Stop Racing Someone Else's Race and Start Winning Yours! That's the message Great Practice, Great Life has today. Steve Riley welcomes back Jake Thompson, the Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day and an Atticus community favorite, to deliver a wake-up call every ambitious attorney and firm owner needs to hear.

Drawing fresh inspiration from his two newest books, The Line, a compelling story about touching the line and claiming that extra inch of excellence, and Beat Yesterday, the research-driven guide to outrunning your own yesterday, Jake reveals why the relentless pursuit of being "the best" is quietly sabotaging your fulfillment, your energy, and your firm's long-term growth.

Together they expose the hidden traps that derail high-achievers: toxic comparison that breeds complacency or despair, an ego that turns feedback into a personal attack, and the exhausting chase for external trophies (bigger revenue numbers, flashier verdicts, "top firm" status) that never deliver lasting satisfaction.

Jake shares clear, immediately usable frameworks to break free: Clarify the real game you actually want to win (your unique vision of a great practice and great life, not someone else's scoreboard). Redefine competition as beating yesterday's version of yourself. Harness small daily margins that create massive separation. Transform uncomfortable feedback (from clients, team members, or lost opportunities) into pure momentum instead of defensiveness.

Steve shares a key insight on law firm profitability: lawyers who commit to consistent physical discipline and energy management often double their income within a year—not through magic, but through sharper focus, bolder confidence, the discipline to reject bad cases, and the ability to project the reliability and longevity that high-value clients instinctively trust.

If you're ready to silence the comparison noise, stop borrowing other people's goals like ill-fitting clothes, and start building a practice that funds and fiercely protects the life you truly want, this conversation hands you both the mindset revolution and the practical tools to make it happen.

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In this episode, you will hear:

• The difference between being the best and becoming your best
• Clarifying the game you actually want to win in your practice and life
• How unhealthy comparison fuels ego, complacency, and burnout
• Using comparison as a learning tool instead of a threat
• Touching the line and the power of small daily disciplines
• Why physical health and personal discipline impact financial performance
• Turning uncomfortable feedback into growth instead of defensiveness

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Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

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If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

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Supporting Resources:

Jake Thompson https://www.jakeathompson.com/

Book: Beat Yesterday: The Playbook for playing life up to your full potential by Jake Thompson https://www.amazon.com/Beat-Yesterday-Playbook-playing-potential/dp/1636988938/

Book: The Line: A Story of Excellence in the Margins by Jake Thompson https://www.amazon.com/Line-Story-Excellence-Margins/dp/196812716X/

The Summit https://atticussummit.com/

Episode 34: Your Teammates Determine Your Trajectory with Jake Thompson https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/your-teammates-determine-your-trajectory-with-jake-thompson/

Episode 79: Creating a Legacy of Resilient and Inspirational Leadership with Jake Thompson https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/creating-a-legacy-of-resilient-and-inspirational-leadership-with-jake-thompson/

Build My Great Team https://atticusadvantage.com/staffing/

Newsletter https://atticusadvantage.com/newsletter-signup/

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Curious about optimising your life as an attorney? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice.

You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

David Jenyns, author of SYSTEMology and Systems Champion and one of the leading voices on building systems-driven businesses, joins Steve Riley on Great Practice, Great Life. Having helped thousands of business owners break free from day-to-day operations, David brings a proven, practical framework that law firm owners can apply immediately.

Too many law firm owners become the hero at the center of their own business. Every question, approval, and client issue lands on their desk, and while it feels necessary, the firm is not scaling. It is orbiting you. And that quietly limits growth, profitability, and delegation.

If you are constantly interrupted, fielding every decision, and feeling like your law practice cannot function without you, this conversation speaks directly to the leadership challenges inside modern law firm management. David explains how to shift from technician to true owner by building systems that free you from daily chaos.

David walks through his complete seven step framework for building effective law firm systems, starting with capturing what is already working, mapping a clear Critical Client Flow, and resisting the urge to optimize before documenting. They also dig into a real-world example from Crow Estate Planning, an actual law firm that implemented this framework, so you can see exactly how it plays out in practice.

He also explains why many firms stall when they jump straight to improvement instead of building a repeatable baseline first, and how that mistake limits long term scalability. They explore how documenting systems improves time management for lawyers and creates the foundation for smarter adoption of law firm technology, including AI.

