If I said name something scary, I would hear ghosts, spiders, snakes, and the dark. And while those are scary, I can think of one thing that scares everyone even more. The scariest thing of all, is your to do list. It grows longer every day and even when you accomplish items off it, you think of more and more to add to it. So how do you make it less scary? Well…the best way to start is to physically make a list. This way you can see everything you have to do and can prioritize. Slow and steady is the best way to tackle a to do list. This way you will not get overwhelmed and can go at your own pace. Pick an item or two to accomplish. Once completed, there is nothing more satisfying that crossing that item off the list.
With that being said, we all have a work to do list and a home to do list. Now that is downright terrifying. My best piece of advice is to not to do everything yourself. Ask for help. Delegate to co-workers and family members. Hire freelancers and companies to assist. Your time is valuable and this way you can focus on the most important work that is the best use of your time while others help you with you time consuming, day-to-day tasks.
For lawyers, there are many companies that can take work off your plate. Of course, I need to point out that LAWCLERK is a savior for busy attorneys. With LAWCLERK you can outsource any written work, legal research, and document review to qualified freelance lawyers. They are available when you need, and you get to name the flat fee price you want to pay. It is a great resource to help you get work done.
There are also companies that will answer your phones and monitor your social media. Plus, you can find case management software companies and legal billing companies that help you get paid faster. Utilizing these companies will free up your time so learning more about them and how to integrate them into your firm is something you will want to jump on.
LAWCLERK Co-Founders, Talitha Gray Kozlowski and Kristin Tyler, hosted a webinar called “Strategies to Succeed with Delegation” where they helped you take a deep dive into your to-do list and challenged you to re-evaluate the tasks on your list and take actionable steps to stop doing everything yourself and start delegating! You can check it out here.
They also put out a document called The Ultimate Guide to Legal Outsourcing which is a comprehensive step-by-step guide that will get you thinking from start to finish of how to outsource legal work. It is worth the read and in the end, it will assist you in getting more legal work done. Check it out here.
The one thing we all want more of is time. Delegating is the best way to get more time. The key is that resources are available and there is no shame reaching out to them. I promise once you do, you will wish you had done it sooner.
I will leave you with one last scary thought. It is October and with everything going on, do you think Halloween will be canceled? I really hope it does not get to that. I need Halloween as an excuse to buy candy and eat the leftovers. No trick-or-treaters means no candy for me and that terrifies me!
