1. Women In Law Issue of Law Practice Today
2. Communication Techniques for Women in the Workplace
3. Sticking to a 40-Hour Week
4. Work-Life Checks and Balances
5. Four Common Obstacles Faced by Women Lawyers

1. Women In Law Issue of Law Practice Today.  The February issue of Law Practice Today is a Women in Law issue, featuring topics such as negotiating for yourself and asking for more, mentoring, solo success stories, implicit bias, and more.

2. Communication Techniques for Women in the Workplace.  Huffington Post tackles the “impossible choice between being assertive and perceived as pushy or being conciliatory and perceived as weak” by talking to Breaking Through Bias authors Andie and Al about navigating that choice, figuring out if a job will really provide support and opportunities, and how to approach a conversation at work when you are not being treated fairly.  They also touch on “mind priming,” apologizing, posture, and whether we should act like men.

3. Sticking to a 40-Hour Week.   Tips for keeping to a 40-hour week, including figuring out where your time is going, planning your day in advance, and avoiding multitasking.

4. Work-Life Checks and Balances.  ForbesWoman shares this reminder: “You cannot attend every event, every meeting, and every unhappy hour. You cannot support every cause, solve every crisis, and teach every lesson. You cannot be everything to everyone at all times. You cannot pick up all the slack that other people obliviously drop at your feet. If you attempt to do all that, you will snap in half. It will be ugly.” and suggests setting boundaries and putting some “checks” in place on your time and energy.

5. Four Common Obstacles Faced by Women Lawyers.  Over at Ms. JD, Joyce Smithey summarizes these obstacles that women lawyers often face: gender discrimination (including peers and clients making assumptions based on gender), work-life balance, sexual harassment (including comments on physical appearance), and pay inequity.

This month, in the WLN community, we’re talking about where we’re going next. Then, as we head into May, we’ll dial it up more by tackling some of the annoying issues that leave you frustrated, all up in your head, and struggling to keep up. In June, I’ll have a new awesome resource for you to help even more. By then, you’ll already be pumped, thinking it might just be possible to actually balance your practice with the rest of your life, but we won’t stop there. In July, when things often slow down a bit for the summer, we’ll dig into some very actionable, very awesome changes you can easily make so you can start feeling happy, healthy, and in control. Not to mention being back in love with being a lawyer. We won’t stop there either – we have some surprises in store for you this summer too but more on that later. 

Sometimes practicing law feels like being on a treadmill.

You know the feeling…every day you rush out the door, plow through emails, fueled by coffee, try to tackle your giant to-do list, get interrupted by other projects/phone calls/emergencies, put out fires as you go along. Maybe you have a good lunch at a reasonable hour if you’re very lucky, you keep racing through the day, wishing you knocked more off of your to-do list. You have a few fleeting thoughts throughout the day of things you should do more of, like work out, eat healthier, or spend more time with friends, and you swear you’ll get better at that stuff soon.  You spend a few minutes reading inspiring articles online or checking social media to escape for a moment before diving back in.  You’re still checking email into the evening but you also try to grab a few minutes to relax at the end of the day or at least turn your brain off for a bit, maybe by plopping on the couch and turing on Netflix, if you even have time to do that while staying on top of stuff at home.  You finally get in bed, wishing your head hit the pillow a little earlier and you’re wondering why you’re not falling asleep faster or why you’re still thinking about your to-do list.

Wake up. Repeat.

Our brains have no space from moment to moment or day to day when we race around this way, so it feels like we’re sprinting on a treadmill all week without ever stepping off. One of the many problems with this way of life is that the days tend to blend together. Time flies by way too quickly. We never have a moment to stop, set goals, reflect, enjoy, or make things better. We’re on autopilot, sometimes wondering how we got where we are.

The great news is, we’re going to start tackling this problem in a concrete, manageable way. It really can be done, I’ve been there!

Let’s start with just one tiny step – creating a little space in your day and breaking up one day from another so you have a little breathing room as we move forward together.  That way, before we get to the awesome changes coming your way, you’ll already have a little more space. Of course, you have to find a way to break up your days that works for you, that doesn’t take much time, and that you will actually do.  Easier said than done right?

Fortunately, there are a few easy things you can do to get started, and each will take only a few seconds – in fact, I made you a list. I suggest you start with just one for now, and give it a try tomorrow, and every day next week. Grab the list of Three Easy Ways to Break Up Your Day & Slow Time Down, pick one that works for you, and give it a shot.  It’s a super easy way to get the ball rolling – you can finish this week knowing you took a step to make your every day better (how great is that?!).

I would love to hear which one you tried and how it’s working for you, so be sure to head over to the WLN Facebook page and let me know how it’s going.  See you next week!

Our brainpower seems like an unlimited resource.  Unfortunately, that is not the case.  Our brains have a limited ability to think, work, and make decisions.  Also unfortunately, we often waste our brainpower on unimportant things.

