Forget your new year’s resolutions. Instead of setting unattainable goals, start off the new year with a careful evaluation of your life. January is a perfect time to re-evaluate your goals and plan for another year of success. Here are the top 10 tips on what to examine and move forward in your career.
Do a SWOT analysis of your practice
Now is a good time to evaluate your practice. David Ward, a legal marketing expert, says that the new year gives lawyers the chance to look at their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in their legal practice. On his blog, www.attorneymarketing.com, Ward recommends focusing on strengths to create new job opportunities.
“Make a list of people you know and like and brainstorm ways you can improve and deepen your relationship,” says Ward. “They can lead you to new clients and new referral sources. They can provide you with advice and ideas.”
Choose one big goal to accomplish this year
Creating a long list of goals can easily be overwhelming. Try to pinpoint one key thing that you want to work on the most.
“Selecting one goal will force you to focus on that one goal, and nothing else,” says Ward. “If your goal is to increase your net income to $250,000, for example, other goal candidates, e.g., ‘bring in six new clients per month,’ are action steps you need to take to accomplish your singular income goal.”
Get rid of your worst clients
Sometimes clients need to be fired. For young lawyers building a practice, this may sound counterintuitive but difficult clients cost lawyers time and resources. Dropping troublesome clients will help you free up your time focus on your clients.
Consider dropping clients who:
- Don’t pay their bills on time
- Fail to show up at court hearings
- Fail to follow your advice
- Make non-legitimate complaints regarding billing, work, communications
Organize your desk
Get organized – and a great place to start is your office desk. Clear out old files and keep only your current work front and centre. Closed files should be archived. For large files, keep the boxes in one area of your office but have only the section you currently need on the desk. For more tips on organization, check out the book The Organized Lawyer by Kelly Lynn Anders.
Clean out your inbox
Time to clean up your electronic files. Go through your emails and decide on one of three actions: file, save or delete. File emails related to client matters, save any other important emails in various folders and delete the rest. If you don’t have an electronic filing system for email, start by creating folders based on the year they were sent and sort through each year.
Take back your lunch hour
No more eating lunch at the desk. Devote at least one day a week to having lunch outside the office. The lunch hour can be a great time to get in some exercise, meet up with friends or simply take a mental break from work. If you’re short on time, take a quick walk around the office for five minutes.
Pick up a pro bono project
Pro bono projects can give young lawyers the opportunity to get more experience and increase their name recognition in the community. If you’re in a new practice area, perhaps try working on a pro bono project related to the area of law. Pro bono projects can also give young lawyers leadership experience in managing files and networking with community leaders.
Enhance your social media presence
An online presence means more than a nice profile on LinkedIn (which is still important too). Pick one key social media activity and build from there. Try setting up a Twitter account for your practice area within your law firm or start a Twitter account for your firm. Blogging is another great way to increase your profile as an expert in your practice area. Become a regular contributor to your firm’s website.
Pick up a new habit for your health
Most New Year’s resolutions include losing weight, dieting or exercise. Instead of aiming for a complete transformation, focus on creating one new healthy habit. Try taking a walk for 15 to 20 minutes each day or having a healthy snack in the afternoon as opposed to the usual cup of coffee. Creating healthy habits is the first step in developing a healthy lifestyle.
Take a vacation
Don’t forget to take a break when you need it. Reward yourself with a relaxing getaway with your family or a fun weekend trip with friends. Vacations don’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. If you don’t have the time to make a long distance vacation, take a simple weekend trip to a local bed and breakfast or camping trip at a nearby park. Remember to turn off your electronic devices.
Julie Sobowale is a freelance journalist in Halifax.