00:00 - Sylvia (Host)
Hello everyone, and welcome back to episode 30 of the Serve First, sell Later marketing podcast.
01:31
So, as we hit the warmer months and we prepare for summer, for many legal and financial professionals, the work doesn't take a vacation, so staying productive during these warmer months can be a real challenge. So maybe your kids are out of school, maybe you have vacation plans that are calling. Let's face it, it's really tough to stay focused when the sun is shining and the beach is calling. So this episode is all about helping you soak up the joys of summer while still bringing your A-game to work, and so I'm going to dive into a gold mine of productivity strategies tailored specifically for professionals just like you. So you're going to learn how to master your schedule, and we're going to look at prioritizing high-impact tasks, which can be incredibly useful, and really looking at other ways to take advantage of the summer while still optimizing your work schedule. So, whether you're preparing for a big case, or maybe you're closing a deal or crunching numbers for clients, this episode is really going to equip you with the tools that you need to thrive this summer. So the first place I want to start is I want you to take a moment and think about your biggest summer productivity challenge. What is it? Is it that the kids are going to be home? Is it the lure of vacation? Or maybe it's just the struggle to stay focused when you'd rather be outside golfing or outside by the pool? So identifying your specific challenges is really the first step to overcoming them.
03:10
So let's talk about creating a flexible yet effective summer work schedule, and I think the key here is to find what works for you. Maybe you're a morning person who loves to get all of the most difficult tasks out of the way before the heat of the day sets in, so if that's the case, then maybe you wake up a little bit earlier and you wrap up a little bit earlier. Or perhaps you're more of a night owl. So why not shift your hours, maybe from 11 am to 7 pm? So another alternative is implementing what we call summer Fridays, and what this means is you work slightly longer hours during the week, monday through Thursday, which then allows you to finish up earlier on Fridays. So maybe you finish up at 12 o'clock on Fridays and the result really is that you're more satisfied and you get to take some time to really enjoy the summer and realistically, you don't see a drop in productivity because you're just shifting your hours and you're shifting when you work and compressing it.
04:25
So let's talk about prioritizing high impact tasks, and I know when the sun is out and you're tempted to be outside, it may feel easier to want to tackle the easy stuff first, but I really want you to resist that urge, really focus on what really moves the needle for your work. So, for instance, if you're a divorce mediator and you have a couple on the verge of reaching an agreement, that should be top of your list is closing out that case. And so there are some really great tools out there to help you prioritize the most important tasks in your practice, and I think it's really really important to figure out what are these important tasks, what are these high impact tasks that you need to get completed and you're not putting it off? And I think a great tool to help you figure out what some of these high impact activities would be is really using the tool out there called the Eisenhower Matrix, which really helps you to categorize your tasks, and if you want to learn more about it, just Google it and you can easily find templates on how to use it and you can apply it directly into your practice. So I want you to remember it's not about how many hours you work, but how effectively you use those hours.
05:51
Another important element to consider is setting clear work-life boundaries, and this is crucial, especially when work and personal life can blur during the summer months. So maybe you decide that you're only going to schedule client meetings from Monday to Thursdays in the mornings, only leaving Fridays for paperwork and personal time. So whatever you want your schedule to look like, it's up to you to figure that out. So you want to designate the time for certain activities and then communicate those boundaries to both your clients and your colleagues up front, and trust me, they will appreciate your transparency and that you're able to recharge without feeling guilty. So I think creating a flexible schedule, prioritizing those high impact tasks and setting clear boundaries can help you stay productive and still enjoy the summer. So it's okay to say no to non-essential meetings and I want you to think about doing that or non-essential projects that may eat into your personal time, and I think your mental health and work-life balance are super important.
07:01
Okay, let's switch gears now and talk about that feeling that comes around 2 or 3 pm every afternoon when suddenly your energy levels take a nosedive and you experience that brain fog, or maybe it's like your brain just hits a wall, and this is especially common during the warmer months, when the heat can really make you feel more sluggish. So how do we handle this? What do we do? I want to share a couple of tips here. So the first one is really make it part of your schedule to take short breaks, and I know it sounds counterintuitive, but stepping away from your work for just a few minutes can actually boost your productivity. A great tool to use is the Pomodoro technique, and what that is is you work for 25 minutes and then you take a five minute break, and that's just one of the most popular tools out there and it's essentially an online timer, but it really helps to keep you on track and focused. So I'll put the link for that tool in the show notes so you can quickly access that. So using those short breaks to stretch, maybe grab a healthy snack or just take a few deep breaths, or maybe even just walk around, and it can really make a world of difference. And a really great tip to use is, if you get so busy and you forget to do that, just get a sticky note and put it on your laptop to just remind you to take those breaks.
