Lawyers are, as a group, highly responsible, hard on themselves, and convinced they should be able to handle more than anyone else around them. That combination does not just make for a stressful career. It makes it genuinely difficult to acknowledge that something is wrong, let alone do anything about it.That is where perfectionism becomes a trap. When you hold yourself to a standard you would never apply to anyone else, leaving starts to feel like weakness, or like you are abandoning the people around you. The result is that lawyers who are deeply miserable keep going, often until their body forces the issue for them.In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell breaks down why this kind of perfectionism is more common than most lawyers want to admit, where it comes from, and why recognizing it is one of the most important things you can do if you are thinking about leaving law.1:03 — Why being highly responsible and hard on yourself feels like humility but isn&apos;t2:04 — Why holding yourself to a higher standard than everyone else is actually about ego3:02 — The vacuum-sealed pod problem and why &quot;everyone makes mistakes&quot; doesn&apos;t feel true about you6:01 — How this mindset makes it hard to leave, from feeling like you&apos;re abandoning people to telling yourself you&apos;re just weak7:35 — How to know if you&apos;re this person and what it actually costs you9:17 — Why therapy is worth bringing this up in, even if Sarah&apos;s framing annoys you10:31 — What happens when lawyers don&apos;t let themselves leave until their body forces the issue11:48 — What to actually sit with if this episode resonated Mentioned In The Perfectionist Trap That Makes It Hard to Leave Law<a href='https://formerlawyer.com/first-steps/'>First Steps to Leaving the Law </a><a href='https://formerlawyer.com/the-former-lawyer-collaborative/'>The Former Lawyer Collaborative</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Lawyers are, as a group, highly responsible, hard on themselves, and convinced they should be able to handle more than anyone else around them. That combination does not just make for a stressful career. It makes it genuinely difficult to acknowledge that something is wrong, let alone do anything about it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That is where perfectionism becomes a trap. When you hold yourself to a standard you would never apply to anyone else, leaving starts to feel like weakness, or like you are abandoning the people around you. The result is that lawyers who are deeply miserable keep going, often until their body forces the issue for them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell breaks down why this kind of perfectionism is more common than most lawyers want to admit, where it comes from, and why recognizing it is one of the most important things you can do if you are thinking about leaving law.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;1:03 — Why being highly responsible and hard on yourself feels like humility but isn&amp;apos;t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2:04 — Why holding yourself to a higher standard than everyone else is actually about ego&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;3:02 — The vacuum-sealed pod problem and why &amp;quot;everyone makes mistakes&amp;quot; doesn&amp;apos;t feel true about you&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;6:01 — How this mindset makes it hard to leave, from feeling like you&amp;apos;re abandoning people to telling yourself you&amp;apos;re just weak&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;7:35 — How to know if you&amp;apos;re this person and what it actually costs you&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;9:17 — Why therapy is worth bringing this up in, even if Sarah&amp;apos;s framing annoys you&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;10:31 — What happens when lawyers don&amp;apos;t let themselves leave until their body forces the issue&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;11:48 — What to actually sit with if this episode resonated&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mentioned In The Perfectionist Trap That Makes It Hard to Leave Law&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://formerlawyer.com/first-steps/'&gt;First Steps to Leaving the Law &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://formerlawyer.com/the-former-lawyer-collaborative/'&gt;The Former Lawyer Collaborative&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Lawyers are, as a group, highly responsible, hard on themselves, and convinced they should be able to handle more than anyone else around them. That combination does not just make for a stressful career. It makes it genuinely difficult to acknowledge that something is wrong, let alone do anything about it. That is where perfectionism becomes a trap. When you hold yourself to a standard you would never apply to anyone else, leaving starts to feel like weakness, or like you are abandoning the p...

