Seeking personal satisfaction, continuous learning, and growth in our professional and personal lives, and financial stability. Engaging in creative or intellectually challenging activities that foster ongoing development and monitoring wellness.
By Jon Tynjala, LCL
I play the tenor sax. I love playing music. Jazz, specifically. If I could go back and pick a different career, jazz musician would rank very high on my list of preferred options. At this point, you may be wondering what this has to do with career and intellectual well-being, but bear with me here.
Being challenged intellectually in our chosen career path is critical to our overall well-being. Intellectual challenges and well-being are connected. As lawyers we are used to facing and surmounting intellectual challenges. We crave them. We were drawn to the law because it presented new and interesting challenges at every turn. We are also used to working long hours honing our craft and we pride ourselves on working hard. But those challenges and long hours can take a toll on us and on our well-being. Where do we turn to recharge our batteries?
For those of us that play music in any capacity, we know that it is the life of life. And as it turns out, it has significant benefits for our cognitive, intellectual, and occupational well-being. It gives us something to look forward to. It enriches our lives. It feels good. I am in my happy place sitting in the sax section playing charts by Count Basie, Gordon Goodwin, or Thad Jones.
Learning to play a musical instrument is challenging on many levels. Translating musical notations, key signatures, and prescribed tempos into music is hard. It implicates virtually every area of the brain. Learning to play music has intellectual and mental health benefits that extend well beyond the physical skills required to play a particular instrument. Among the intellectual benefits, it contributes to better working memory, second language pronunciation accuracy, reading ability, and improved executive function. It also benefits our mental and emotional health by promoting better communication skills (including enhancing our ability to coordinate and cooperate with others), improved emotional release, decreased anxiety and agitation, and decreased feelings of isolation. It may even reduce the risk of dementia.
I have other passions, including fishing, camping, cross country skiing, and cooking, to name a few. While my love for music is on a different level, they all enrich my life and contribute to my emotional and intellectual well-being. Engaging in these pursuits recharges my battery and allows me to give more to the challenging work that I also love.
What is your passion outside of the office? Mine is music, but yours can be anything that challenges and stimulates you. Whatever it is, get out there and do it. Enjoy it. Lean into the challenges it presents. It is what life is all about. And don’t worry about being the best at it. Enjoy it for its own sake. I am not the best tenor sax player. Far from it. But I have the honor to play with some exceptional musicians and they challenge me to be better. In the end, life and growth and joy are found in the pursuit and not the capture. Pursue your passion. You will be happier. And you will be a better lawyer.