Summer can be an overwhelming season for busy Attorneys, and even more so with being a parent, grandparent, or caregiver. The summer months can be demanding and working late can be unavoidable at times. Realigning schedules and changes in needs and demands at home can cause a major shift in the role that time management plays. Many Attorneys fail to structure their days in a way that provides them with balance, but with planning and consistency, you can have better control over the learned business skill of time management.

As you head into the summer months, consider using some of the following strategies to manage your workload the right way from the start – write things down and use a checklist, make space for a power hour, use the resources that you have at your fingertips, and create your family vacation.

1. Write things down and use a checklist: Here at Atticus, we are strong believers in writing things down. If you have attended any of our webinars or workshops, you may have heard Steve Riley talk about how writing engages the prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain that forms connections and shows a reduction in fear and emotion.

Planning ahead and writing things down can be extremely challenging for some. This is why we have created the My Great Life Planner™. Not only can you plan your day hour-by-hour, but you can keep track of your daily wins, marketing activities, your health goals and the habits you want to create.

2. Create time slots for a focus sprint or power hour every week: Distraction-free time blocks are mandatory if you are focusing on work that is demanding of your time. Blocking out this focus time weekly, or even several times per week, allows you to focus on the things at hand, without distractions, where concentration is essential.

Prepare for this time slot by adding it to your calendar, assemble your team so they know how to batch questions, and set a timer so you can plan for your focused time.

If you have never applied a focus sprint or a power hour before, you will want to start small. Start with a 30-minute time slot once a week that you will designate to non-delegateable work. Create a distraction-free environment where you won’t check email or have your phone out and close your door.

Once you are consistent with a 30-minute focus sprint, you can then move up to a 60-minute power hour. Try this process several times per week and then move it to a daily task.

3. Use technology and resources to better manage your time: We have so many resources at our fingertips including the advancement in technology. Leverage the resources that you have and use them as a stepping stone to reach your goals and growth in your practice.

If you want to be able to take time off and spend time with your family this summer, hire a virtual assistant to help with social media or train and build your team so you can delegate to them during your power hour. Use technology to keep track of the needs of your clients, time tracking, or as a calendaring tool. Use technology and resources to be more efficient and create more time in your day.

4. Create your family vacation: Once you have procedures and processes in place to better control your time, you can now start to plan your family vacation. Many attorneys find it daunting to take 6 months, one month, a week, or even a half-day off. But we are here to show you that you CAN take a vacation (without checking emails) and still have a thriving business.

We invite you to join us for a free 45-minute virtual webinar on August 2nd where you will learn how to plan your family vacation. This webinar will shift your mindset to make a vacation happen.

Click HERE to register for this webinar for free.

With summer around the corner, we hope that you will consider using the strategies above to help with navigating through this shift as well as making time for what is important.

• Author Details

Abbie Guerrero

Abbie Guerrero

Assistant Marketing Manager/Resource Advisor

Abbie joined the Atticus team in 2021 with more than a decade of digital marketing experience. She is results driven and has an extensive background in content creation, lead generation, understanding the customer development process, solving problems, and advertising. She is an expert at building relationships and sets high quality expectations. She loves to set and exceed personal and professional goals.

Abbie is currently the Resource Advisor for Atticus livestream webinars and workshops. In addition to her Resource Advisor role, she is the Assistant Marketing Manager. In this role she leads the strategy for digital marketing, creates content for weekly newsletters, all advertising campaigns and executes many ad hoc marketing projects.

Abbie has her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Utah Valley University. She is a blogger and published author and enjoys spending time with her family in both Utah and California.