Why I Quit My 6-Figure Job as a Lawyer To Live More Slowly
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- Almost a decade ago, I quit my 6-figure job as a lawyer. I worked as a big-firm lawyer for 8 years. I remember walking out of the office on my last day. It just felt like any other day, like I would walk back into it the next day. But I never did. I haven’t practiced law since then and I don’t miss it.
I’ve never spoken publicly about why I left law. But I wanted to make this video for those that feel stuck in their law career yet bound by golden shackles. And for students who are considering going into law. This is the video I wish someone else had made a decade ago.
This is not a law industry-bashing video. I grew a lot as a person when I was a lawyer, I worked with amazing people and learned valuable analytical and people skills. I also worked with some big-name clients, which was pretty cool. I’m glad I have that experience under my belt!
But when I decided to study law, and then later faced some challenges in my career, there weren’t many resources available to me to guide me. I also wasn’t close with anyone who left law and built a new career for themselves. Leaving law felt very scary. So hopefully sharing my experience and the reasons why I quit my job as a lawyer will be helpful to some of you out there!
00:00 Intro
01:55 Why I Studied Law
06:30 My Law Career
11:28 Reason 1: Burnout
17:03 Reason 2: Harmony
19:43 Reason 3: The Full Picture
20:55 Reason 4: Technology
23:42 Reason 5: It's Boring...
25:49 Obstacle 1: Money
27:20 Obstacle 2: Identity
29:54 Obstacle 3: Sunk Cost Fallacy
30:44 Obstacle 4: Guilt
32:14 Life After Law
- WHAT TO WATCH NEXT -
What Is Slow Living? | Slow Living For Beginners: • What Is Slow Living? |...
- LINKS -
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📚 Interesting books to read:
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• Declutter Your Life: a.co/d/carqttB
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Thank you for sharing! Your video resonated with me completely! To make it worse the law firm I work at has a toxic and micromanaging senior which gave me frequent breakdowns and a year later I developed the constant headaches you were talking about! I am quitting my job soon to help heal and travel around Asia like you did. Other than quitting, what specifically helped get rid of your headaches for good? I took a few weeks off and it got slightly better but would like to know if you had any tips you had to help heal completely!
Hi Dana! Thanks for your thoughtful comment, I'm sorry you're going through this right now. And a great question to ask. To start off, I left law 10 years ago and the headaches never returned. So there's the first big clue.
But I experimented with A LOT of treatments during those roughly 1.5 years of continuous headaches, really anything I would hear about I jumped on and gave it a try.
The things I'd say had the biggest positive impact at the time were:
• 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat (and continuing to meditate at home afterward). It didn't cure my headaches, but for the for the first time in a year I experienced the feeling of joy and peace again, right after the retreat. Meditation helped me to see that the intensity of the headaches wasn't always 100%. It would change per hour. It helped me label it ("this is a headache; this is what it feels like; it's not as bad as this morning; etc") without getting angry about why this was happening to me. Meditation didn't immediately cure my headaches on the spot but it gave me perspective. Before, all those negative thoughts aggravated my headaches, made them worse.
• Trigger point therapy: I had a lot of painful knots in my neck. A trigger point therapist was able to work on knots in my neck muscles, which interestingly triggered pain elsewhere (in my head)
• Therapy: I was going through an existential crisis, and speaking with a psychologist helped me face my fears, insecurities, thought patterns that weren't helping me.
• Lots of walking: I walked for hours every day and volunteered as a dog walker at the local shelter. It helped me get out of my head so to speak and connect with life/nature.
What I believe helped keep the headaches away after I quit is:
• Better work-life balance / I'm in control of my time. For most of the years afterward, I've been in control of my time. I'm not making what I used to as a lawyer but I make enough. And I get to live abroad, which is fun. I still get stressed out at times, I still work hard. But when I feel I'm in the red, I don't have to push through. I've gotten a lot better at listening to the needs of my body. And I have learned that I need to listen to the signals at an early stage. So there will be time where I just take a week off, doing very little, and not feel guilty about it. If I still worked as a lawyer I would not be able to take time off that easily.
