Monday morning. What are you up to this week? What’s important? Anything urgent? If a truly important, urgent situation arises- where can you change your schedule?
Don’t know about you, but I can’t manage time. I can’t make it go faster or slower, I can’t rewind or jump ahead. What I can manage is myself. Time management is self-management, and self-discipline is a key component. Use your calendar. Block time for planning. Think about what you need to plan for-don’t forget the biz work, including marketing and timekeeping/billing- and make appointments with yourself. Use your calendar.
If you plan your time; you’ll find more of it. Be aware of how you’re spending your day, and you’ll be better positioned to make decisions when something new comes up. Did you ever study the “Hawthorne Effect”? Productivity studies to determine the best level of lighting at the Hawthorne Works, a Western Electric Plant, found that whether the lights were turned up or down- productivity improved. The simple act of focusing will improve your time management.
Set boundaries on the time you have available for your law practice. When does your day start, when do you walk out the door? As soon as you know you have deadlines, block time on your calendar for the work. If you have a “to do” list, make it real by scheduling appointments to get the work done. (and if you maintain a perpetual carry-forward list and nothing ever gets done, stop BS-ing yourself and delete or calendar the items)
At the beginning of the day, review your calendar. At the end of your day compare reality to what you planned:
- Did you make the right decisions? Prioritize interruptions appropriately?
- Is there anything that needs to be rescheduled?
- Did you over or underestimate the time it would take to get something done?
- Is there a new type of time block you need to schedule? The gym? A daily phone call home? Time to check & respond to emails?
- Did you work longer than you planned? Will you be working on the weekend to catch up?
Keep a log if you need to; find out what you ARE doing vs. what you AREN’T getting done. What the heck, it will help you with your timekeeping as well.
Final thought: Using your calendar, planning and then seeing what works and doesn’t- these are the basics. If you don’t build these essential skills and habits, you haven’t given yourself a shot at having the life & lifestyle you want. You are always at choice with regard to how you spend your time. Don’t be your own victim!
I have a teleseminar that includes training on this topic. Download the free chapter on Time Management (see the sidebar) to learn more about time blocking and prioritization.
