Author: Luke Furness
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Goal setting for people who suck at goal setting
Welcome to the new year. Around this time, billions of people take new oaths to make 2018 different, better and maybe even extraordinary. That alone is cause for celebration. Cynics and spoilers say new year’s resolutions are shallow, arbitrary and likely to come undone by February. I disagree. If the new year enlists even one…
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The one thing I do every New Year’s Eve (besides knock a few back)
One New Year’s Eve, I had an idea. I wanted to see the future. I still do. I’m sure that you want to do. Wouldn’t it be good to know where you’ll be one year from now? More importantly, what would you tell yourself? The choice of New Year’s Eve as a date wasn’t arbitrary…
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The Passion Diet
One Christmas party, years ago, I was chatting a partner whom I have come to respect tremendously. It was a conversation that only Christmas parties facilitate: candid, personal and adorned with outrageous costuming. We talked about family. He had two kids, young but not infants. We talked about hobbies. He had a few, but none…
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Your work has one. Your boss has one. Here’s why you MUST have one.
You know the story: clumsy Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole. You probably don’t remember it contains one invaluable lessons on life and career. I grew up with the dodgy TV version where Whoopi Goldberg plays the Cheshire Cat. Where some turn to religion or philosophy for answers, I look to Ms. Goldberg in equal…
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Lawyers, this is the deal of your life.
We’ve all seen it before: A few weeks ago, I was at the supermarket unloading my haul onto the conveyor when there was a temporary pause in proceedings. A savvy, middle-aged shopper, eyes scrolling through his freshly printed receipt, had identified an error. “You’ve charged me twice for the celery”, he said to the cashier,…
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Sick of the daily grind? STOP using this word.
You’re in the elevator and catch the eye of a colleague. You greet a teammate in the line up for your caffeine fix in the breakout room. You and your boss arrive early to a team meeting and you exchange pleasantries. How are you? What’s happening? How’s work going? How’s things? You know the response.…
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These four people are answering the legal profession’s toughest question.
As I get older, a life of pulsating dancefloors and 5am finishes has given way to more measured social pursuits. One pastime never to be underestimated is the humble board game. My favourite? It’s called Pandemic where players attempt to defeat a deadly virus spreading rapidly across the fold out, cardboard world. Uniquely, all human players work together to…
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Lawyers, listen to the voices inside your head
Lately, I’ve been hearing voices. And not just hearing them, but listening to them. I think that they’ve always been there, but recently they’ve been more present and I think I might even know who they are. Mental illness and delusion could explain it all. That said, last week I explained this all to a…
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The original (and still the best) advice for law graduates
There are three elements to getting great career advice: first, (obviously) the advice has to be right. Second, it has to apply to the listener. Third, you have to follow it. That third part is surprisingly difficult. When I started as a lawyer at Clayton Utz, someone gave me advice that I thought sounded pretty dumb. On reflection, it was…
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The secrets to being a happy young lawyer (aren’t secret)
I have a problem with secrets. Everyone looking for happiness and success is secret-obsessed: “What’s the secret to happiness? “ “The top 3 secrets of high-performing executives.” “Married for 20 years? What’s your secret!?” Our search for undercover keys to happiness is silly for at least 3 reasons: First, it’s needlessly conspiratorial. It assumes that…
Luke Furness 