• Not working in law. As I explained in the video, practicing law requires a certain mindset. A lot of analytical thinking, taking a skeptical look at everything, the worry that you might miss something important. I feel the things I do now, like creating this CZcams content, is a much more positive way of (trying to) make a living. I get to learn about things I care about, like living with intention, and create content about it (which is cool in and of its own: learning how to script + record videos; edit; learning to use all the tech and software that comes with it).
• Lifestyle-centric career planning: when it comes to career planning, Cal Newport talks about picturing the life(style) you want to live and then planning your career to accommodate this. So often, the traditional career path is just a matter of going to uni after high school and then end up in a profession that matches your degree. And then 10 years later you could be in a situation where that job controls everything in your life. And we stay in it for the wrong reasons (status; high salary) Cal Newport suggests to turn that around. What kind of life do you want to live? Take a holistic approach: picture your relationships, location, work, family. And then choose a career that will help you get there. Ramit Sethi's Rich Life exercise is also helpful. For me, I like being location independent. That means I no longer want to work in the same office every day. A few other things that come to mind: I also enjoy meeting international people that work remotely as well (digital nomads), I'd like what I do to have a positive impact on the world, I love working online, I enjoy living abroad, not setting an alarm clock. Those then inform my career planning.
All this means I never went back to law. Instead, I had to start over from scratch. That was not easy. And it may also be a challenging path for you as well. But there are other ways of making a living. These are amazing times to consider an alternative career. There's so much free information on CZcams these days, amazing podcasts, there are so many opportunities to meet digital nomads in coworking spaces or conferences around the world and have a chat about what they do. Honestly, I think this is a better and easier time to do so than when I was going through that process 10 years ago.
I hope this helps, Dana! I wish you all the best and hope you will feel better soon. 🙏🏻
Thank you very much for the comprehensive response this is very helpful!
I just came across this as I am sitting in my law office for the last time after 15 years. I can't wait to hear your experience to see if it is similar to mine. I am both excited and terrified leaping into the unknown.
Wow, that is serendipity. I hope the video helped. I wish you good luck with your next steps in life, wherever they take you! ✨
I too quit law after almost 8 years working with high conflict matters. 90% of my work was litigation in family matters. Your story really resonates with me. The law was too cerebral and heart draining. The constant state of anticipating risks, fear of attracting the regulatory body's ire, emotional roller coasters, highly competive environment, difficult opposing counsel etc. I simply reached burn out. I personally did not get headaches, but task paralysis ravaged my entire being. Every day started to feel like a drag and I could no longer hear phone notifications without a physiological reaction. So I quite entirely. I earn very little now doing the things I love, spend time living a slower heart centred life with more nature and family. I wake up grateful every day. The rest I am still figuring out, but my heart is full.
Thank you for sharing your story Peter. It's always nice to see role models of people who took the less travelled road, and have found the most important thing: inner peace.
You're welcome, Midnight Owl. It's nice to hear you enjoyed the video. 🙂
I had serious headaches too for few weeks recently. Weeks before, I felt very sick before realising I am having a burnout. Until now, I feel uneasy all over my body.
I'm sorry to hear that, Ivy. Those are clear signs your body is giving you. I hope you will be able to find the time to slow down, as well as space to heal and recover. 🤞
@@IAmPeterCook Thank you. Glad that I find the term slow down
OMG Peter! How generous of you to share your journey of liberation! What an AMAZING video this is. I am so glad that I discovered your channel. Also, your mastery of the English language and even your video sound effects is to be commended - the door knocks caught me off guard. Was someone at my door? I actually got up to take a look lol. Truly a heartfelt, courageous, and inspirational video on many many levels.
Ha, I chuckled when I read that about the door knocks. I kept the B-roll at a minimum for this video but I did play around with adding a few sound effects here and there. 😉
Thanks for the kinds words about the video, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I’m actually a teacher, not a lawyer, yet I can relate to your experience. Your story is so honest and very inspiring. I’ve also been experiencing severe headaches which I’ve never had before. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for telling us the truth about this occupation. I quit my job as a medical practitioner last 3 years after 10 years in the field. It was not a easy decision. But in life we all know one thing and that it is too short to dread going to work everyday. Friends I’m not asking you to resign your job, no amount of money can buy happiness you just got to be wise.😊
I found your channel, you’re awesome.
