According to Richard L. Hughes, an attorney and paralegal instructor, it seems that, if we are not performing as well as we would be able to, it is because we are afraid to fail, or afraid to succeed, or, in some cases, have not thought enough why we entered the paralegal profession in the first place!

—— Are we afraid of success? ——

Being afraid of success can seem, at first glance, counter-intuitive.

However, success means change and sometimes we are not ready for change, and that makes perfect sense. For example, we can be afraid of the new challenges and responsibilities ahead that may come with a promotion, or we can be afraid of changes in our work-life balance or even geographical relocation that could follow.

That's why some may choose to stay securely in their small cubicle, doing the same things again and again, until complete boredom takes over. This cycle can become almost like subconsciously thinking not to be deserving of success.

—— Are we afraid of failing? ——

Sometimes, we just would like to progress in the profession but do not take advantage of the opportunities that could result in advancing our careers.

With every risk comes the possibility of failure. If somebody is very risk-averse, then that can become an impediment to to taking on assignments that could increase the chances of promotion. To make matters worse, in many cases, the risk is perceived to be much bigger than it actually is. And that does obviously not help to overcome the fear of taking on new challenges.

Another problem is that fear of failure can easily turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If we postpone taking the next leap forward in our career, someone else may jump on the opportunity and we may be left behind or have to wait a long time until a new opportunity comes along.

—— A long trip ——

A paralegal career is like a long road trip. To succeed, it is very important to know why, in the first place, one has begun this trip.

For most, a career in the paralegal profession will span most of the professional life-time. So, what is the best way to overcome our fears and reach our full professional potential?

—— Work on your goals ——

According to several paralegal career coaches, the solution is to work on the goals we want to accomplish in our professional life and then plan accordingly. This means articulating the identified goals clearly and being creative in finding ways to get there.

This is harder work than it sounds, of course. Setting goals implies to explore what is really important for you professionally and personally. Once you know where you want to go, it is much easier to situate where you stand currently, and what your next steps (toward the identified goal) could be.

A pragmatic approach would include breaking your main goal down into short-term, intermediate, and long term goals and organizing your career plan into short segments that build on each other.

Your plan can include why you wanted to be in the first place and why you want to remain a paralegal. By determining what it is exactly that is appealing to you about the paralegal profession, you will have the foundations to set up your goals.

—— Follow your own path ——

By following the path that you determine, you will increase the chances to achieve the goals you set out to achieve and you will be able to measure how successful you are at every step of the way.

And then, one day, you will go to work, knowing that you have achieved what you set yourself as a goal a few years earlier!

More information for paralegals:

Charlsye Smith Diaz & Vicki Voisin, The Professional Paralegal: A Guide to Finding a Job and Career Success (2012).
Richard L. Hughes, Surviving and thriving in the law office: what every paralegal should know (2005).
Scott Hatch & Lisa Hatch, Paralegal Career For Dummies(2006).