The Perfectionist Trap That Makes It Hard to Leave Law

For lawyers who know they are unhappy but are not ready to make any real moves yet, the waiting period can feel like dead time. There are things you can be doing right now, though, that will set you up for success when you are ready to go through the process of figuring out what comes next.One of those things is reconnecting with a hobby. Not in a hardcore, train-for-a-marathon way, but in a small, low-stakes way that starts to rebuild the muscle of knowing what you actually like and what actually feels good to you. That skill, knowing what you want and acting on it, is one of the most important things you can develop when it comes time to figure out what your next career looks like.In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell walks through why hobbies matter more than most unhappy lawyers would expect, how to think about starting small, and why reconnecting with the things that bring you joy makes it easier to leave when you are ready.0:02 — What you can do right now to set yourself up for leaving law, even before you&apos;re ready0:56 — Why hobbies matter for lawyers thinking about a career change1:11 — How work crowds out everything else and why that&apos;s so common for unhappy lawyers1:54 — The grocery and dry cleaning hobby era (you are not alone)2:23 — How reconnecting with what you like helps you figure out what career actually fits you3:25 — Why this works even if you&apos;re not close to leaving and don not have much time3:33 — What starting small actually looks like and why going all in is not the point6:00 — Rituals, rhythms, and reminding yourself you are a person and not a machine7:25 — The bonus benefit of hobbies that involve other people when you are thinking about leaving law8:27 — The real skill you are building and why it matters for your lawyer career change Mentioned In Why Unhappy Lawyers Should Pick Up a Hobby Before They&apos;re Ready to Leave<a href='https://formerlawyer.com/first-steps/'>First Steps to Leaving the Law </a><a href='https://formerlawyer.com/the-former-lawyer-collaborative/'>The Former Lawyer Collaborative</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;For lawyers who know they are unhappy but are not ready to make any real moves yet, the waiting period can feel like dead time. There are things you can be doing right now, though, that will set you up for success when you are ready to go through the process of figuring out what comes next.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;One of those things is reconnecting with a hobby. Not in a hardcore, train-for-a-marathon way, but in a small, low-stakes way that starts to rebuild the muscle of knowing what you actually like and what actually feels good to you. That skill, knowing what you want and acting on it, is one of the most important things you can develop when it comes time to figure out what your next career looks like.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode of The Former Lawyer Podcast, Sarah Cottrell walks through why hobbies matter more than most unhappy lawyers would expect, how to think about starting small, and why reconnecting with the things that bring you joy makes it easier to leave when you are ready.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;0:02 — What you can do right now to set yourself up for leaving law, even before you&amp;apos;re ready&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;0:56 — Why hobbies matter for lawyers thinking about a career change&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;1:11 — How work crowds out everything else and why that&amp;apos;s so common for unhappy lawyers&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;1:54 — The grocery and dry cleaning hobby era (you are not alone)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2:23 — How reconnecting with what you like helps you figure out what career actually fits you&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;3:25 — Why this works even if you&amp;apos;re not close to leaving and don not have much time&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;3:33 — What starting small actually looks like and why going all in is not the point&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;6:00 — Rituals, rhythms, and reminding yourself you are a person and not a machine&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;7:25 — The bonus benefit of hobbies that involve other people when you are thinking about leaving law&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;8:27 — The real skill you are building and why it matters for your lawyer career change&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mentioned In Why Unhappy Lawyers Should Pick Up a Hobby Before They&amp;apos;re Ready to Leave&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://formerlawyer.com/first-steps/'&gt;First Steps to Leaving the Law &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://formerlawyer.com/the-former-lawyer-collaborative/'&gt;The Former Lawyer Collaborative&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

For lawyers who know they are unhappy but are not ready to make any real moves yet, the waiting period can feel like dead time. There are things you can be doing right now, though, that will set you up for success when you are ready to go through the process of figuring out what comes next. One of those things is reconnecting with a hobby. Not in a hardcore, train-for-a-marathon way, but in a small, low-stakes way that starts to rebuild the muscle of knowing what you actually like and what ac...

Why Unhappy Lawyers Should Pick Up a Hobby Before They're Ready to Leave

A lot of people end up going to law school without ever really asking themselves whether it&apos;s what they want to do.The questions in this episode are the real questions you should be asking yourself if you&apos;re considering law school. And if you&apos;re already a lawyer, these same questions will be helpful for you too.See show notes at <a href='https://formerlawyer.com/297'>formerlawyer.com/297</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;A lot of people end up going to law school without ever really asking themselves whether it&amp;apos;s what they want to do.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The questions in this episode are the real questions you should be asking yourself if you&amp;apos;re considering law school. And if you&amp;apos;re already a lawyer, these same questions will be helpful for you too.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See show notes at &lt;a href='https://formerlawyer.com/297'&gt;formerlawyer.com/297&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A lot of people end up going to law school without ever really asking themselves whether it's what they want to do. The questions in this episode are the real questions you should be asking yourself if you're considering law school. And if you're already a lawyer, these same questions will be helpful for you too. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/297   

