Law Practice Essentials

Make sure that you are in the driver’s seat of your calendar and controlling your own time. If you aren’t currently in control or have somehow lost control, take it back. If you do let others share control, use parameters that are agreed to in advance. Time is precious, so treat it that way.  

Create space and time to consider your weekly workflow and create daily to do lists. This can occur during your weekly review of your file list. Be mindful to set realistic timelines; do not overestimate what you can accomplish as this only leads to dissatisfaction and frustration. Block out specific time in your calendar for specific tasks if you can. Learn to say “no” and create boundaries as needed. It is up to you to protect your time, and yourself.   

Once you have daily/weekly plans, honour them. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but if you can stick to the plan, you will be more satisfied at the end of the day/week.   

After you have tried the weekly work-flow assessment and making daily to-do lists for a few weeks, take some time to pause and reflect. Think about your progress in taking back control of your time and make tweaks as needed. 

Some to-do list proponents also recommend putting unpleasant tasks directly after your high priority tasks. The thought behind this suggestion is to ensure that these unpleasant tasks are addressed before you get to move on down the list. Some refer to this approach as “eating the frog”. Placing these tasks high on the list might be the little nudge we need to get it done.