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It was another ordinary day at the law firm in downtown Boston in which I was working as a paralegal – lawyers doing deals, clients suing and being sued – when one of the secretaries came off the elevators and ran up to the reception desk.  She quickly explained to the folks standing there that Bob, the firm’s senior litigator, had stumbled and fallen on the sidewalk a block or so away, and was now on the ground, cradling a broken arm in agony.  The secretary happened to have been just a few yards behind and hurried over to him; he had pointed out to her the metal protuberance sticking out of the pavement that had tripped him, then asked her to go get help.

Dan, an energetic young litigator who happened to be in the lobby, quickly took command of the situation, barking out orders in rapid succession.  “Call 911,” he said to the receptionist, “Get us an ambulance.”  To the secretary, he said, “Tell us exactly where Bob is right now.” Then he turned to one of my fellow paralegals.  “I’m going down to help Bob.  You go get the firm camera and follow me, so we can get some pictures of the accident scene!”

When my co-worker shared the story later with the rest of us paralegals, we all laughed ruefully at this lawyer-joke-come-true – who else but a litigator would think to document accident conditions while the victim was still waiting for assistance?  Now that I have some perspective, though, I see that Dan was just fully engaged in his work.  Being a litigator wasn’t something he turned on and off, depending on whether he was on the phone with a client or reading a newspaper by the reception desk.  Instead, it was constantly part of his perception of the world.  I see, and often feel myself, this kind of engagement in my office now; a chance encounter with an acquaintance or an odd news article that most people would just read and forget might instead lead to all kinds of brainstorming about job opportunities for our students or ways to communicate with them more readily.

Up to a point, this is a healthy integration of one’s own identity with one’s work.  It’s inefficient and stressful to have to force yourself into workplace mode with every new task.  Work is much more enjoyable – and workers are much more effective – when you reflexively respond to external conditions in ways that complement your professional goals.  Of course, you can only contort your personal identity so far without pain or problems, so it helps to select a profession whose goals are already closely aligned.  Dan was creative and competitive; being a litigator suited him.  When you find something that suits you, break it in, make it comfortable, and then wear it whenever you can.