Dr. No #63 – The 7 Hidden Laws Secretly Running Your Life (And How to Break Them Like a Pro)

Hey lawyer,

Some laws aren’t in the laws or case law we learned at school.
They’re the invisible rules quietly messing with your calendar, your performance, and occasionally, your sanity.

They’re not legal — but they’re brutally binding.
Here are seven of them, decoded for high-performing GCs who prefer to bend the universe rather than suffer it.

1. Food for Thought

What if the thing holding you back isn’t a lack of skill, but the wrong relationship with time, pressure, and perfection?

2. The 7 Hidden Laws of Performance

1. Hofstadter’s Law
“It always takes longer than you think — even when you expect it.”
That board presentation? That policy drafting? That due diligence nightmare? Always longer.
Tip: Build time buffers. Double your estimate, halve your panic.

2. Yerkes-Dodson Law
Too little pressure = boredom. Too much = paralysis.
The sweet spot? That buzzing discomfort where you’re alert but not dying.
Tip: Butterflies in your stomach are fine. Just get them to fly in formation.

3. Parkinson’s Law
Work expands to fill the time available.
Give a lawyer a week for a memo and they’ll deliver it Thursday night.
Tip: Shrink deadlines. Scarcity breeds clarity.

4. The Law of Diminishing Returns
After a point, more effort = less impact.
As Naval Ravikant says: “The way people work more effectively is to sprint as hard as they can while they feel inspired to work and then rest”
That 12th contract redline isn’t improving risk; it’s just soothing your anxiety.
Tip: Define “good enough.” Perfection is just expensive procrastination.

5. Goodhart’s Law
“When a measure becomes a target, it stops being a good measure.”
KPIs can make smart teams dumb. Work hours don´t equal progress. Business doesn´t equal effectiveness.
Tip: Focus on intent, not metrics. Measure outcomes, not outputs.

6. Murphy’s Law
Anything that can go wrong… will. Usually five minutes before the board call.
Tip: Expect chaos. The best leaders don’t plan for perfection — they plan for failure and recover faster.

7. Laborit’s Law (The Path of Least Resistance)
Humans avoid unpleasant tasks, even when they’re crucial.
This is why you´re answering emails or scrolling instead of tackling the tough project.
Tip: Do the ugly thing first. Energy compounds from small wins.

3. Mental Model – The Feynman Technique (Shane Parrish)

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it.
Next time you brief the CEO, test yourself: could you explain that risk in one clear sentence without jargon to a 12-year old?
Clarity is influence. Confusion is camouflage.

4. AI Booster – Loophole

An AI that reads your screen, answers instantly, and actually gets things done.
Perfect for lawyers juggling a dozen tabs, three drafts, and one existential crisis.
Think of it as your digital paralegal — minus the coffee breaks.

5. Quote to Reflect

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi

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Stay cool

Rosa & Manuel — Dr. No