Progress not perfection

Barristers don’t fail at anything. Ever. At least not in public. Don’t let the need for perfection be the obstacle to making progress in your practice.

Moving in the right direction

I was listening to Anya Hindmarch on Radio 4 last week. She was talking about how she’s changing her production line to reduce the use of plastics. 

As you would expect, the R4 interviewer put the knife in about why Anya hadn’t done more, already. 

‘We’re aiming for progress, not perfection’ she said ‘and we’re moving in the right direction’.

Bravo.

Upskilling for confidence

If you’re not taking steps to grow your practice, my guess is that it’s not a capability issue, but a skills issue. plus a fear of what other people (your peers) are going to say if you fall flat on your face.

Having the right digital skills gives barristers the confidence to take action.  Barristers are terrific learners after all.

Lacking these skills, many remain inactive and frustrated in the area of practice development.

When I convey the skills a barrister needs to grow a successful practice, it takes no time at all to achieve mastery.   

And by the way, it’s all much, much easier than EU law ever was.

Getting over the fear

I’ve been publishing posts on my site every week for over a year. My analytics tell me that every week, my readership increases.

I also know the typical profile of my reader very well so I know many of you would like nothing more than to comma-f*** every single post I write.

If I were to let my fear of writing a sentence that is Oxford English incorrect, I wouldn’t have published a single word all year. Probably, I wouldn’t have even launched my website.  

None of all this is perfect, by any stretch of my imagination, but it’s not hindering my progress in the right direction.

Need a new skillset for the digital age?

The Business of Barristering is a skills-based programme where we teach you the skills to run a successful practice in the digital age. Here are more details.

By Heidi Smith
Creator of Jurilogical.com