Part of Enlightened Rainmaking is finding a way to complete your work and have a life. What I mean about having a life is spending time with family and friends, working out, having fun, and doing hobbies, but those in big law, mid-market law, and virtual law are so concerned with getting the work done they do not have the life they want.
This post is about finding the time to do everything you want and still be an amazing lawyer.
This means time management and finding the right system to help you manage yours. By the way, if you know me well or have been a part of these newsletters, you know I hate the phrase “time management. There are only 24 hours in a day. If I could give you more, I would bottle and sell it. I call it productivity management.
Productivity management programs include:
- The Pomodoro Technique
- GTD – Get Things Done
- Eat the Frog
- Task Batching
- The Two-Minute Rule
For the next few weeks, we will discuss these techniques. And others.
No one productivity management program works for everyone. You will have to try them all and see which works for you, and you may find that combinations work best for you.
For example, I use The Pomodoro Technique with Eat the Frog to help me complete the “worst” task I’ve been procrastinating on (yes, I procrastinate).
Let’s talk about the following:
Pomodoro Technique:
The technique was created by an Italian gentleman named Francis Cirrilo in the 1980s. As a student, he grabbed a tomato-shaped timer from his kitchen and began using it to get things done systematically. The Italian word for tomato is Pomodoro, which is how this system got its name.
Steps:
- Pick a task. It can be any task you have to do. (I use it for both cleaning my apartment and work.)
- Set a timer for 25 minutes of work. And work – do not allow yourself to get distracted. I personally love this one because I cannot lose or break it.
- Then, take a 5-minute break.
- Do this four times; on the fourth time, take a 10 to 30-minute break.
- Do this until the project is finished.
I have found that this program works well for those people – like me – who get distracted easily.
Productivity management is essential in helping you create the work and life you wish.
You want to get it all done, and you can.
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