A major focus of the episode is the Systems Champion, the leadership role that transforms systemizing from a good idea into a sustainable law firm business strategy. For attorneys who want to grow a law firm without becoming the bottleneck, this role is often the missing link, and as David explains, it is already evolving into the Systems and AI Champion, the person who will determine how well your firm competes in the years ahead.

If you are committed to building a more scalable, systems-driven, modern law practice and ready to step into stronger law firm leadership, this episode delivers practical insight you can apply immediately.

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In this episode, you will hear:

• Why lawyers become the hero at the center of their firms and how that creates burnout
• The seven-step SYSTEMology framework to capture and document what already works
• Defining the critical client flow to reveal bottlenecks and hidden profit leaks
• Why documenting before optimizing unlocks delegation and scale
• The role of a Systems Champion in driving real implementation and culture change
• Turning interruptions and recurring problems into system improvements
• Using AI as leverage by applying it to clear, documented processes

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Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

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If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

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Supporting Resources:

David Jenyns https://www.davidjenyns.com/

Book: SYSTEMology: Create time, reduce errors and scale your profits with proven business systems by David Jenyns https://www.systemology.com/book/

Book: Systems Champion: Simplify Business Processes, Unlock Team Potential & Achieve True Freedom by David Jenyns https://www.systemology.com/scbook/

Podcast: Business Processes Simplified https://www.systemhub.com/podcast/

Critical Client Flow: How to Map Your Entire Business on One Page https://www.systemology.com/critical-client-flow/

Crow Estate Planning Systems Champion Case Study https://www.systemology.com/scaling-law-firm-case-study/

Great Practice Great Life Episode 043: How to Fast Track Your Growth with a "Think" Day with Sam Price https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/how-to-fast-track-your-growth-with-a-think-day-with-sam-price/

Team Leader Certification Program (Code TLC500 for $500 off) https://atticusadvantage.com/law-firm-team-leader-certification/

Grow Your Law Practice with AI https://atticusadvantage.com/workshops/grow-your-law-practice-with-ai/

Sign Up for the Atticus Newsletter https://atticusadvantage.com/newsletter-signup/

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Curious about growing your own law firm without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of attorney life.

You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to legal marketing, law firm hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve Riley is joined by Aaron Rothert and Chris Murphy, both attorneys and practice advisors, for a candid conversation about why law firm group coaching delivers results that one-on-one coaching often can't match. We dig into the power of group programs, why growth stalls in isolation, and how stepping into the right peer environment can radically accelerate both firm performance and quality of life.

Aaron brings the coach's perspective on dedicated focus time, the "if they can do it, so can I" breakthrough moment, and how peer accountability actually sticks. Chris shares what it's like to go from skeptical participant to group leader after transforming his own practice. Together, we unpack why physically removing yourself from the office, witnessing peers solve your exact problems, and committing alongside others creates momentum you simply can't replicate alone.

If you're serious about building a practice that supports a great life, and want to stop letting yourself down on the promises you make, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Why isolation slows firm growth and fuels burnout
• How group programs create velocity beyond one-on-one coaching
• The impact of dedicated time away from daily fire drills
• Belief shifts that unlock what feels impossible in your practice
• Accountability and peer pressure that actually move the needle
• The value of safe spaces for honesty, vulnerability, and real problem-solving

Subscribe & Review: Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

Supporting Resources:

Aaron Rothert, Attorney and Practice Advisor https://atticusadvantage.com/team/aaron-rothert/

Chris Murphy, Attorney and Practice Advisor https://atticusadvantage.com/team/chris-murphy/

Law Firm Coaching https://atticusadvantage.com/coaching/

Newsletter https://atticusadvantage.com/newsletter-signup

The Path to a Great Practice & Great Life Workshop https://atticusadvantage.com/workshops/the-path-to-a-great-practice-great-life/

Curious about growing your own law firm or getting support with law firm group coaching? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice.

You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life

In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, host Steve Riley sits down with plaintiff's attorney Chris Earley to explore what truly limits law firm growth and why it is often not marketing, systems, or strategy.

Chris shares how unresolved anger, past trauma, and limiting beliefs created an invisible ceiling in his firm, keeping him reactive, overextended, and stuck despite doing all the right things. Through therapy, deep self reflection, and writing his memoir Scaling the Wall, Chris did the inner work that transformed how he leads, practices law, and lives his life.

That personal healing unlocked powerful results including calmer leadership, easier delegation, a stronger team culture, authentic client attraction, and sustainable law firm growth driven by impact rather than money chasing.