You’re quite right; how did you prepare before quitting?
@@henrylogan6939 I started planning for early retirement while i was still working, making about $2k a week from my investmnt portfolio while planning to build new side jobs and income. Best advice; never invest your life savings in a single asset.
@bravethomas I am not an advisor please, I think there are many investment alternatives available like real estate, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), sticks and cryptocurrency; but my advice is to hire an expert to guide to through a profitable one
@@rankywhite1940 You’re correct and I completely agree with you. To have anything in investing right now, a professional consultant will be of great assistance. My 9-to-5 job won’t be enough to support me in the long run.
@@lisadavis1952 the you indulge in any of this you need to think deep on some certain things; am I ready? Can he/her be trusted? I know of Virginia May Wynne, her services are cost effective and very efficient, I recommend her to anyone and day. She’s really great, you can do your own due diligence.
A bold and authentic share!
Thank you for the kind words 😉
Hi Peter, thanks for sharing this video. It comes as a bit of a synchronicity for me. I'm just about to finish German Law School (with good grades) but have lost interest in working in classic law jobs. So it's great to see a different concept for life after leaving the law industry! Best regards from Germany. - David
I'm glad the video plays a minor part in your upcoming career choice, David. If you feel this unease already, that is a sign to take seriously. At the same time, in my experience, working in law is more fun and interesting than going to law school. I'm not sure if you have already done this, but have you considered applying for an internship at a firm or company? That would give you first-hand experience of what it's like to work a classic law job, so you can make an informed decision about what your career. Good luck with whatever direction you end up taking!
Thank you for your time and insight. Many points touched home. I got work to do.
Wow Thank You for sharing. Love all your videos
Thank you 😊
Thanks so much for this Peter ❤
You're welcome! ✨
Thank you for sharing your experience
My pleasure!
Thank YOU for sharing your experience.... God Bless
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I love your videos 👍🏽
Glad you like them! 🙏🏻
This was a very well spoken and thought out video. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m so glad you were eventually able to make a decision that works in your best interest. And happy to hear you no longer have the headaches! As always I look forward to your next video. 😁
Thanks for the kind words! ✨
Thank you for this wonderfully, inspiring video. It's great that you listened to the comments (including mine!) and made this video. I am now also ok n a similar situation as I'm about to leave my job and attempt a new life based on my true, heart's desire! Scary but oh so needed. Love your channel! 🤗
Thanks for the kind words and spurring me on 😉 Leaving a job is challenging, I wish you all the best with the new direction your life is about to take!
Thank You very much for sharing your experience to us.... live changing
You're welcome, Alexandrea! Glad you enjoyed the video 😊
I am watching this for the second time. Thank you for sharing, so valuable. I found your description of your term at UWO interesting, glad you enjoyed it. I was there for a year (different faculty) and found it very difficult. The academic aspect was fine but it is an affluent university... I was surrounded by obviously affluent students and profs who wouldn't even say hello in the hall. I found it very unpleasant. A few of us from away/ non affluent students clung together but we all felt unwelcome. I changed universities...so glad I did.
I'm sorry you had that experience at UWO! I really enjoyed my time, but I mostly hung out with other law school exchange students. We were all there for a limited time, without any of our friends from back home. So we became really close really quickly.
Excellent video...thought-provoking. It's obvious you put a lot of time into it. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hello Peter, thanks for sharing it. Life is making choices, some good some bad. Some to early and some to late.
Indeed, Ayhan ✨
that's for sharing.....golden handcuffs are a very real thing! living expenses have a way of creeping up slowly and suddenly I look around and my cost of living is double what some friends have 😮
Living expenses can indeed creep up slowly and before you know it, they take up a big chunk of your monthly paycheck. Embracing minimalism has really helped me to reevaluate my spending habits.
Your videos have been really inspiring and motivating in my own journey to simplify my life
Happy to hear that, appreciate it! 😀
Thank you for been honest; and
your story telling skills are topnotch.