What Lawyers Wish They'd Asked Before Going to Law School

2026 is kicking a lot of people&apos;s asses, including Sarah&apos;s. She gets into what the last few weeks have actually looked like, and shares the reminder she keeps coming back to. Hard things feel hard because they are hard. Not because you&apos;re doing anything wrong. She also talks about what Former Lawyer stands for, where your money goes if you work with her, and why she will probably never stop telling you to go to therapy.See show notes at <a href='https://formerlawyer.com/296'>formerlawyer.com/296</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;2026 is kicking a lot of people&amp;apos;s asses, including Sarah&amp;apos;s. She gets into what the last few weeks have actually looked like, and shares the reminder she keeps coming back to. Hard things feel hard because they are hard. Not because you&amp;apos;re doing anything wrong. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;She also talks about what Former Lawyer stands for, where your money goes if you work with her, and why she will probably never stop telling you to go to therapy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See show notes at &lt;a href='https://formerlawyer.com/296'&gt;formerlawyer.com/296&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

2026 is kicking a lot of people's asses, including Sarah's. She gets into what the last few weeks have actually looked like, and shares the reminder she keeps coming back to. Hard things feel hard because they are hard. Not because you're doing anything wrong.  She also talks about what Former Lawyer stands for, where your money goes if you work with her, and why she will probably never stop telling you to go to therapy. See show notes at formerlawyer.com/296 

Hard Things Feel Hard Because They Are Hard

When lawyers look back at why they entered the profession, they often find the answer is less about a lifelong passion and more about a lack of other plans. Dan Branagan, a former bankruptcy associate turned data analyst, describes his journey into law as a classic example of the &quot;conveyor belt&quot; metaphor. As a liberal arts major with an interest in history and political science, law school seemed like the next logical step that promised both prestige and a high salary. It wasn&apos;t until he was working through the self-examination process in the Collab that he realized how passive he had been in his own career path.The disillusionment began during law school, where he first encountered the all-consuming culture of Biglaw. While his peers seemed 100% focused on their identity as attorneys, Dan realized early on that having a life outside of work was essential to his well-being. He found that the &quot;gifted kid&quot; track often conditions people to ignore their own needs in favor of high expectations, but he was never able to shake the feeling that something was internally off.See show notes at <a href='https://formerlawyer.com/248'>formerlawyer.com/248</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;When lawyers look back at why they entered the profession, they often find the answer is less about a lifelong passion and more about a lack of other plans. Dan Branagan, a former bankruptcy associate turned data analyst, describes his journey into law as a classic example of the &amp;quot;conveyor belt&amp;quot; metaphor. As a liberal arts major with an interest in history and political science, law school seemed like the next logical step that promised both prestige and a high salary. It wasn&amp;apos;t until he was working through the self-examination process in the Collab that he realized how passive he had been in his own career path.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The disillusionment began during law school, where he first encountered the all-consuming culture of Biglaw. While his peers seemed 100% focused on their identity as attorneys, Dan realized early on that having a life outside of work was essential to his well-being. He found that the &amp;quot;gifted kid&amp;quot; track often conditions people to ignore their own needs in favor of high expectations, but he was never able to shake the feeling that something was internally off.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See show notes at &lt;a href='https://formerlawyer.com/248'&gt;formerlawyer.com/248&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

When lawyers look back at why they entered the profession, they often find the answer is less about a lifelong passion and more about a lack of other plans. Dan Branagan, a former bankruptcy associate turned data analyst, describes his journey into law as a classic example of the "conveyor belt" metaphor. As a liberal arts major with an interest in history and political science, law school seemed like the next logical step that promised both prestige and a high salary. It wasn't until he was ...

Escaping the Legal Grind to Build a Balanced Life with Dan Branagan

Do you hate working as a lawyer? Are you an unhappy lawyer who wants to leave the law, but isn't sure what to do next? Do your family and friends think you're crazy for wanting to leave the law, or are you too afraid to tell them you don't want to be a lawyer? The Former Lawyer Podcast is for you! Each week, host Sarah Cottrell interviews a different former lawyer who has left the law behind. Hear inspiring stories about how these former lawyers are thriving and found their way to careers and lives they love.

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