If you are a solo or small firm owner who feels stuck despite your efforts, this candid conversation offers perspective, mindset shifts, and practical insight into how doing the inner work first makes outer law firm growth possible and lasting.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How unresolved personal trauma and limiting beliefs can quietly cap firm growth
• Removing the "lid" on success through self-awareness, healing, and inner work
• Writing a book as a catalyst for clarity, credibility, and professional momentum
• Shifting from anger and reactivity to calm, centered leadership
• Aligning personal values with marketing, client selection, and firm culture
• Building visibility and trust through consistent, authentic habits rather than hard selling
• Why chasing impact instead of money leads to stronger relationships and better results

Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

Supporting Resources:

Chris Earley https://www.chrisearley.com/your-team/christopher-earley/

Earley Law Group https://www.chrisearley.com/

Book: Scaling the Wall: One Man's Journey of Healing Childhood Trauma to Find Fulfillment and Success https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Wall-Journey-Childhood-Fullfillment/dp/B0DQWFM2DY

Episode 123: Breaking Free from Bitterness: The Transformative Power of Gratitude with Brother Curtis https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/transformative-power-of-gratitude/

Episode 137: Grow or Die: John Morgan's Relentless Strategy for Law Firm Expansion – Part 1 https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/grow-or-die-john-morgan/

Episode 128: Referral Marketing Secrets to Scale Your Law Firm with Craig Goldenfarb https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/referral-marketing-secrets/

The Path to a Great Practice & Great Life Workshop https://atticusadvantage.com/workshops/the-path-to-a-great-practice-great-life/ (Code PODCAST500 for $500 off)

Newsletter https://atticusadvantage.com/newsletter-signup/

If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

Curious about growing your own law practice? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

This episode continues our two-part series on the law firm merger decision. In Part 1, Steve and Daniel explored how to determine whether merging is the right move. In Part 2, the focus turns to execution and what actually makes a law firm merger succeed.

On this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve Riley is joined by Molly Sasso, Christie Guerrero, Jay Henderlite, and Atticus Practice Advisor Daniel Struna for a candid breakdown of a successful law firm merger in action. Using their Jacksonville-based family law firm as a case study, they walk through the deliberate process that transformed two practices into a unified 25-person firm led by three board-certified partners.

The conversation centers on the execution details most law firm mergers overlook. The group explains how a year-long pre-announcement period, guided by structured conversations and predetermined questions, created clarity and trust before anything became official. They share how they navigated a retiring partner's evolving exit timeline, designed C-suite leadership roles aligned with each partner's strengths, and built compensation structures that properly credited non-billable leadership work. They also address power dynamics early, including how two long-standing partners intentionally integrated a third without creating an outsider dynamic.

Operationally, the episode highlights the systems and behaviors that supported the merger long term, including their "don't make me care" empowerment philosophy, processing emotional reactions with a practice advisor before taking action, and using multiple partner retreats to resolve compensation, workload, and decision-making expectations transparently. A recurring theme is that the preparation required for a law firm merger often strengthens a firm even if the deal never closes.

This episode is essential listening for firm owners considering a law firm merger or scaling with intention. It shows that successful mergers are not about speed or chemistry alone, but about alignment, structure, and doing the work before problems arise.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Real-world case study on merging two family law practices into one scalable firm
• Defining executive leadership roles to speed decisions and reduce friction
• Timeline and strategy from early merger talks to public launch
• Leading two teams through cultural and operational integration
• Aligning partner compensation to reward leadership beyond billable hours
• Building a firm culture that empowers staff while maintaining accountability
• Why having a practice advisor was critical to merger success

Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

Supporting Resources:

• Sasso Guerrero & Henderlite https://familylawyerjax.com/
• Molly Sasso https://familylawyerjax.com/attorneys/about-mollysasso/
• Christie Guerrero https://familylawyerjax.com/attorneys/about-christie-guerrero/
• Jay Henderlite https://familylawyerjax.com/attorneys/jay-henderlite/
• Split Happens Podcast https://familylawyerjax.com/category/split-happens/

• Daniel Struna, Practice Advisor & Attorney: https://atticusadvantage.com/team/daniel-struna/
• Episode 168: Should We Merge? Part 1: The 3 Biggest Mistakes with Daniel Struna https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/should-we-merge-part-1
• Workbook: Should We Merge? https://atticusadvantage.com/worksheets/should-we-merge/
• Workshop: The Path to a Great Practice & Great Life https://atticusadvantage.com/workshops/the-path-to-a-great-practice-great-life/
• My Great Life Focus https://mygreatlifefocus.com/
• Team Leader Certification Program (Code TLC500 for $500 off) https://atticusadvantage.com/law-firm-team-leader-certification/

• Sasso Guerrero & Henderlite Social Accounts:

  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SGHLaw
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sghfamlaw/
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sgh_law

Curious about growing your own law firm or getting support on how to do a succesful merger? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice.

