Vikki Pratley
Chronicle Law would like to thank Vikki Pratley for showcasing her article with us originally from her Mindfully Legal newsletter on Linked In.
Once upon a time…
Hannah, a senior associate in a law firm, felt trapped in an endless cycle of tight deadlines and late nights. Her firm wanted her to step up and position herself for partnership, but the constant pressure left her feeling overwhelmed, doubting her abilities, and battling imposter syndrome.
Hannah wanted to feel confident and capable, but instead, she felt stuck, unsure how to keep delivering without burning out.
Why she reached out…
Hannah knew something had to change.
She was starting to realise just how much her life was already suffering. The way she was working was leaving her exhausted, disconnected from her family, and constantly questioning whether she was good enough.
She reached out to her HR team, and in turn, they reached out to me because they knew I’d been in her shoes. As a former practicing employment solicitor, I understood the challenges she was facing and had the tools to help her create a path forward.
After an initial meeting, we decided we wanted to work together.
With funding from the firm, we started by meeting with Hannah’s line manager to explore what success looked like—for both Hannah and her firm. This conversation ensured that her development aligned with both her personal goals and the firm’s expectations.
Then, it was over to us. Regular, completely confidential, one-to-one coaching sessions, giving Hannah the space and support to make real, lasting changes.
What we did together…
We broke it down into three key areas to help Hannah create the life and success she wanted:
- Understanding herself – We used Insights Discovery, a practical and useful psychometric tool, to kickstart self-reflection. This helped Hannah identify her strengths, triggers, and the patterns that were holding her back. From there, we explored her vision of success—how she wanted her life to look—and mapped out the steps to move her from where she was to that future version of herself.
- Identifying areas for improvement – We focused on small, meaningful changes that would have the biggest impact on her daily life and wellbeing, helping her build momentum and confidence along the way. I also introduced practical tools she could use both in the workplace and in her personal life to manage her time, energy, and priorities more effectively.
- Understanding others – Finally, we examined how Hannah’s interactions with her colleagues, clients, and family contributed to her stress. We explored simple ways to communicate more effectively, set clearer boundaries, and build stronger professional and personal relationships—allowing her to work smarter, not harder.
The change in Hannah was incredible…
Hannah started making small, intentional shifts that had a big impact:
✅ She blocked out time for breaks – Instead of powering through exhaustion, she scheduled short, regular pauses in her day. This meant she had the energy to stay sharp and focused, rather than feeling drained by lunchtime.
✅ She set clearer boundaries – She became comfortable saying “no” or “not right now” when new requests clashed with her priorities. This gave her the space to focus on high-value work without feeling constantly pulled in different directions.
✅ She redefined what success looked like – Instead of equating success with working longer hours, she began measuring it by impact and progress. She envisioned what life would look like six months down the line—what she wanted to be saying, feeling, and achieving—and used this as a guide for decision-making.
✅ She regained her confidence – By applying what she’d learned, Hannah started trusting her own judgement again. She no longer second-guessed every decision, and the imposter syndrome that once held her back began to fade.
What can you do if you see yourself in Hannah?
If any of Hannah’s story feels familiar, here are three small but powerful steps you can take:
- Check in with yourself regularly. Use a simple tool like the SERVICE wheel to assess where your energy and focus are at. Awareness is the first step to change. click here for the S.E.R.V.I.C.E blocks check-in
- Pick one thing from the SERVICE wheel to focus on. Choose something that feels manageable but will have the biggest impact. Here’s an example to get you started:
Sleep: The foundation for everything
You might be working on improving different areas of your life, but if you’re not getting enough sleep, the impact of those changes will always be limited. If you’re starting to feel like you’re struggling, the best place to focus your energy is cracking your sleep.
Start by creating an eight-hour sleep window and noticing what’s getting in the way of it. Are you staying up watching TV? Packing too much into your day? What’s one small step you could take? It could be as simple as setting a 10pm reminder so you start associating that time with winding down. That might be all you need to begin shifting your habits.
(Of course, some factors are outside of our control—certain medications, or like me, having a young family! But what we can control is how we create the opportunity for good sleep.)
Remember: Success doesn’t have to mean sacrifice.
The most successful professionals aren’t the ones working the longest hours—they’re the ones working smarter, not harder; and working smarter starts with clarity—and that means defining what success actually looks like for you.u.
➡️ Example: Get clear on what success means to you – This is exactly what Hannah did. She stopped measuring success by how many hours she worked and started looking at impact instead.
Try this simple exercise: Fast forward six months. Imagine you bump into a friend you haven’t seen in a while. They ask, “How’s life?” and you respond, “It’s going really well because…”
✔ What’s different?
✔ What’s changed in your work, your energy, your personal life?
✔ What’s the one shift that’s made the biggest difference?
✔What are you seeing and hearing around you?
✔What are you feeling?
Once you’re clear on what success actually looks like, you can reverse-engineer smarter ways to get there—instead of just working harder and hoping for the best.
Could this be you?
Are you Hannah—or do you know a Hannah? Someone stuck in the same endless cycle, knowing something has to change but unsure where to start?
If so, let’s chat.
Together, we can create the clarity, confidence, and practical strategies you need to thrive in your career without burning out.