During this time, try as I might to empty my mind and focus on the burn, old habits die hard and my penchant for analogies just won’t quit. So, from this perspective, I present you with six lessons for lawyers from the gym:

1. Your client is the hero

There is a bit of a misconception by the other trainers that Mr Muscles, by virtue of his impressive physique, is the best trainer at the gym. I know Mr Muscles thinks he is. The thing is, I could care less about his muscles. I much prefer the softly spoken, attentive trainer who is watching me like a hawk to monitor and improve my form. That guy gets it – he is interested in what I am interested in – my muscles.

The lesson for lawyers is clear: be client, not self, -centred. Expertise does not exist in a vacuum; it is applied in a context. Be curious about your client and do not presume to know what is important to them.

2. The last reps are the most important

Starting projects and winning business is exciting. And whilst nothing happens unless you start, finishing strong is where the magic happens. That means thank-you cards and follow-up emails to your referrers, diarising post-completion tasks and checking in with your clients. Don’t trail off – execute with intention all the way through.

3. Discomfort promotes growth

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Be gutsy and take on projects and engage with perspectives just outside your comfort zone to challenge and grow. Ask for and reflect on feedback. Not just from seniors, but consider having a process for eliciting feedback from your clients and colleagues (at every level) as well. Lean in.

4. P.A.C.E. (positive action changes everything)

I remember when I started at the gym, and I looked at the box jump with dismay. No way, I thought. And then, before I knew it, I was completing sets of box jumps when previously I couldn’t do one.

We have all experienced this growing our legal skill set – our first appearance, significant negotiation, letter of advice. I remember my first email to a client had me staring at the blank screen like a deer in headlights for a seeming eternity. The type of email that I was later punching out effortlessly. What gets us over the line is showing up – consistently – and having the confidence to keep going.

Supervising lawyers, be aware that supportive, not fear-based, cultures create the optimal conditions for lawyers to thrive. Targeted feedback and gentle encouragement will go a long way.

5. Sixty seconds is a long time

The lesson here is to carve out time without distractions to get that high-level, high-impact work done.

6. Outcomes over outputs – every day of the week

The takeaway here is that it is results, not effort, that matter. Invest time and energy into outcomes-based pricing models rather than time-based billing. Not only will you reduce a whole lot of unnecessary stress on your team, but you will also be more in step with your client and increase certainty for both of you – win/win. You can also build in efficiencies and work smarter instead of harder and increase profitability and productivity.

To wrap up, there are two things that I absolutely know to be true:

1.   My best ideas come to me when I step away from the problem I am solving; and
2.   My most innovative ideas are not new. They are simply a transfer from something that works in one context, to another.