Forget juggling. Most of us feel like we’re endlessly spinning plates, hoping we can keep all the parts and pieces of our lives from crashing to the ground. Then along comes summer, and the promise of a little downtime to relax and refresh — or at least remove a few plates from the stack. Assuming, of course, you can squeeze out any time for yourself. To wrap up our “Read the Classics” week, we offer five popular Attorney at Work productivity posts that may help you find a little more time to savor the summer.
Declutter Your Mailbox Inbox: Tips From the Pros
Merlin Mann, inventor of “inbox zero,” says his philosophy for effectively managing email isn’t necessarily about a number — it’s about getting your head out of your inbox and on to other, more fruitful things. For this month’s Friday 5+ Tech Tips, we asked our tech tips dream team — Lee Rosen, Heidi Alexander, Catherine Reach, Mark Rosch, Deb Savadra, Carole Levitt and Nora Regis —where they fall on inbox zero — and for a few quick tips on taming the daily stress bucket that is your email inbox. READ MORE
Pen on Paper Works! The Bullet Journal
Mary Lokensgard | While wading through my sea of Post-its earlier this year, I stumbled onto a Twitter discussion of “bullet journaling.” People were raving about it, and their experiences with other productivity systems sounded a lot like mine. Ever the optimist, I decided to give it a try. After all, it was free — the only cost is the price of a notebook and pen, which I already had. And, as it turns out, it’s a simple system that works! READ MORE
The Long Nine: Essential Software for the Modern Law Practice
Jared Correia | Even I’m not brave enough to try to build a buyer’s guide for law firm technology. In large part, that’s because such a guide would be outdated as soon as it’s written down. I will instead attempt a list of the types of products you should acquire for your modern law firm. Below, I’ve identified the nine categories of software firms should use to take best advantage of the wide array of programs available for streamlining law practice management. READ MORE
Efficiency Killers in Your Law Firm
Rosemary Kupfert | Your firm’s main phone line rings and you reach to pick it up. It’s force of habit. But if you’re a partner, it can lead to lower profits for your firm. The difference between a thriving law firm and a law firm that fails can come down to one thing: efficiency. If you cling to old habits and fail to use more efficient methods of managing your practice, you risk sacrificing profits. Here are five common efficiency killers — and tips to help you become more productive. READ MORE
Time Management (Ha!)
Free Download | As if it’s really possible to wrestle those slippery hours, minutes and days into any semblance of order, or exercise any control. Most days just whiz by, leaving you with nothing more than a longer to-do list — a task list that now syncs with multiple devices … and follows you everywhere. You work so hard, and always with the goal of pleasing others, there just isn’t a whole lot of time left over to focus on what pleases you. READ MORE
Illustrations ©iStockPhoto.com