You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve Riley is joined by Atticus Practice Advisor Daniel Struna for a candid conversation about one of the most consequential decisions a law firm owner can make: whether to merge law practices.

Drawing on years of experience advising law firm owners, along with Steve's own history with failed mergers, they identify exactly where law firm consolidations go wrong. The problem is rarely legal talent or goodwill. Too often, lawyers merge based on mutual respect or personal chemistry without pressure-testing whether their visions and financial realities actually align.

Steve and Daniel walk through the fault lines that undermine mergers early. They explore what happens when partners skip hard conversations about the future of the firm and personal life goals, and why avoiding early financial clarity around compensation structure, origination, and profit splits can lead to frustration later. They also draw a clear distinction between a true merger and what many firms mistakenly create instead: roommates sharing space while everything else remains separate.

This episode is the first in a two-part series designed to help lawyers slow down and think like owners. Whether you are actively considering a merger or simply curious about future growth options, this conversation will help you ask better questions and spot warning signs earlier.

Next week, tune in for Part 2, where Steve and Daniel sit down with the partners of a successful family law merger to unpack what worked, what they aligned on early, and the practical decisions that helped them build the new firm together.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Why most law firm mergers fail due to business misalignment, not legal skill
• The difference between a true merger and simply sharing office space
• The danger of merging based on personal rapport instead of strategic fit
• Aligning long-term practice vision with personal life goals before merging
• Critical money conversations that must happen early, including compensation and investment
• Common red flags that signal a merger should not move forward
• How the merger evaluation process can strengthen your firm even if you don't merge

Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

Supporting Resources:

• Daniel Struna, Practice Advisor & Attorney
• Workbook: Should We Merge?
• Workshop: The Path to a Great Practice & Great Life
• Limited-time offer! My Great Life Focus: Get a one-year supply (4 quarterly focusers) for $99.90 (50% off). Valid through January 31, 2026. https://mygreatlifefocus.com
• Should We Merge? Part 2: A Merger Case Study with Sasso, Guerrero & Henderlite

Curious about growing your own law firm or getting support on how to do a succesful law firm merger? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice.

You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve Riley brings back financial behaviorist and pricing strategist Jacquette Timmons to tackle the question that makes even experienced attorneys hesitate: "What should I charge?"

When your firm is busy, but margins feel thin, pricing often isn't "wrong," it's inconsistent because the logic underneath it is unclear. You're working hard, saying yes to work, and staying booked, but the income doesn't match the effort.

Jacquette challenges the common advice to "charge what you're worth" and explains why tying fees to your identity creates stress, guilt, and second-guessing. Instead, she reframes pricing as a business decision: you are not your offer, and your fees should reflect the value and outcomes your services create not your personal worth.

She also introduces a practical way to diagnose what's really happening in your firm: treat your services like an offer portfolio. When you look at each service as an asset, you can see which offers truly function as profit centers, which drain time and energy, and whether your marketing dollars are pushing the work that's least profitable.

If you want law firm pricing that supports profit, future capacity and a sustainable life, this episode offers a clear, human-centered reset.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Why "charge what you're worth" undermines pricing confidence

• Separating personal identity from business offers

• Viewing services as a portfolio instead of a menu

• Average revenue per case vs actual profit per case

• How pricing decisions shape marketing spend and client mix

• The financial, personal, and emotional layers of every pricing conversation

Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

Supporting Resources:

• Jacquette Timmons
• Episode 157: Money by Design, Not by Default with Jacquette Timmons
• Jacquette's Podcast: More Than Money with Jacquette Timmons
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Atticus Newsletter
• Limited-time offer! My Great Life Focus: Get a one-year supply (4 quarterly focusers) for $99.90 (50% off). Valid through January 31, 2026. https://mygreatlifefocus.com

Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership, law firm pricing and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice.

You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

You can have the best intentions in the world, but without focus, they won't turn into results. In Part 2 of this two-part series, Steve Riley helps lawyers move from insight to execution by designing a practical structure for 2026.

