Raise your hand if you’re burned out, frustrated, tired, over it.

I’m guessing that’s pretty much everyone, right?

What I’ve been hearing from all of my lawyers is that they just have time for their clients, and that’s about it. They’re not really able to find the energy to build new business. I get it.

So you have two options (and both are valid).

Option One

Do nothing.

I mean it.

We live in a hustle culture that tells us that we constantly have to be **doing** or life is going to fall down around us. Will your practice suffer because you take a month off of networking and business development? Maybe a little bit. But will it totally fall apart? No. You’re still practicing, you’re still doing good work.

Skip the extra stuff.

If you truly feel burned out, the key here is to only do client work and truly, truly let go of the guilt associated with not doing any additional networking or business development. Because if you rest, but you still feel guilty, it’s not rest.

So do something else. Spend time with your family. Read a book. Get outside. Run a mile. Take some photos. Hug your dog. Do anything else that brings you joy.

Then, in a month, you’ll feel more refreshed to start working on building some business and relationships back again.

Option Two

Think like Shonda Rhimes and embrace the Year of Yes. Stop saying “no” to everything.

I’m not talking about putting yourself at risk of the virus and going to a superspreader event. But I’ve had people say no to things lately like podcast interviews or zoom calls that may have been a positive experience for them and resulted in some great opportunities.

The idea here is similar to what you see in an improv show – I want you to “yes, and” yourselves. Why is that? Because successful people don’t just shut down ideas. Not every idea is going to be successful, but instead of just saying no all the time, or finding reasons why something won’t work, you should either be finding solutions, adaptations, or alternatives. The word “no” is defeating. Sometimes, it’s a necessary statement to an idea or question. But ask yourself, are you saying “no” out of habit? Or because you truly don’t want to do the thing in front of you? I’m guilty of this myself, but what if the thing you need right now to refresh your network and business development is to say YES?

Not everything you participate in is going to be a winner – but what if you meet someone there who introduces you to your next best client? What if you say yes to being interviewed on a podcast that is heard by someone who thinks your ideas are really innovative? What if you host a roundtable that enables you to connect two clients together, adding value? You just never know.

So whether you take a real break from networking or you dive right in, make your choice with gusto.