.

How many of us fail to realize our potential?

Robert Schuller asked, “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” It’s one of my favorite questions.

Turn off your issue-spotting machine temporarily and think about this for a few minutes. If failure was impossible, what would you be, do, or have?

Think about what you want and how you feel about it. How bad do you want it?

If it’s something that makes your heart sing, don’t give up on it just because the evidence against you seems overwhelming.

Dr. Robert Anthony said, “Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.”

Client referrals made simple

Take a gander at your todo list, reminders, and calendar and ask yourself this question: how many of these items fall into the category of “have to do” and how many are “want to do”?

Yes, I know, some things fall into both categories. And some things you have to do because they allow you to do things you want to do. Or something like that.

The point is, I think we should all be working towards doing more of what we want to do.

Come on, as long as the things that have to be done are getting done, by us or someone else, why shouldn’t we be able to do more of what makes us happy?

The question is, how can we do it?

One way is to get money out of the way. Accumulate a ginormous pile of cash so you no longer have to work. If not cash, passive income will do the trick. When money is out of the way, you can do more of what you want to do.

Sound good? Okay, put that on your list of goals. Actually, you might want to make that your number one goal because if you accomplish this, when you accomplish this, most of your other goals will also be taken care of.

Don’t scoff. You know people who have done this. I’ve done it. It can be done. You can do it. You should do it.

Now, while you’re working on this, what else can you do to get more “want to” into your life?

I think you begin by being more aware of what you’re putting on your lists. If you routinely ask yourself, “Is this something I want to do?” before you write it down, you might start gravitating towards a list comprised of more things you want to do.

You might also get frustrated as you realize how much of what you do falls into the “have to” category. But frustration isn’t a bad thing. It might be all the motivation you need to get going on your plan to get money out of the way.

Referred clients are more likely to make referrals

You have an idea. A project, a side business, a new career. At some point, you have to stop thinking, researching, and planning, and start doing.

Often, the more time you spend preparing, the harder it can be to start. Paralysis of analysis is a thing. You get caught up in trying to get your ducks in a row and thinking about everything that can go wrong and self-doubt sets in.

If you find the courage to do it anyway, you often find yourself easily spooked. Something goes wrong or is harder than you imagined and your brain starts cruising down “worst case scenario” lane.

Ignorance is bliss? Often so.

When I started my practice, I wasn’t ready. I had enough money to buy some furniture and pay a months rent but I was ill-equipped to manage a practice, let alone practice law.

I didn’t know anything about getting clients, hiring employees, billing, bookkeeping, insurance, CLE, and 101 other things that are part of the deal. I couldn’t think about those things; I thought I’d figure them out as I went along.

I also couldn’t think about possible problems. What if I run out of money? What if I mess up and get sued or the state bar comes calling? What if I hire someone and they mess up or rip me off? What if I can’t handle the work?

You can “what if” yourself until you don’t want to get out of bed.

So I didn’t know much or have much before I opened my own office, but I did have one thing that made the difference. Its something entrepreneur Shaun Rawls says all successful entrepreneurs have in common: “a high tolerance for ambiguity.”

I had that because I had to. I wanted the freedom of doing my own thing and I was willing to do what I thought I had to do to get it.

Whatever you’re contemplating, don’t overdo the thinking and planning. Stop getting ready and start.