We have all heard people say ‘work smarter, not harder,’ but how do we do this?
A great way to work smarter is to plan better. Improving your planning abilities can increase your efficiency and productivity.
One of my clients, let’s call her Penny, was struggling with planning out her workdays to use her time more wisely. She was working through tasks based on deadlines and emails that came through with action items. She tried creating to do lists for each day, but it wasn’t a habit she had successfully ingrained into her daily routine.
Penny’s process made her feel like she was playing catch up most of the time, instead of being ahead of the game. This meant longer working hours. She knew she needed to plan her days better but didn’t know where to start.
We began by looking at the big picture before narrowing down the day-to-day work Penny had been trying to improve. This meant monthly planning first – glancing a month ahead, weekly planning second – glancing a week ahead, and daily planning third – start and end of day rituals. Taking this approach led to the better advanced planning, proper prioritization, and of course, more delegating opportunities.
By working smarter through improved planning skills, Penny was able to have better work-life integration.
Ask yourself:
How do you start your month?
How do you start your week?
How do you start your day?
Do you have any routines in places?
If so, are these current routines working for you?
If not, are there any routines you want to integrate?
What habits would be helpful for you?
How can you implement these habits?
Get in the Driver’s Seat of Your Practice is a coaching program dedicated for lawyers who are struggling with the above and more. Learn more about our program at Take Control of Your Legal Practice and Your Career to find out how coaching can support you.
