I spoke today with a law school classmate, a former partner in a long-standing national law firm. The firm, like so many of our institutions of late, went under. My friend found himself not only without a job but, as a partner, in debt to the bank for the firm’s outstanding loan. He told me that he had, in response, taken the job that was going to help him “make the most money.” He has a family and responsiblities and an urgent need to get back on track financially. He found work with little difficulty and is back on track for a “successful future.”
This got me thinking about the definition of success and thus the quote above from Albert Einstein. As a former “big firm” lawyer, opening my own firm was an adjustment in more ways than I ever imagined. Yes, I became responsible for the IT work in my office, the supplies, the marketing, and the book keeping. Yes, I alone am responsible for my earnings. But the hardest part of this transition has been redefining success to myself.
In that “big firm” world, I got sucked into the idea that success was partnership in a national, or international, firm. I felt the pull of competing for those positions and having the bragging rights that came with such a title. Yet, on my own, I have felt true pride and gratitude in knowing that my earnings are a direct result of my work, of my relationships with my clients and others in the community. I no longer have the fancy office with the fantastic view of Elliott Bay that I never had time to really appreciate. Instead, I have satisfaction in knowing that I provide a service, a value, to my clients. And somehow I now feel more successful than I ever did in my big firm years.
