Happy New Year & A Fresh Start

Today marks the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and a time for starting fresh. We don’t make resolutions as we do for the secular new year, but instead, do something more important as we free ourselves of the weight of our mistakes and imperfections from the past year so that we can make that fresh start.

The process is very much like the one that Apple founder Steve Jobs described after he was fired by the company that he created and had to start again. Instead of viewing the experience as a failure and beating himself up for arrogance or stupidity, Jobs put a positive spin on his termination, famously saying:

The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter into one of the most creative periods of my life.”

Yet starting fresh isn’t always as easy as it sounds.  For lawyers — who enjoy beating a dead horse more than most — it’s tough to just let go of mistakes. Likewise, experienced lawyers who know their area of law well enough to practice with their eyes closed can find it challenging to break from the familiar and chart a new course that requires them to leave their comfort zone. But while change can be difficult, as Jobs reminds us, it’s also liberating.

L’shana tova, my readers and friends. Here’s to your fresh start.