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Few tips that I find helpful: 1) make sure you look at each day as an opportunity to learn and master something new. This sounds cliche but very helpful, particularly if you can disassociate yourself from the success/failure of your efforts and really focus on learning. 2) when you’re first staffed on something, make sure you review facts of the transaction/ case multiple times and ask questions. 3) make checklists about how you think the project needs to go and circulate it. The partner will undoubtedly have things to add. Make sure to circulate it to the paralegals too. This way nothing slips through the cracks and you can avoid missing anything. 4) at each step, it helps to reiterate to the partner what you think your assignment is, what exactly you think you need to be doing and communicate to them your level of familiarity of the task at hand - this will set their expectations straight and lesser chance to you disappointing them. 5) write down all the feedback you receive. The next time you have a project of similar nature, you can look through your feedback and make sure you don’t repeat your mistakes.
If after all this, you make a mistake, it is okay. Everyone makes mistakes. But you know you’ve tried/ are trying.
Over time you will learn to cope with constant anxiety, it will begin to feel normal. The key is to find a way to stop it from becoming debilitating. Maybe go outside to get a coffee or spend 5 minutes looking at cute animal videos on YouTube. Something to allow you to calm down and refocus.
1. Do everything you can to not make mistakes. Even If it means billing a little longer for a task than you think is “normal” or will look reasonable (eg to read the whole case and not just cherry pick quotes or spending more time reviewing each document). It is better to be a little bit slower and have time written off (you will get faster at everything as you get more experience) than to make a serious mistake(s).
2. When you make a mistake. Own the mistake. Don’t use passive voice. Show that you recognize it’s a mistake, and show that you recognize what you could or should have done differently. I’m talking be explicit: “I messed this up” or “that was me.” “I did X but I should’ve done Y.” I If you honestly don’t know what you should’ve done differently, ask.
3. Don’t take on too much work. If you overload yourself you make more mistakes. Only people you work for review you. Your primary goal should be building your reputation as doing good work. Not doing a ton of work/billables.
Take much more time than you think you need and double, triple and quadruple check everything, including routine emails. If you finish something and it doesn’t need to be sent right away—let it sit overnight or however long you have time for and look at it with fresh eyes. Print EVERYTHING for one last review on paper before you submit it. I have caught errors this way 110% of the time (it’s bizarre, I know). Take. Your. Time. Think, reconsider, and think again. This is half of what they pay you for—to focus and expend the mental energy when others can’t be bothered. Notice how all of this takes time? Start early, pre-review things, wrap your head around them over the weekend, do what you need to.
I know some colleagues that either read everything aloud and/or have word speak it out loud. Personally, I prefer to read every sentence but starting from the end (so it's out of order and you can focus on the sentence in isolation) to get sentence level errors.
This is common and I’ve definitely felt it. As easy as it is to say (and cliche), you’re there to make mistakes. You’re brand new. The criticism is meant to help, because if you’re better, the firm is better and everyone else’s job is easier. Just keep in mind they’re not trying to be awful (most of the time), just trying to help you learn. And you learn by doing and making mistakes. There are layers of associates above you to go over your work for a reason, particularly this soon in. Good luck and try to leave the stress at the office!
There’s a thread on this issue from last week with lots of helpful comments and advice. The short version is everyone makes mistakes and first years are expected to make mistakes. I know someone who survived producing in discovery a privileged memo authored by the then-chairman of his firm, a V5 powerhouse noted for being hard on associates. But you’re also expected to own your mistakes, try to help fix them, and learn from them.
I did not see the other thread! Or else I would not have posted this. Thank you!
F-ckups are inevitable. You have no control over that. You do have control over how you respond. Do you flop-sweat-panic? Rage at anything that doesn't sign your paycheck? Fix it meekly even if the fix is wrong? Every mistake is an opportunity to do it better next time.
I recommend the book "Stress Proof" by Dr. Mithu Storoni for the anxiety management piece. One highlight is she discussed the role of "ruminations" (obsessive thoughts) in prolonging anxiety. It's how a 10 second comment can ruin your whole day. Managing ruminations by recognizing them and confronting them has gone a long way for me.
That and Prozac.