Remember earlier this week when you spent forever trying to decide where to go and what to have for lunch?  You just used some of your brain’s limited thinking power for the day that may have been better spent on a client project, or on getting your business development plan done faster so that you could get out of the office earlier, or on convincing yourself to go to the gym after work.

We tend to do this all day long, in small ways and big ways, using our brains for things that just don’t need that full attention and effort.  Fortunately, there are easy steps you can take to correct this problem.

Your brain has two main ways of approaching things – one is what we’ll call the front burner of your brain, which it uses when you really need to concentrate and put full effort into something, like analyzing a legal problem.  Then there’s what we’ll call the back burner of your brain, the things that happen automatically.  Ever take the same route home without thinking about it and then, when you get home, you can’t really remember the drive?  That’s the back burner of your brain in action. (I’ve talked about this with psychologists and neuroscientists, but I’ll spare you the science so as not to occupy the front burner of your brain!)

When you turn something into a habit or automate it, instead of really thinking about it each time, you’re moving it from the front burner of your brain to the back burner where it doesn’t take up so much brainpower.  The trick is, to think about what you want on the back burner and what you want on the front burner.

If you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of counting calories, you know that you if you are going to spend a few hundred calories, you want it to be on something really delicious and well worth it.  The same applies here.  If you’re going to spend that brainpower, make sure it’s something worth spending it on.  Also, like calorie-counting, where you may have tired to eat light all day so you had more flexibility for a fun dinner out that night, again the same applies here – you can plan in advance now to save brainpower later.  For example, you could decide on Saturday morning what you’ll have for lunch each day next week so that come Thursday, you’re  spending that precious brain power on Your Client v. Losing Party instead of Salad v. Sandwich.

Now, what kinds of things can you start tossing on the back burner?  I made you a list.

You can download these Five Simple Things to Automate to Create More Brainpower to get started.  Just taking these small steps to automate one of these categories at at time (really, just go one at a time) can significantly lighten the load on your brain each day, but once you get into the habit… of… well, getting into these habits…you’ll start noticing other things that you can automate to have an even bigger impact.

After you download the list, head on over to the WLN Facebook page, share this article, and let me know which one you’re giving a shot.  Then, I’ll see you and your less encumbered brain next week!

Psst…be sure to grab the worksheet that goes along with this post to make things super easy!  Now on to the good stuff:

We want to change so much about ourselves and our lives, and we swear we’ll make it happen.  We draw a line in the sand and say:

“Ok, starting Monday…

• …I’ll go to the gym three times a week.”
• …I’ll drink more water.”
• …I’ll spend time on marketing and business development every Friday.”
• …I’ll bring in my own healthy lunch.”
• …I’ll bill my time as I go and not play catch-up at the end of the week.”
• …I’ll take a break to go for a walk during the day.”

You get the idea.

But so often, we don’t make the changes we planned on, or we do for a little while, then the habit fades.  Then, we catch ourselves saying “Ok, next Monday for real!”  or  “I’ll start clean next week.”  Repeat.

So, why do we get stuck in this loop?  Why don’t these changes stick?

(Good news, the worksheet I mentioned will help habits stick.)

One major reason is that we take on too many changes at once.  You’re a busy person.  You have a lot going on, and your brain is juggling* too much at a time to tackle all those new habits, so you accomplish none of them.  We can get more changes to stick if we work on one at a time, adding another only when that first one becomes a habit or automated.  You may be tempted to think that one-at-a-time seems pretty slow, but remember, it’s way faster than starting and stopping so many times.

Other issues get in our way as well, such as setting goals that are not concrete enough, and relying only on our memory and willpower for new habits to stick.  Fortunately, I have your back – download this worksheet to take you step-by-step to easily set new habits and actually make them stick.  Then, when you have that one down, use the same worksheet again and again to keep adding new changes that make your life better.

Grab the worksheet, start something new, connect on Facebook to let me know how it’s going, and I’ll see you next week!

* If you’re not in our email community, you missed a whole story about me learning to juggle, pictures included.  Let’s fix that.

1. Summer Conferences
2. Advice for Young Women Lawyers
3. Making the Profession Better for Women
4. A New Resource to Help Women-Owned Law Firms
5. Signs Your Lack of Confidence is Getting Out of Hand

1. Summer Conferences.  Reminder that these events are coming up in the next few months: NAWL Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon – July 20th – NYC; NCWBA Summit – August 11th – NYC; Margaret Brent Awards Luncheon – August 13th – NYC

2. Advice for Young Women Lawyers.  Bloomberg shares this perspective with eight pieces of advice for young women lawyers from pioneers of the industry.  Of note: #4 Get the Credit You Deserve – “We are told too often, “don’t worry about the credit, just get the work done”; that is not always good advice and if you heed it too literally you will be taken advantage of.”  #6 Make Every Relationship Count, including respect for staff, treating colleagues like clients, and not letting gender discrimination go by.  #7 Own Your Professional Development, including not waiting for someone to approach you for advancement opportunities, setting and tackling goals, planning your own development, and “The [typical] lawyer may not be the kind of lawyer you want to be. Give yourself permission to invent yourself, rather than feeling constrained by tradition.” #8 Leverage Your Resources, includling building your own client relationships “…the single most critical key to success in a law firm is having your own business and fee generation.”

