The other day, my son started his second semester of college. If I am being honest, I was not sure he was going to make it through the first one. There was some unsettling phone calls about missed classes, a blown midterm, questionable sleep habits, and a moment where he miscalculated something as basic as a bibliography. It was not trending well.
Then something shifted.
He regrouped, owned the mistakes, adjusted how he prepared, and quietly pulled his grades up to mostly As and Bs. He saved the semester. No drama. No excuses. Just effort, accountability, and better habits. Around our house, we call him the comeback kid.
That story matters because many lawyers feel the same way about the past year. Maybe 2025 did not go the way you planned. Maybe you did solid work but did not originate what you wanted. Maybe business development slipped while client work took over.
The key point is this, none of that disqualifies you from having a breakout year ahead. There is a fresh calendar sitting in front of you, and 2026 can absolutely be your comeback year. Here are three solid ways to make this a reality not just another year of hoping.
Mindset Is Not Motivation, It Is Behavior
When lawyers hear “mindset,” they often think it means attitude or confidence. Those matter, but they are not where real change starts. What I have seen after working with thousands of attorneys is that mindset follows behavior, not the other way around.
When you start doing positive business development actions consistently, your mindset improves. When you send a few thoughtful emails, post something useful on LinkedIn, or schedule a lunch with a strategic partner, your attitude toward business development changes. Momentum builds. Confidence follows action.
Consistency is what separates a temporary push from a permanent shift. Anyone can have a good week. Rainmakers build habits they can repeat, even when they are busy.
Recommit, Put It on the Calendar, Write It Down
Recommitting to business development does not require a massive overhaul. It requires structure.
Start with your calendar. Schedule time with yourself and treat it like a meeting you would never cancel with a client. Consider a time in the day, before client emergencies and wildfires can hijack your day away. Thirty minutes a week is enough to start. An hour is even better. Use that time to do the things you already know matter, follow ups, relationship building, visibility, and staying top of mind.
When lawyers cancel meetings with themselves, it quietly chips away at confidence. You may not notice it immediately, but over time it erodes belief and trust in your own commitments. The calendar is not just a scheduling tool; it is a confidence tool.
Next, write a simple plan. One or two pages is plenty. If you are winging it, results will always be inconsistent. A written plan gives direction and focus, even if it evolves. Think of a road trip with or without a GPS in place. One gets you there, the other causes panic to set in.
I cover this in detail in my first two books, “Sales Free Selling” and “The Attorney’s Networking Handbook.” The goal is not perfection. The goal is clarity and consistent execution.
Between a calendar and a written plan, you are already ahead of most lawyers.
Go After What Is Already Working
The final recommitment is the easiest one to overlook. Go after the low hanging fruit. Your best opportunities are usually right in front of you. Existing clients who love your work. Strategic partners who already trust you. Friends and professional contacts who know your value.
Invest time with ten to twenty of the right people. Ask good questions. Be genuinely curious about what they are working on and who they are connected to. Help others first before making requests. This is not about being salesy. It is about being intentional.
You do not need to ask for business directly. Often it is enough to say that you are focused on growing this year, that you value working with people like them, and that you are open to conversations if they know others who might benefit from what you do. How you say it matters far more than what you say.
Rainmaking is relational, not transactional.
The Comeback Is a Choice
My son did not turn things around because he waited for motivation. And it certainly wasn’t because Dad said so… He changed how he showed up. Lawyers can do the same thing.
Get your lawyer brain pointed in the right direction by not overthinking things. Just follow my direction and take immediate action. Recommit to business development in 2026 and make this your year! Focus on the relationships and opportunities that are already within reach.
You do not need to reinvent yourself in 2026. You just need to recommit.
If you want additional resources, you can find plenty at bethatlawyer.com or reach me directly at steve@fretzin.com. More than anything, I hope you decide to make 2026 the year you go from comeback kid to rainmaker.
Steve Fretzin is a bestselling author, host of the “Be That Lawyer” podcast, and business development coach exclusively for attorneys. Steve has committed his career to helping lawyers learn key growth skills not currently taught in law school. His clients soon become top rainmakers and credit Steve’s program and coaching for their success. He can be reached directly by email at steve@fretzin.com. Or you can easily find him on his website at www.fretzin.com or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin.
The post From Comeback Kid To Rainmaker: Why 2026 Can Be Your Best appeared first on Above the Law.