I was asked that last Friday at The Thrive Effect Female Founders Brunch in aid of International Women’s Day & my instant answer was “being my own boss”.
Being in control of your working day is undoubtedly the working ideal. It doesn’t mean you work any harder or any less hard, it means you get to dictate the terms on which you work. I can’t think of anything more liberating in my working life than deciding what I am going to do on any particular day. Contrary to what my mum thinks, I don’t sit around in my pyjamas all day. Not all day anyway. But if I want to get up early & do some work whilst all is quiet (electronically and domestically) I am free to do so. If I want to go to a pilates class after school drop off, I can do so.
However it’s not just the cushy sounding things like going to the gym (although there is a lot to be said for that), it’s the lack of pressure from anyone but yourself.I don’t think I have ever pretended it’s not hard work, being self-employed. The difference is that the harder you work, the better you do. Not only do you have the capacity to earn more, you have the facility to choose what work you do. That’s the thing, isn’t it. Choice. Choosing when to work, where to work & for whom you work. I think Trainspotting may have got there before me, with all the choices we want, but adding choice to your professional life takes away a layer of stress that comes from being answerable to someone further up the hierarchy.
We’re all grown ups. We all know that we have to work to earn money to pay the mortgage. We’re not going to not do the work, that’s not in the equation. Self-employment simply allows a choice as to how that happens. By offering a traditional law firm structure our consultant solicitors enjoy all the comforts of compliance, without the often ball-breaking requirement to commute to and sit in the office day after day. It’s not for everyone, it’s definitely suited to the business minded, entrepreneurial solicitor. It’s ideal for the senior solicitor or partner that would love to set up on their own but doesn’t actually want to be on their own. It’s perfect for a solicitor who is disenchanted with the way their firm do things, and want to do it their own way.
It definitely works for me. Maybe it could work for you too?
Feel free to take a look at our join us page for lots more information and articles on what becoming a consultant solicitor at cognitive law entails and see how it could work for you.