A shorter version of this post (including an audio replay of the original discussion) was originally published here.
A new year is here again and taking better care of one’s self is at the top of many people’s goals for the new year, especially for lawyers who are becoming more aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy personal life while working in a high-stress profession such as the legal profession. The concept of self-care has increased in popularity in recent years but it is often not discussed on a deeper level — while taking time for yourself and your physical health by getting your nails done and going to spin class does count as self-care, that is not all true, comprehensive self-care entails. True self-care is not just physical self-care; true self-care addresses body, mind, and spirit. So, I would love to share with my fellow women lawyers four biblical principles for self-care from the Book of Genesis, chapters 1 and 2, and three biblical principles for goal-setting that I have recently learned and started to implement in my personal and professional life.
Let’s get to it!
1. Break out a big assignment into smaller chunks, and delegate where feasible.
God, Creator of the universe, all-powerful in His infinite wisdom, did not work Himself into the ground when He created the universe in Genesis 1. He didn’t stress Himself out trying to create the heavens and the earth and animals and everything else all at once. He did it over the course of six days.
How many of us try to do too much at once and end up overwhelming ourselves, not just at work but in our personal lives? And not just in terms of time you allocate to complete a task, but doing tasks that maybe we don’t need to be the ones doing? In Genesis 2, God let Adam name all the animals. That freed up God’s hands to do something else while empowering Adam to have an important role in the initiative. Are there some tasks you should be delegating to someone else instead of doing them yourself to not only free you up to do other things you love, but also empower others?
2. Stop to pause and celebrate milestones instead of just rushing through to the next thing.
Throughout Genesis 1, after God made something, He acknowledged “it was good” before moving on to the next thing. Too often we only punish ourselves for what we did not do or did not do well and don’t reward ourselves for what we do get done. Sometimes the reward itself is getting the task done, but we do a disservice to ourselves when we never stop and reflect on good things we have accomplished. What good things have you done lately that you need to acknowledge and be thankful for? Gratitude is key when reflecting on what you did well as it keeps you humble and reminds you what God has done for you!
3. Get some rest that is more than a nap.
It states in Genesis 2 that after God finished His work, He rested on the seventh day. It goes to show you that if the all-powerful, all-knowing God knew it was good to rest and He did, we should too. But resting is more than taking a long nap. We need a spiritual retreat from the demands of everyday to unplug, reflect, pray, and meditate. For me, I do that by meditating on Bible scriptures and I get revelations like what I am sharing with you now.
In today’s world of being constantly connected by technology, it can be hard to unplug from work or social media — especially when we are expected to always be “on.” In fact, we may even feel guilty or selfish for logging off to spend quiet time alone with ourselves and God. This is where having boundaries and knowing what your priorities are come in handy. If your spiritual and mental rest is important to you, you will have to create boundaries for yourself and others so you can carve out that offline time.
4. Be in a community with which you can relate.
God made Eve after seeing that “it is not good that the man should be alone.” This observation is not just in terms of having a spouse, but in having a community of other people to go through life with. It is clear that God did not intend for us to go through life alone with no friends and no people who understand our struggles and what we are going through. You are supposed to be in a community of people where you can be open and vulnerable and uplifted and encouraged. Groups like Grace for the Grind™ Career Mastermind, a free private online community for Christian women lawyers, law students, and young professionals who want less stress and more of God’s grace for the professional grind, exist to help foster that type of community for women lawyers.
As for goal-setting for the new year, keep the above and the below in mind:
A recommended resource for Christian goal-setting and spiritual growth is the Grace Goals Workbook & Spiritual Growth Planning Guide by Arabah Joy. This is an affiliate link, meaning that I receive a commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase. I use this product myself and I find a lot of personal value in it. Check it out to see what I mean! You can also read my disclaimer about my use of affiliate links here.
5. Free yourself of the weight of the world.
“Superwoman Syndrome” is the cause of much of the stress, frustration, and feelings of not measuring up to the various roles we have taken on in life. Matthew 11:28-30 helps shed light on the reality that we — lawyers, women, human beings overall — were not designed to carry the burdens of everyone we know on our shoulders. This is important to keep in mind when setting goals. Ask yourself; are you setting this goal because it is something you want to do or solely because you think it is what is expected of you or what other people want you to do? Does it align with your values and priorities? Is it what you feel God wants you to do?
6. Do not despise small beginnings.
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” – Zechariah 4:10. As you review what you didn’t accomplish this past year, try not to be too hard on yourself for not being where you want to be yet. As evidenced by the verse in Zechariah, true success is not measured by how fast you achieve a goal. You are doing good if you keep going and stick to your values. Remember that the real measure is progress, not perfection!
7. Seek wise counsel.
Proverbs 24:6 illustrates how seeking wise counsel for a plan of action offers stability and success. The key word being wise counsel, and not just telling everyone you know about your plans. Some people will give you bad advice or discourage you from doing what you are supposed to do and encourage you to do something you’re not supposed to. This could happen both intentionally or unintentionally. But, when we share our goals with the right people, we get valuable feedback to help avoid pitfalls and are provided with accountability to help us stay on track when we start to veer off.
I hope you will implement some (or all!) of these principles into your overall self-care and goal-setting process this new year, and I look forward to cheering you on in your journey! Come check out my group, Grace for the Grind™ Career Mastermind, and say hello! 🙂
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