08:27
So the second tip is to stay hydrated, especially in the summer months. So dehydration can seriously zap your energy levels. So just something as simple as keeping a water bottle at your desk and making a habit of sipping throughout the day is super important. I know it happens to me frequently and I'm sitting at my desk and all of a sudden I'm asking myself why do I feel so exhausted? And that's when I realized that I haven't had water in a bit, and so you know I get busy. I'm at my desk, I'm in meetings, and when I take the deliberate steps to just replenish with simply one cup of water, I quickly realized that I was dehydrated and within minutes I have a boost of energy and focus, and that is a sign for me that I wasn't drinking enough water. So it really kicks in very quickly when you just keep hydrated or when you realize you're feeling exhausted, and the hot weather can certainly contribute to that.
09:31
So the third tip is just get up from your desk and move around. Sitting for long periods of time can make you feel really tired and sluggish. So get up and move every 30 minutes or every hour, whatever works best for you, even if it's a quick walk around your office, or maybe you take a quick walk outside for a few minutes, get fresh air and sunlight, and it just really helps reset your mind and boost your energy. Some people find that a quick workout or even a few yoga stretches can really help shake off that afternoon fatigue. So what works for you? Experiment and see what works best.
10:06
But getting up and moving is really a key factor in avoiding that afternoon fatigue. So if we had to put this in practice I'm going to give you the example of a divorce mediator Maybe you've got a long afternoon of sessions ahead, so around 2 pm you start to feel that familiar slump and, instead of powering through those sessions, take a few minutes break, step outside, stretch your legs, walk around and, maybe you know, drink a glass of water and then get back to the session, and that can just make a world of difference in how you think about the case that you're working on and the next steps that you need to take. Not only does it benefit you, but it also benefits your clients. So it's super, super important to take those breaks, and so when you do that, you will remain sharp and focused and it will, as I said, make you more effective in your work. So beating that afternoon slump is really just all about listening to your body and giving it what it needs, whether it's a short break, maybe it's some more hydration or a bit of movement.
11:15
So incorporating these simple strategies into your routine can really keep you energized and productive, even during those tough afternoon hours, especially in those hot summer days. So mastering your summer schedule will become so much easier when you do this one thing, and that one thing is batching similar activities. So what do I mean by that? So this is a real game changer when it comes to maintaining focus and efficiency, and there's a lot of science that backs this up, and the idea is simple Group similar tasks together and tackle them in one go. So, for example, if you're a lawyer, you might batch all of your client calls in the morning and then reserve the afternoon for drafting documents. This way, you're not constantly switching gears, which can really be mentally exhausting. I don't know if any of you can relate to that, but I know I certainly can, and so it's really important to just batch those activities, and this approach will help minimize that mental load of switching tasks, and it really just keeps you in the zone. So give that a try if you're not already doing that.
12:27
It's a super, super effective way to stay on task and to stay focused and more productive. So some of the tools and apps for task management and time tracking can be really useful, and there are so many tools out there that can keep you organized and stay on top of your workload. And so for task management, there's some really popular apps out there, like Trello and Asana, which I'm sure most of you are familiar with, which can really help create boards, lists and cards to just organize your tasks visually, and then it also helps you to set deadlines, add notes and even collaborate with your team. So time tracking is another really important element of productivity. So apps like Toggle, track and Clockify they can really help you track how much time you're spending on different tasks. So this is especially useful for legal professionals, who may bill by the hour, and so by tracking your time you can actually ensure that you're billing accurately and also identify any time-wasting activities that you can cut down on. So I'll put the links for these apps in the show notes because they're really useful apps.
13:47
So let's say, you're a divorce mediator and you're working on a case and it's pretty complicated, and so, by using a time tracking app, you can see exactly how much time you spent on the individual sessions, on maybe drafting the agreements on communicating individual sessions, on maybe drafting the agreements on communicating with clients. You know all of the emails that you're responding to, maybe the phone calls, and so what this does is this helps with accurate billing, but it also gives you insights into where you want to streamline your process. And here's another really great tip If you decide you want to switch from hourly to a flat fee, this will be a really great way, or a really effective way, to validate how much time it takes on average to complete a mediation, and you can take this information and then decide how much to charge to ensure that you're being properly compensated, because you know on average how much time it takes to complete a mediation, for example. So I really like using that tool to figure that out.
