How To Avoid A Boring Legal Career feat. Sheila M. Wilkinson (Part I)

Sheila M. Wilkinson is a social worker, lawyer, career transition coach, and podcaster who spends half the year in Brussels, Belgium, and half the year in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her life is centered on taking risks, rejecting boring careers, and people-pleasing. In this episode, Sheila emphasizes the importance of connecting with people and offers recommendations for books that can help her clients on their personal and professional journeys. Sheila also talks about her mission to help lawyers make aligned decisions, set boundaries, and focus on what they truly want to do rather than what they think they should do. She believes in reconnecting the intellectual self with the emotional self and offers guidance to lawyers in this process. This episode is Part 1 of a two-part series with Sheila M. Wilkinson.

LISTEN TO LEARN

How to build a rich, joyful, and thriving life and business
The benefits of setting daily goals and reflecting at the end of the week
How to disconnect intellect from emotion

WE ALSO DISCUSS

The importance of connecting with people, especially in a post-lockdown world
Doing what you actually want to instead of what you think you should
Challenges lawyers face in balancing their personal and professional lives

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How To Avoid A Boring Legal Career feat. Sheila M. Wilkinson (Part I)

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About This Episode

Sheila M. Wilkinson’s Background

Sheila also talks about her mission to help lawyers make aligned decisions, set boundaries, and focus on what they truly want to do rather than what they think they should do. She believes in reconnecting the intellectual self with the emotional self and offers guidance to lawyers in this process. This episode is Part 1 of a two-part series with Sheila M. Wilkinson.

"I think it took me a while to make the integration happen… because I was so caught up in the titles. When I really recognized and accepted and admitted to myself that I'm not a title, that I'm actually a human, that I'm a human first and a title second, I was able to really shift that in my brain for myself," shares Sheila M. Wilkinson on You Are A Lawyer.

In the episode, Sheila emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's humanity before any professional title. This mindset shift allows her to guide her clients in aligning their actions with their true desires and finding fulfillment in their personal and professional lives.

Why Law School

Sheila chose law school because she wanted to make a difference and affect change within the legal system. As an indigenous girl from South Louisiana, she recognized the need for representation and advocacy for marginalized communities. She saw becoming a lawyer as a means to have a voice and create meaningful impact within the legal field.

"The better way for me to do that wasn't from the social work perspective, but to do it from the legal perspective, because then I could actually be inside the system that I want to affect change in," reflects Sheila M. Wilkinson on Episode 125 of You Are a Lawyer.

Furthermore, Sheila's decision to pursue law was also influenced by her desire for security and self-sufficiency. Growing up with a strong work ethic instilled in her, she wanted to ensure her own financial stability and independence. By choosing law school, Sheila aimed to combine her passion for social justice with the practicality of a stable career.

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What Can You Do with a Law Degree

In this podcast episode, Sheila M. Wilkinson, a lawyer and coach, shares her journey and the various ways she has utilized her law degree. She mentions working with lawyers to help them build rich, joyful, and thriving lives and businesses. Sheila emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with one's true desires and passions, rather than simply following societal expectations. She also highlights the need for lawyers to address their emotional well-being and find a balance between their personal and professional lives. This interview showcases the versatility of a law degree and how it can be applied beyond the traditional legal field.

"No one teaches us how to reconnect those things when we leave the office...we forget," explains Sheila M. Wilkinson, on this episode of You Are a Lawyer.

Lawyer Side Hustles

Sheila has built a successful coaching business. In her coaching practice, she helps lawyers build rich, joyful, and thriving lives and businesses. Sheila believes that many lawyers are caught up in doing what they think they should be doing, rather than focusing on what they truly want. She emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with one's emotions and desires in order to create a fulfilling and intentional life.

“Because most people are doing all the things that they think that they should be doing instead of the things that they actually should be doing, which is the things that they want,” shares Sheila M. Wilkinson in Episode 125 of You Are a Lawyer.

Sheila M. Wilkinson's approach combines her background as a licensed social worker with her legal expertise, allowing her to guide her clients through the emotional and intellectual aspects of their careers. She encourages her clients to reflect on their experiences and goals, providing them with the support and guidance they need to navigate the challenges of the legal profession.

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