I’ve spent the last couple of days in San Francisco in a training program on a fairly dry and technical area of the law. It was great to get out of the office and learn from some partners with a deep knowledge of their area of expertise. The event ended with some comments regarding the firm’s obligation (commitment?) to help develop associates through assignment of client work, with training events such as this one filling in the gaps.
Progress.
They want associates to progress (up or out!). If progress was measured in terms of CLE presentations attended, I would measure up just fine. But that’s not how it works. The metric that counts is client billable time and I have so little of it that I’m not even on pace to advance with my class year, let alone meet minimum expectations. This bums me out, because I want to meet expectations, because I want to learn, and because I want to be able to pay my bills.
Which brings me to money. The one thing I can control right now is how I use my paycheck. I track my spending very carefully and have an Excel model that includes historical data and a detailed forecast that helps me decide how to optimally use my paycheck. I’ll admit that I’m obsessive about updating the historical data with each passing month. Why? Because I get to see my liabilities shrink, assets grow, and net worth creep upwards. I feel like I’m making progress. And, for now, it’s the only time of the month that I feel like progress is made.
What other opportunities do I have to create a sense of progress? To start, I can add a few of the higher level yoga classes to my schedule. I can get back to running–I really enjoyed tracking my progress when I prepared for the Austin Half Marathon last year. I can (finally) start another painting. There are opportunities.
Read the full article: Perceived Progress