You're welcome, thanks for watching. I"m glad you got value from the video. And I appreciate the kind words! 🙏🏻
Thank Your for sharing your experience. love it
You're welcome, thanks for watching! 🙏
Thanks for sharing your experience as I can relate to what you went through. I'm also suffering from burnout making it hard for me to get out of bed most mornings. Sundays are the worst as I start getting overwhelmed with the feeling of dread knowing the 9 to 5 cycle is about to start again. I have enough money saved for 2 years but I'm afraid that I won't be able to get another decent paying job due to age discrimination. Getting health insurance on my own is also another concern (I live in the US). It all comes down to overcoming my fears in order to focus on my health and having time to look into alternative careers that will accommodate my choice to have a simpler lifestyle. I look forward to more of your videos touching on the subject on overcoming fears that come with making a lifestyle change.
I'm sorry to hear you're going through this, it must be hard. Having that buffer is helpful, yet I understand your concern about age discrimination and health insurance in the US. I personally think it's messed up how expensive healthcare is in the US (more expensive than anywhere else in the world!), and how it creates an additional "handcuff" that ties people to jobs they no longer want to do. I've found that by lowering my living expenses I have been able to give myself more time with the same amount of savings. I also have been learning skills online that allow me to work on my own terms, as a freelancer or content creator. That way, I'm not only dependent on working job(s) for a living. Is that something you would consider? It's not for everyone, it comes with its own challenges, but I personally get a lot of fulfillment from being in control of my time. I hope you will be able to get back on your feet and live a simpler lifestyle, on your terms. Take care!
@@IAmPeterCook curious what kind of freelance work you do
Thank you for sharing your story
You are welcome, Laura!
Your best video to date in my opinion. The courage it takes to leave a career you’re invested in (sunk cost) and good at in spite of the personal damage you must suffer to do it, cannot be understated. Also, as you mentioned the psychological impacts include guilt and a weird void with personal identity. I would imagine a lot of career men (and women) experience all of this upon old age retirement as well. The sudden lack of a routine and even social contact also comes into play. Again, great video.
Yeah, those were indeed all factors, Stephen. Wasn't an easy decision, but I'm glad I came out on the other end happier and more fulfilled. Thanks for watching!
Your video was great thank you😊
Thank you for your vulnerability and sharing your experiences.
You're welcome, Elizabeth! 😊
Thanks for sharing this. You have made an exceptional job in underling the multiple facet and dimensione of fear to change career.
Thanks for the kind words. 🙏🏻
Thanks for this
You're welcome!
Great video, thank you for sharing. This is very relatable, except that I was in the insurance industry, not law. I quit insurance last year and for the same reasons, I am glad I did.
Thanks Jeremy, I'm glad you found the video helpful! And great to hear you are satisfied with your decision to quit insurance, sounds like you made the right call. 🙌🏻
Wow, this is a timely video for me. I work in medicine but essentially our stories match up in general. I know it is time for me to leave my job, as it causing me some life altering health issues. I’m glad you have found your peace after a stressful career.
I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with work-related health issues, Kiki. I'm glad to hear my story was relatable, If you decide to leave your job, I hope you will find a way of living that is fulfilling to you and is sustainable. Good luck!
😅 oja knip en plak werken in de tijd , wat waren we creatief toen ! Leuke vlog , veel herkenning in uw verhaal. Je bracht me ook al veel bij ... Goed gedocumenteerde voorbeelden echt uniek . Ik ben fan 🎉
Everything you said in this video resonated with me. I worked on both ends of the law - as a prosecutor and then into private practice - and like you mentioned, it was a little knock on the door which was a little headache that led to a burst at the door aka a mini stroke! I knew I needed to quit the law and after 2 years of full rest, I'm ready to find another role different from the legal industry. It will be difficult and the sunk cost fallacy is real but my life have never been more peaceful. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
Hey Dannie, I'm glad the video resonated with you. What an intense thing to have to go through, a mini stroke and 2 years of full rest. I hope you have fully recovered and are back on your feet. We are never too old to change course, sunk cost or not. The fact that you've never felt more peaceful is a clear indicator that you've made the right choice. I wish you all the best with the next phase of your life!
Is there any way to get in touch with you? I really resonated with the “knew I needed to quit the law” part.