Instead of piling on resolutions, Steve makes a counterintuitive case for choosing just two goals: one Great Life goal and one Great Practice goal. Nothing more. He explains why this kind of restraint isn't limiting, it's liberating, and why it dramatically increases the odds of real change.

The episode builds on the driving framework introduced in Part 1. Your written goals are the map. Your attention is the steering wheel. Your working memory is the windshield. And your weekly structure is the lane that keeps you moving forward. Steve revisits the four "dangerous Ds" that derail high performers and shows why most lawyers aren't failing at discipline, they're failing at design.

Steve then shares practical steering strategies for staying in your lane, including turning big annual goals into small, protected focus blocks, using simple "if-then" plans to recover quickly when distractions hit, and scheduling weekly reflection so you don't live the same year on repeat.

Along the way, he shares memorable stories and hard-earned lessons, including why chasing every opportunity is like a dog trying to catch ten squirrels, and how many firm owners end up losing by winning when success comes at the cost of health, family, or energy. The episode also connects these ideas to the My Great Life Focus, designed as a weekly lane specifically for lawyers who want progress without burnout.

If you've ever wondered why good years keep repeating instead of building momentum, this episode offers a clear, disciplined path forward and a practical way to design a year that actually moves the needle.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Why great goals fail without focus, structure, and execution
• The four dangerous Ds that quietly derail progress
• Why choosing fewer goals leads to better results
• How to design a personal lane that protects attention and energy
• Turning big annual goals into weekly focus blocks
• Simple steering strategies to stay on track without burning out

Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

Supporting Resources:

• Steve Riley
• Ep. 165: 4 Ways Your Goals Get Hijacked and How to Stop It – Part 1
• Study: Learning by Thinking: How Reflection Aids Performance
• Worksheet: 2025 Rearview Mirror Check worksheet
• Worksheet: 2026 Steering Protocol
• Limited-time offer! My Great Life Focus: Get a one-year supply (4 quarterly focusers) for $99.90 (50% off). Valid through January 31, 2026. https://mygreatlifefocus.com

If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice.

You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

Most lawyers don't struggle with setting goals. They struggle with protecting them.

As a new year begins, many high performers find themselves frustrated, tired, and wondering why carefully written plans never quite survive real life. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Steve lays the groundwork for designing a stronger 2026 by first assessing what really happened in 2025. Before you set new goals, you need a structure that can actually protect them.

Using a simple driving metaphor, Steve breaks goal execution into four core elements: your map, your steering, your windshield, and your lane. Together, they explain how distractions, interruptions, and cognitive overload quietly pull lawyers off track, often without them realizing it until months later.

This episode is a strategy session, not a pep talk. It invites you to take a rearview mirror look at how you actually operated in 2025 so you can build a more resilient plan for 2026 that will not get hijacked the same way.

Next week, tune in for Part 2, where Steve helps you set your 2026 goals and build the lane to protect them.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Goal setting versus goal protecting and why most plans fail
• The difference between writing goals and actually doing them
• Map, steering, windshield, and lane as focus fundamentals
• How cognitive overload quietly derails execution
• The four "Ds" that hijack attention during the year
• Why 2025 wasn't a failure but was a teacher

Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

Supporting Resources:

• Steve Riley: atticusadvantage.com/team/steve-riley
• Download: 2025 Rearview Mirror Check worksheet
• Limited-time offer! My Great Life Focus: Get a one-year supply (4 quarterly focusers) for $99.90 (50% off) . Valid through January 31, 2026. https://mygreatlifefocus.com
• Distracting adults during task makes them behave like children (Wan and Sloutsky study): news.osu.edu/distracting-adults-during-task-makes-them-behave-like-children
• Ep. 166: 2026 Goal Setting for Lawyers Part 2: Design Your Lane and Stay Focused

If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

Curious about growing your own practice without burning out? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. This podcast for lawyers is part of our broader legal podcast library, offering practical insights on how to grow a law firm through stronger law firm leadership and management, smarter marketing, intentional hiring, efficient operations, healthy law firm culture, and sustainable profitability, all while addressing law firm burnout and the realities of modern practice.

You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.

As 2025 wraps up, Steve revisits five standout moments from some of our most impactful Great Life conversations this year. Like Part 1, this episode is built as a highlight reel, with short clips pulled from full-length interviews, but this time the focus is on building a great life so your great practice can grow quicker and easier.

The goal is simple: give you the best ideas from 2025 in one place, so you can reconnect with what matters, protect your energy, and approach the new year with more clarity and intention.