14:49
So let's talk about setting up a productive work environment, and I think people forget about this one a lot. So, whether you're at home or you're in your office, your workspace plays a huge role in your productivity. So first place to start is declutter that desk. You know, a clean, organized workspace can really help reduce distractions and make it easier to focus on your tasks. And if you're working from home, you're going to want to try a dedicated workspace that's separate from your living areas. You're going to want to try a dedicated workspace that's separate from your living areas, and I think that's just. It's pretty logical, but at the same time, it creates a mental distinction between work and personal time, and, of course, all the other things of having a good chair and a good desk setup is super, super important.
15:36
So, as we're in summer mode, it can be really challenging as a professional to find the time to balance it all, and I'm sure a lot of you can relate to that. So I think the first place that we need to tackle or to address is quality family time, and it's easy to get caught up in work and let family time slip through the cracks, but I think planning your work around key family events can really make a huge difference. So, for example, if you know your kids have a soccer game on Saturday morning or maybe you have a family barbecue on Sunday afternoon, be sure to plan your work schedule so you can be fully present for those events. Sounds easy to do, but you'd be surprised at how many professionals actually don't do it, and so this might mean working a bit earlier in the morning or catching up on tasks in the evening. So really, really important and a really effective way to do that. So let's imagine you are a mediator with a big case coming up and your daughter has a dance recital on Friday evening. So, instead of working late that night, plan to finish your critical tasks earlier in the week, and that means blocking off the time in your calendar, not only for the recital event itself, but for completing those critical tasks so that they will get done before that event. And so you do have to block time on your calendar to say I will be working on this initiative for this amount of time. So this way, you can enjoy the recital without the stress of unfinished work hanging over your head.
17:16
Now, summer is a popular time for travel and vacations, but that doesn't mean you have to completely disconnect from work if you can't afford to, and so the key is to manage your work on the go effectively Right, super, super important. So start by setting clear expectations with your team and your clients about your availability. Let them know when you'll be available to check emails or when you're going to be offline, and I think that's really important to do that. So use tools like, maybe, your remote desktop access or cloud storage to ensure that you have everything at your fingertips no matter where you are. Another tip is to make use of travel time. If you're flying or taking a train, use that time to catch up on reading, responding to emails or plan your next steps. So just be sure to balance it with some relaxation so that you're not feeling burnt out.
18:19
And I know it's important to talk about unplugging to recharge.
18:21
So unplugging to recharge is super important and in our always connected world it can feel really hard to just truly disconnect from work.
18:30
But it's really important for your mental and physical wellbeing. So I think taking time to deliberately unplug allows you to come back to work more refreshed and focused, whatever that may look like for you. So setting boundaries for yourself are going to be super important. So maybe for the summer months, you make a deliberate decision to stop working at 4 pm every day, which means you don't check emails, you don't take work calls, and that's your way of making time to enjoy the evenings, or more time for evening summer activities that you can engage in with your family. So it's just being deliberate and deciding what you want your schedule to look like during the summer months, and so, once again, communicate the boundary to your colleagues and your clients so that they know when you're available and when you're not, and I think it's important to use your out-of-office reply to manage those expectations, especially when you're on vacation.
19:33
So balancing work and family time is really just all about planning, setting boundaries and making the most of your time, and by planning your work around those key family events, maybe managing work during travel and taking time to unplug and recharge, I think you can really enjoy a fulfilling personal life while still being productive at work. It's not going to be perfect, but it's going to be a heck of a lot better when you take this proactive action. So we know that work doesn't slow down in the summer months and it can be difficult to stay productive, especially when your kids are out of school. You have vacation plans, activities getting together with friends, so it's really important to just make the time for productivity, and I think some of those great productivity hacks that I shared with you on how to stay on top of your game while still enjoying everything summer has to offer is super important.
20:34
So, whether it's tweaking your work schedule, maybe it's prioritizing those big, important tasks or setting up clear work-life boundaries, these tips are all about making life easier and simply more balanced. And please remember, it is okay to take breaks. Step outside, stretch, grab a refreshing drink, take time for yourself. These small things can help keep your energy up and your mind sharper. And let's not forget about the power of a well-organized workspace and the right tools to keep you on track. So summer is also about spending quality time with your loved ones and making sure to plan your work around those important family and friend moments. So I hope this episode inspires you to start making changes, begin with small actions and be consistent. Thank you for tuning in today and I hope you found this episode valuable and, of course, if you did, I'd be honored. If you rate or review our show, have a great day.