How bad you must have thought it at that time Peter. The high demand and pressure of the legal sector increases stress. Few professionals dare to speak in public about what is happening to them. You have been very brave and disciplined. Thank you for opening up with us and for your sincerity. It is appreciated in these times of lack. of empathy, until your next video, greetings from Barcelona Peter.🤗
Thanks Beatriz! I wish I had been able to watch a video like this when I was in the midst of it all. So I hope this video will find those that are in a similar situation, when they need it.
@@IAmPeterCook Do not doubt it, rest assured that many see themselves reflected..
Incredibly interesting and everything is well explained and personal. The sunk cost is for sure a big thing, so would be very cool hearing more about what you do now within remote work and if you could leverage your law career?
Thanks for the kind words, Rasmus! I may make a video one day about life after law 😉
I loved the video! But the best part: library and glueing pictures 😂. I am from a country that is like ten years back in technology so computers were not even a thing for most of us. I remember going to the library to use the computer and you had to book an hour to use it and of course, it was never enough. So the professors allowed the ones who did not have access to computers to handle our works in handwriting. My kids will never understand this, even though we regularly go to the library to pick up books, hehehe.
Fascinating video and story Peter. I have watched a few of your videos about slow living and was quite intrigued. I went through a similar journey, in my late 20s I packed in my high paying management consulting career to focus on being a musician! I did it for 15 years, had some small successes but not much more. However, it was the best thing I could have ever done, as I would have always wondered. Then in my mid 40s I came back to work, on the IT side. I definitely dont get paid as much however its enough. I play music, but can afford a decent lifestyle.
Thanks for sharing, Steven! That must not have been an easy decision to leave a high paying management consulting career to pursue music full-time. I agree, it's much better to have tried than to stick with comfort/fear of the unknown and possibly live with regret for the rest of your days. I feel the same about leaving law. It's not always been easy and I miss the security and salary. But I can't imagine still being in that some job10 years later, I've grown so much as a person since I left and had so many wonderful experiences that I would have missed out on. Take care!
I find you videos extremely helpful. I am burned out but only 4 years away from my traditional pension so I need to hang in there, or I will lose most of it. Your videos have helped me to realize how I can change my mindset and implement strategies that I can control, to cope with my job and to enjoy myself moee, outside of my work. Huge thanks!
Thank you, @PrairieGirlio, I'm humbled to hear that. I hope you can hang in there for the next 4 years with mindset changes and focuses on things that are within your control. There's light at the end of the tunnel, you can do this 🙌🏻
Inspirational experience..I understand went through similarly same thing ongoing
Thanks for watching, hope it was helpful given the similarities with your personal situation. 🙏🏻
@@IAmPeterCook thank you for making life simple 😁
That headache you spoke about, I experienced the same thing when I was working as an international tax consultant.
I'm sorry to hear that. Hope that's in the past for you! ✨
Great appreciation for your sharing your experience, Peter, and it is providing a wake-up call for me. I am in my fourth month of daily headaches ... the difference is that I work in a sector where I do make a difference. (And my colleagues are lovely.) So it is very hard to admit to myself that even so, this might not be the best for me. The question is, if this (what I considered to be a) dream job isn't healthy for me, what do I do instead? And how do I admit that to my boss without feeling like I'm abandoning them in the trenches? #lifecrisis
I'm sorry to hear about your headaches, four months of it, that must be rough. And a challenging situation, where you enjoy working with your colleagues (so did I, btw 😉) and work in a sector where you make a difference. Are you sure the headaches are work-related? One of the first thing I had checked out was whether or not there was any physical cause (MRI scan; physiotherapy). When that wasn't the cause and all the doctor could offer me was pain medication, I went on a whole journey, some of it I mentioned in the video. It might be helpful to talk to a professional about it, a job coach or even a psychologist. I wish you all the best, I hope you will recover soon. 🤞
I’m not sure if you mentioned this, but having a family is a huge part of the financial uncertainty of leaving the law
I resigned due to toxic environment, but it seems everywhere being the same situation
I'm sorry to hear that, Albertos. Keep looking! There are wonderful workplaces out there, with management that cares about a healthy company culture.