You'll hear:

• Lea Anne Groover on gaining clarity and focus through simple daily structure, movement, and intentional prioritization
• Dr. Deborah Day on why sleep, exercise, and nutrition are non-negotiables for sustained performance under pressure
• Brother Curtis on navigating anxiety by bringing it into the light with perspective, trust, and support
• Matthew Emerzian on the mattering mindset and finding purpose, meaning, and significance in everyday work
• Blinn Bates on planning real breaks through intentional absence and why "forced exile" strengthens both life and business

As you listen, treat this like a personal reset session. Steve tees up five questions to keep in mind:

• What tiny daily habit can restore clarity and focus?
• What routine keeps you in a healthy peak state during intense weeks?
• How do you stop running on anxiety and choose a sustainable performance state?
• How do you keep meaning, what "great life" means to you, front and center at work and at home?
• How can you design your firm so you can truly step away?

If a clip makes you think, "I needed to hear that," check the show notes and jump into the full episode for the complete conversation.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Five standout Great Life moments from 2025
• A tiny daily movement habit that supports clarity, energy, and focus
• The Top 3 daily focus method for reducing overwhelm and prioritizing what matters
• Trial-season self-care: sleep hygiene, nutrition, exercise, and why alcohol undermines recovery
• Anxiety as "fog," and how trusted support and better language can reduce its grip
• The mattering mindset, values, and meaning in stressful seasons
• "Forced exile" as a true time-off strategy and a systems test for a healthier firm and life
• Best of 2025: Attorney Success & Law Firm Growth Highlights

Follow and Review:

Subscribe & Review Never miss an episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. ⭐Like what you hear? A quick review helps more people find the show.⭐

Supporting Resources:

• Part 1 Episode 163 – The Best of 2025: Great Practice (Top 5 Moments) https://atticusadvantage.com/podcast/best-of-great-practice-top-5-moments-2025/

• Episode 141: Your Firm Gets Stronger When You Do with Lea Anne Groover: atticusadvantage.com/podcast/your-firm-gets-stronger-when-you-do
• Lea Anne Groover: groover.law/attorneys/lea-anne-groover
• Groover Law: groover.law
• Episode 85: Exercise: Is it a Waste of a Billable Hour? with Jonathan White: atticusadvantage.com/podcast/exercise-is-it-a-waste-of-a-billable-hour-with-jonathan-white
• Episode 99: Do Happy Lawyers Make More Money? with Kevin Snyder: atticusadvantage.com/podcast/do-happy-lawyers-make-more-money-with-kevin-snyder
• My Great Life Focus: mygreatlifefocus.com

• Episode 155: Handling Stress in Your Law Firm: Routines, Boundaries, Debriefs with Dr. Deborah Day: atticusadvantage.com/podcast/law-firm-stress
• Dr. Deborah Day: www.psychologicalaffiliates.com/deborahdaypsyd
• Psychological Affiliates: www.psychologicalaffiliates.com

• Episode 116: Breaking Free from Fear: Finding Clarity and Resilience in Your Life with Brother Curtis: atticusadvantage.com/podcast/breaking-free-from-fear-finding-clarity-and-resilience-in-your-life
• Brother Curtis Almquist, SSJE: www.ssje.org/br-curtis-almquist
• Society of Saint John the Evangelist, Massachusetts: www.ssje.org

• Episode 145: How the Every Monday Matters Mindset Can Reignite Your Law Practice with Matthew Emerzian: atticusadvantage.com/podcast/every-monday-matters-matthew-emerzian
• Matthew Emerzian: www.matthewemerzian.com
• Every Monday Matters: www.everymondaymatters.com

• Episode 134: What Surviving a Plane Crash Taught Me About Running a Law Firm with Blinn Bates: atticusadvantage.com/podcast/what-surviving-plane-crash-taught-me-about-running-law-firm
• Blinn Bates: woodsandbates.com/william-blinn-bates-jr
• Woods & Bates, P.C.: woodsandbates.com

• Workshop: The Path to a Great Practice and Great Life: atticusadvantage.com/workshops/the-path-to-a-great-practice-great-life (Get $500 off with code Podcast500)
• Sign up for the Atticus newsletter!

If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at [email protected].

Curious about growing your own practice? Contact Atticus to see whether our law firm coaching can help you strengthen attorney success, refine your law firm business strategy, and build a practice that actually supports your life. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get practical insights on how to grow a law firm: from law firm leadership and management to marketing, hiring, operations, culture, and profitability, so you can build a Great Practice and a Great Life.