Codex Vitae
“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”
If you’re anything like me, your legal career has been full of ‘aha’ moments. Those insights that shift your mindset, challenge the way you’ve been working, and ultimately help you grow into the lawyer – and person – you want to be. But here’s the problem: unless you capture them, they slip away.
Enter the Codex Vitae.
A Codex Vitae, which translates to ‘Book of Life,’ is a concept I learned from the author and entrepreneur David Hieatt. It’s a personal manual that captures everything you’ve learned about how to live your best life. Think of it as your own handbook for success – a collection of wisdom, guiding principles, and lessons that you’ve picked up along the way.
Why does this matter? Because as female lawyers, we juggle SO much. Between our careers, personal lives, and the endless mental load that we lug around with us all the time, it’s easy to forget the key life lessons that help us “do life better”. A Codex Vitae keeps those lessons front and centre, so we don’t have to keep relearning them the hard way.
How to create your own Codex Vitae
If this resonates with you, I highly recommend starting your own Codex Vitae. Here’s how:
Get a notebook. Or you could just use the notes app on your phone.
Every time you have a useful realisation – note it down!
Every so often, go back through your Codex Vitae and remind yourself of the lessons that matter. See if any new insights have emerged.
Use it to guide your decisions. When faced with a challenge, revisit your Codex Vitae. It’s your personal roadmap for navigating life as a lawyer, a leader, and a woman determined to reach her full potential.
My biggest ‘aha’ moment of 2025 (so far)
I started my Codex Vitae this year, and I’ve been using it to record the biggest mindset shifts I’ve had since January. And one lesson in particular has changed everything for me.
I realised that focusing on why my life is difficult and why I’m struggling to run two businesses while raising two kids (one of whom has special needs) is not helpful.
A better approach is to ask: what CAN I do, with what I’ve got, with where I’m at?
This revelation came to me after speaking with someone who has a deeply ingrained victim mentality. Their life is objectively hard – they lost a parent in their teens and have battled a chronic illness for years. But rather than looking for ways to move forward, they use these hardships as reasons not to try at all.
Yes, life can be tough, I thought. But look at Helen Keller!
And then it hit me – I’m doing exactly the same thing!
By focusing on all the ways my life is challenging, I was amplifying the difficulties and cementing the idea in my head that none of this is possible and that I should just give up.
I do not want to look back and regret the things I didn’t do because I told myself it was all too difficult.
Instead of focusing on what’s hard and/or unfair, I’m shifting my focus to what’s possible. And that, for me, is a game-changer.
Final thoughts
As female lawyers, we often find ourselves caught in cycles of self-doubt, perfectionism, and burnout. But the truth is, we have so much wisdom inside us already. The challenge is capturing it, remembering it, and applying it when we need it most.
That’s why I believe every female lawyer should have a Codex Vitae – not just as a record of personal growth, but as a tool for shaping the future we want to have.
So, what’s the biggest ‘aha’ moment you’d add to yours?
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Rachel