Time Management is Self-Care

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how time management is self-care.

Lawyers are no strangers to the relentless demands of the job: long hours, tight deadlines, and a never-ending influx of tasks. All of these things, pulling on our time, can lead to overwhelm and burnout--if we're not careful.

In this high-pressure environment, effective time management isn't just a productivity hack. It becomes a form of self-care, a tool to protect and improve our well-being.

Time management is a practice--the practice of organizing and prioritizing your tasks and goals to make the most effective use of your time. Instead of reacting to whatever fire needs putting out next, time management allows you to proactively structure your day for maximum efficiency and proactivity.

The benefits of mastering time management can be game-changing for attorneys, as it reduces stress and overwhelm by giving you a sense of control over your schedule--a sense of autonomy, something a lot of us feel is lacking in our professional life. When you have a clear plan or a list of prioritized tasks, you're not constantly wondering what you should be doing next.

With better time management, you actually have time for exercise, hobbies, and relationships outside of work. Effective time management creates space--space for whatever you feel you need in that moment of space (a nap, more work, business development, a hobby, you name it).

I think attorneys overestimate the time it takes to put time management in place and in practice and underestimate the benefit you get from it. The upfront planning and intentionality creates time and space--a lot of it--on the flip side. Time you get back. Time you get to use for whatever means most to you or is most needed by you (or others). This, in turn, reduces stress, boosts productivity, and creates space--time and freedom.

🔥❤️✌️