RESOURCES

As Halloween and Christmas decorations competed on my block this week, I was reminded that life seems to move more and more quickly. The busy attorneys, investors, executives, and emerging leaders we advise often feel that unrelenting push to get everything done, all at once. If this sounds like you, it might be time to pause and adjust how you manage your time.

As you know, all good things take time. And great things, even more time. Whether it’s developing a young, high-potential associate into a rockstar partner, building a network of relationships to source new business, or coming up with a sustainable exercise plan, none of it happens overnight.

Here are a few tips to help you be more intentional and impactful with time, your most valuable, non-renewable resource:

• Start early. Most things take longer than you think they will. One way to give yourself grace and ensure success is starting early. Certain you need a month for an important project? Start 6 weeks out.
• Master the art of saying “no.” Every “yes” is a “no” to something else, so take a moment to pause, reflect, and kindly decline if something will not further your or your team’s priorities.
• Set aside “thinking time.” We often get so caught up in the emails and minutiae of the day that we don’t leave ourselves any time to think strategically. Schedule time each week for big-picture thinking and build thinking time into each of your projects.
• Schedule longer blocks of work time. That task that you estimate will only take an hour will probably require closer to two, so block 2.5 hours on your calendar. The worst thing that will happen is that it takes less time … giving you the gift of breathing room.

Though these are small, day-to-day examples, it’s also important to give yourself time for the big things you want in life. We’re already in November, and you’re probably trying to take a breath from the activity of this year. Nonetheless, give yourself the benefit of time. Start to plan for what you want to accomplish next year and the year after, now rather than later.

Discover more resources to help you manage your time to reach your goals in this month’s newsletter.