I love law. It’s interesting and can become addictive. I am older and just started my paralegal career. I’m excited, lol
Thanks for sharing. The moment you mentioned the constant pressure in your head, and the next few minutes after, almost sounded like a 1:1 copy of things I have been experiencing over the last few year. I just pulled the emergency brake by literally telling (not asking) my boss's boss to take me out of a high-pressure, high-noise problem-focused project and let me do my normal (much more independent, focused and self-paced) job again. Funny enough, lawyers were also part of that problem project. Thankfully she did take me off it immediately, as I managed to build a pretty good reputation and their stance is pretty much: "We'll do anything we can so you don't have to leave". Let's see how it goes. It may work, or I may find myself traveling the world sooner or later.
Hey Paddy, great job on listening to the signals on your body and setting clear boundaries. I hope this change will work out. Good luck! 🙌🏻
@@IAmPeterCookI handed in my resignation on Monday because things just never seem to change for the better. I have no plan but tons of ideas and sufficient savings. I know what setup I want, what I have to offer, and how to sell it. Notice period is 3 months. Can't wait to start my new life!
@@PaddyFullyRandom A bold move, Paddy! I wish you all the best with this decision. Those savings are key because they will give you more time to put those ideas to the test, experiment, and find a new way of making a living. Good luck!
@@IAmPeterCook Thanks Peter. It's very scary, but no going back now.
Great video Peter. Thanks for sharing. As someone who is considering leaving their career due to burnout, curious of the new work you do now? Was is difficult to transition to a new field? Did you use your law skills or is completely different? Thanks again.
Hey Ralph, I never practiced law again. I did use (and still use) skills I developed during my law career, but those are things like writing, finishing a project before its deadline, being focused, etc. My first steps led to nothing, I started with a dropshipping store and I didn't really know what I was doing. I actually had to apply for a job at a SaaS company in the Amazon space at some point because I was running out of money. That was a scary time because I faced the very real reality of having to return to law again because I didn't have any other options. But I feel like came to the rescue when I landed that job, and then I moved on from there.
If you are considering leaving your career, it will really help if you have or can build up a buffer. Because you may not immediately find another way to make enough money to replace your income. And I've also found that there are many ways to make money, but they may not all be a good fit for you. For example, dropshipping wasn't for me. I struggled with things like setting up customer service, the concern about what to do if a customer wanted to return an item and ask for a refund (I was living in Thailand but my shop was in The Netherlands). But I learned a lot in the process, which helped me get to the next step. The buffer gave me time to experiment and figure things out.
Hope this helps!
Sounds like a good topic for a video
I quit beeing a lawyer after 20 years - best decision ever for me 😁
Thanks for sharing, best wishes from a German girl now beeing free and living in Spain 😘☀️♥️
Best wishes for you, too. 😀
Your video speaks to me. I have become disillusioned with the law and wish to leave before burnout (seen in so many others …).
My problem is I have no idea what I would like to do instead and face this in my 40s rather than at your age.
I would love to know (or even watch a video on) how you worked out what your passion and skill set suited after the law. I agree that taking some time away from anything professional is a good idea.
Thanks as always for your content.
Alec, I'm sorry to hear you've become disillusioned with law and want out. It's tough, especially when you don't know what to do for a living instead. In my case, I had saved up to travel for a year and intended to find another job in law upon my return. However, during my travels in South-East Asia, I met digital nomads and English teachers and realized: wow, these people are able to live here long-term. It opened my eyes to the possibility of remote work (this was 2013). I never returned to law, and instead pivoted to finding ways to make an income online.
I'm not going to say it was easy, though. I failed many times, I took jobs with low salaries because I needed the money, and kept working on side hustles. What I've found is that one thing led to another. For example, learning how to make videos helped me to successfully apply for a job later on, because my editing skills were now half decent. Also, and this is huge, I kept my expenses low. I lived in countries where living expenses are lower than back home, so my savings would last longer. I still don't make the salary I was making as a lawyer and I do get stressed about money, but overall I'm much happier and feel like a different person.
I hope you find a way, Alec. If it's the job itself you dislike, perhaps practicing law in a different form (consulting; teaching; working at a company instead of at a law firm) could be an alternative. Otherwise, I would focus on saving money and exploring other potential income streams before quitting your job (if your working hours allow it). Hope this helps! 🙏🏻
Thank you for taking the time to write with such a helpful reply. I am indeed keen to take some time out to reflect.
