Most of the people I know, if you ask, want to be the best at what they do. It’s only natural. I think if you asked someone how good they wanted to be at something and they said “mediocre,” that would raise some red flags for you. When it comes to being a great tax lawyer, though, it’s not as simple as just learning a skill. It also takes overcoming some significant fears. In the article today we’re going to talk about that and talk about how to be the best tax lawyer you can be.

I know a guy, he’s a Princeton tax attorney. He’s been doing it for a while, and he’s good. In fact, he’s really good. Because of his prowess in the tax community, I thought I’d sit down and talk to him about what makes him good. As you might expect, if you’ve been reading this article at all, it’s the ability to overcome fear that set him apart from his colleagues.

There are several different kinds of fear that inundate the tax lawyer. First, there’s the fear that you just don’t know what you’re doing. This typically happens toward the beginning of the career. You are asked to make important decisions, and you are afraid that you just don’t know what you are doing. That fear is rational. It makes you work harder to learn your craft. It pushes you to hone your abilities so you can represent your clients well. This fear is usually overcome with experience.

The second kind of fear that lurks around every corner is the fear of losing. The fear that you could go up against someone and the judge could decide they are right. This fear is much more irrational, built up by our own psyche as a way to gauge whether or not we are any good at what we do. Getting over this fear takes conscious effort. You just have to decide that you don’t care what the outcome is, that it isn’t necessarily a reflection of your ability, so long as you give it your all and come into the game fully prepared.

Eliminating this fear completely is impossible. It simply won’t ever fully go away. But it will dissipate over time. After you get in the habit of telling opposing counsel you’re ready for trial and having them fold, you’ll see that your fear is misplaced, that you are really great, and you can take that next step to the next level.