Saturday, February 25, 2017

Hello & Welcome + 2 things to do right now

I know exactly what it feels like to be a BigLaw associate - and the point where you suddenly realize that the dollars just aren't worth the pain or time lost with friends & family. I started as a summer associate in New York City back in 2007, and went on to a career at a Vault T5 firm in NYC, followed by a several years at another BigLaw firm on American Lawyer's "A List" in Los Angeles.

After years and years of painfully long hours, I started to feel like the situation was hopeless. The good news is that it's not -- I was able to make the transition to an in-house position back in 2015 and haven't looked back since. This site is focused on strategies to help those of you still stuck in BigLaw survive the grind while you plan your escape.

Since every good jailbreak takes time and careful planning, here are two concrete steps you can take right now to help you along the way:

#1 - Download and start using YouNeedABudget.com

Whether or not you have massive law school debt like I do, "YNAB" will help you be mindful about where every dollar you spend is going. This is important for everyone, but especially for anyone looking to escape BigLaw which almost always means making at least a little less money (pretty much the only downside in my experience).

#2 - Download and start using the Headspace app for meditating

I was a total meditation skeptic until I read a book called 10% Happier written by ABC News reporter Dan Harris. That lead me to downloading the 10% Happier app and giving meditation a try. Now that I've started, it's something that I do for 10-15 minutes every day and wish I'd started meditating before I went to law school. I've since switched apps over to Headspace which has a free 10-day course that anyone can try.

There will be much more to come, but that's it for now. I'm always happy to help with strategies and advice -- just email thereshope@escapebiglaw.com and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. All inquiries will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

#staypositive

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