Albert Schweitzer said: “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.â€
Actually, science says he’s right. By mapping the brain to identify dopamine production they found that pleasure results in greater productivity.
When you feel good about what you’re doing, you give it more energy. You work harder and get better results.
Are there exceptions? Sure. In the short term, you can make a lot of money doing something you detest. But it catches up with you in terms of poor health, failed relationships, and other negative consequences. So you wind up with money but you’re still not happy.
Why not start with happy and have both?
Stop looking at happiness as the end result or an added bonus and start seeing it as the pathway to success.
Most lawyers who aren’t happy suck it up and continue working until they have enough money, contacts, and ideas to retire or go with plan B.
Some make it. Some don’t.
How about this:Â If you don’t love what you’re doing, change something–your practice area, partner, job, or methods. Find different clients. Adopt different marketing strategies. Compartmentalize your work so can focus on the parts of your practice you enjoy and delegate or automate the rest.
Because success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.
Get more referrals so you can hire more help and let them do the things you don’t like