Hi Peter ! Where or how did you learn your editing skills ?
And what are the countries you lived in where expenses are low ???
@@ms.harripersad8227 Hi, I learned my editing skills through lots of online tutorials + trial and error. I originally started with iMovie and then moved up to Final Cut Pro X. Ali Abdaal's Skillshare course "Video Editing with Final Cut Pro X" was a big help. Now when I want to learn a specific edit, I'll find a tutorial on CZcams. Countries I've lived in with lower costs of living are Thailand and Bulgaria.
I have a law degree (but never got my license to practice) and worked in a couple of law firms over the last 3-4 years. Pay was great but every single firm had me burnt out. The expectations some law firms have for their juniors are beyond crazy! They really overworked us. Me and a bunch of other law grads just decided enough is enough and quit. I love baking so I decided to follow my passion to become a full time home baker and started my own business. Ofc the pay isn’t the same and it’s more work physically but I’m the most fulfilled I’ve been in like forever! I will one day complete my LLM because I genuinely love studying law and learning the subject but working in a typical corporate job was hell to me. Might be different for others but this is my take based on my experience ☺️
*also btw I forgot to mention I did get sick- PCOS, my psoriasis got worse than ever, headaches, anxiety went up the roof etc…
Thank you Peter for sharing this video with us it really makes me happy to know that I’m not crazy for quitting law and wanting a slow life💛
Thanks for sharing your interesting story, I love hearing those from other lawyers! And you're definitely not crazy for quitting law and wanting a slower life 😉
I can relate to you on a personal level. I feel like you would be an INFJ or INFP on the Myers-Briggs personality test. I just wonder what good specific careers are available for us if it isn't law.
I am an INFJ and miserable as a lawyer - particularly as a litigator. I am working up the courage to leave this profession for good...
People who are blessed with good health, even through stress, can handle that lifestyle. The rest of us get the gift of learning you don’t need that lifestyle ❤ because we’re forced into it (usually) lol
Well put. ✨
I like watching your videos
Glad you like them, Editha!
Love the hamburger story. FUNNY!
Always cracks me up 😅 🍔
I wouldn't like the technology catch-up and suit-identity either. This makes me think twice as I am now considering a career change to study immigration law. Your new draw to technology nomad, slow living, and travel get served well by your storytelling skill, authenticity and natural connection to video audiences. But isn't it lonely sometimes to now work in a video setup and focus on yourself and your content all the time? I hope it is liberating in some way but I wonder if that would meet sufficiently your desire for a challenge at work.
Thanks for the kind words! 🙏🏻 Yes, it's sometimes lonely. But I often work from co-working spaces which are great for meeting and networking with people. Making (better) videos offers a lot of challenges, I genuinely enjoy the process. Much more fun than law 😉. Take care!
If they had read Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations and read what he wrote about lawyers, they may have pursued another career. What he said in 1776 is still applicable today. Read it for yourself. I was ahead of the curve and I knew that a law degree would be my key to getting a job in a Big Bank as an Analyst. It took a while but I did get a great job at one. I did a great job and was named Most Valuable Peer and won a Gold Medal.
Thanks for sharing your story Peter! By the way, I went to Western for undergrad and masters. Purple and proud 💜
I really enjoyed my semester at Western! 🟪 🎓
Do you believe in FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early)? Did you manage to retire early?
I love the idea of FIRE, but by no means am I retired early. FIRE just wasn't on my radar when I worked as a lawyer, I only learned about it later on in my life.
Nice to meet a fellow Western grad; I have a Masters from there
It's a great uni!
Tough shit! Had to cut viewing this vid in different parts, different times. Could've been me except you manage all the way to land a job that you got educaded in.
Hope you got some value out of watching it in different parts 🙂
It is a profession full of narcissists and psychopaths. This is my experience. I left 7 years ago and was in the profession 30 years. I would never recommend it to anyone coming from a working class background.
That sounds like a terrible experience, Vivienne! I personally worked with a lot of great and kind people but have also seen my fair share of narcissists. Glad to hear you got out, after 30 years. Take care! ✨
Chill homie.