Throw away your old stuff unless you’re Bob Dylan. Dylan recently sold a pile of his old notes for more than $15 million.

Keeping the old stuff locks you in. It confines you. It keeps you thinking about what you’ve achieved rather than what’s left to be done.

A Quick Story

I’ve been on a number of nonprofit boards. Playing that role repeatedly has taught me a number of lessons. The biggest lesson has been that the board members need to move on.

Here’s what happens:

The board takes on a big project. They get it done. Sometimes it takes years. Then they wallow around in their achievement and don’t do much for a while. Sometimes “a while” might mean even more years.

However, if the board gets replaced by a new board (usually due to a healthy system that keeps new members coming on and old members rolling off), things happen much faster.

Instead of the board members wallowing around in their achievement, they simply get a “thank you for serving” pat on the back and they’re gone. The new board comes in and assesses the situation.

The new board members, instead of seeing how much has been accomplished and how wonderful things are now, see what’s left to be done. They see the achievements as the starting point, not the ending point. They look for what they can do now to take things to the next level.

It’s like the “reset” button gets pushed. The nonprofit is starting from ground zero with a new board.

New board members come up with their plan for taking things to the next level, and they get to work. Ideally, they get it done quickly, and then they get a pat on the back. Then another set of board members steps up.

New board members are a very good thing for most organizations. They keep things moving.

How to Reset Your Law Firm

For your law firm, you are the board. Unfortunately, you can’t replace the thinking and perspective like a nonprofit or other larger organization. You’ve got to reset your brain if you want a new way of seeing what’s happening.

That’s why I suggest throwing away the old stuff. Get rid of the old information that allows you to remember, and wallow in, your accomplishments.

I spent some time in my Evernote folders the other day. I was looking at some records from five years ago along with some press clippings. I thought, “Wow, look at how much we’ve achieved. Look at how well we’re doing.” I found myself wallowing around in my achievements and feeling pretty good.

Sadly, feeling good doesn’t get me moving. I’m far more likely to take action when I feel the pressure of needing to make things happen.

That’s when I started hitting the delete key. Out with the old and in with the new. It was time to change my perspective.

I deleted old lists of goals and old profit and loss statements. I ditched marketing plans and reports. I tossed out old technology plans along with all kinds of dated reports. It was out with the old and in with the blank slate.

The reset button had been pushed.

For the nonprofit board member, the first board meeting starts at zero. Every day going forward is part of an effort to increase the score. It comes naturally for the new board member.

For you with your own business, it’s harder. You need to push yourself to that starting-at-zero perspective. It feels like starting over. It’s scary.

You’ve got to delete those memories. You’ve got to rid yourself of that sense of accomplishment. You’ve got to forget what you’ve done in the past and focus exclusively on the future.

Back when you were at zero, you pushed yourself hard to get where you are today. If you want to go further, you’ve got to hit the reset button and put yourself back to zero. Throw away your old stuff and start fresh.

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