3. Making the Profession Better for Women.  Over at ATL, John Balestriere has this call to action re: gender issues and encourages lawyers to take daily actions and to make choices that will promote change.

4. A New Resource to Help Women-Owned Law Firms.  As this interview at Bloomberg explains, Nicole Galli, former big law attorney, has launched Women Owned Law, a resource committed to helping women lawyer entrepreneurs.

5. Signs Your Lack of Confidence is Getting Out of Hand. Muse shares these three signs that your lack of confidence is getting out of hand, including if it’s keeping you from getting your work done.

Are you following WLN on Facebook?

Make sure you grab the Cheatsheet for Killing Ugly Thoughts in 60 Seconds or Less that follows this post.  Now on to the good stuff:

If you’ve ever thought…

• I can’t do this.
• These people are smarter than me.
• I’m not going to make it.
• I don’t know what I’m doing.
• I don’t really belong here.
• I’m an imposter, and someone is going to figure that out.
• I’m not smart enough.
• I wish I was that healthy/smart/put together/confident/well-dressed/successful/good at marketing.

…you are not alone.  Sadly, these ugly thoughts are way too common for many of us.

Fortunately:

1. understanding them a little better can help; and
2. you can download this Cheatsheet for Quickly Killing Ugly Thoughts in 60 Seconds or Less.

Let’s start by understanding some of these thoughts.  For example, if you ever feel like you’re the only one that doesn’t really know what she’s doing, like everyone else is nailing it, that there’s something wrong with you or you’re not good enough, even though somehow you still ended up here anyway, like you’ve fooled everyone so far but that soon they might figure it out…you are not alone.  That’s called Imposter Syndrome, and it’s surprisingly common.  Many people feel that way but few people realize that others feel the same way.

It’s also common to feel like you can’t tackle what’s in front of you, which often happens when we are overwhelmed by something new, complex, or with too many moving parts.  It feels like what we’re facing is insurmountable so we throw up or hands and freak out a bit.

You may also notice when others are doing something particularly well on a given day, whether they argued a motion well or just looked a little more put together than you that day.  We tend to make unfair and illogical comparisons, focusing on the one thing that one other person is doing better than us that day without thinking about the big picture and how we, or they, are doing overall.

More importantly, let’s do something about these thoughts!  Easier said than done?  Actually, not really, you just need the right tool – grab this Cheatsheet for Quickly Killing Ugly Thoughts in 60 Seconds or Less (and keep it handy)!

Be sure to join me on Facebook where we’ll continue talking about these ugly, annoying thoughts that hold us back.

How often do you think “I need to get more done in a day. How can I keep everything up?”

I’m so glad you’re here, because you’re on your way to even-more-amazing, I hope you’re pumped to the max to get there!

***Don’t forget to grab the free planner at the end of this post.***

Last week, we faced the fact that we don’t have enough time.  Fortunately, not everything on your to-do list needs to get done.

Most of us fill up to-do lists with things that could be done, “should” be done, and would be nice to get done.  Our idealistic, perfectionist side is driving our to-do list, filling it will all sorts of stuff until we’re totally overwhelmed, wondering how we’ll get it all done.

Good news though – you do not have to do everything on your to-do list.

But let’s be honest, it feels great to check the boxes on our to-do list.  It can feel like you’ve failed when you remove an item from your to-do list instead of checking it off as completed.  But, as we discussed last week, we do not have time to do everything, so we need to pick and choose the most important things.

Today, I challenge you to take a look through your to-do list and delete a few things that you don’t need or want to get done, that won’t really do you any good.  To help, when you see an item on your to-do list, ask yourself “Why?” and be sure there is a good reason.

For example, there’s a piece of the WLN website I really want to reformat, but if I ask myself why, I have nothing other than “it would be nice” and “it would look a little better.”  It wouldn’t do anything to help you, it doesn’t further any other goal for me, and it would take a good chunk of time that would be much better spent on efforts that can have an impact for you.  Off the list it goes.

Applying this same approach to the way you accomplish tasks throughout the day can also dramatically increase your satisfaction with how much you get done throughout the day – give it a try!

To make it even easier to prioritize your to-dos on a given day, grab this free Prioritizing Planner Sheet PDF.

See also: The Big Check Mark.

PS – Have you joined the free Amazing Women Lawyers Facebook group yet?

Last week we worked on clearing off all those to-dos on your list that don’t really need to be done.  Great start.  If you continue to filter your to-do list and daily plan (grab that planning worksheet if you missed it last week), you’ll be left with only items that are really important.

However, we have another habit that tends to cost of lots of time – we often over-do even those items that really do have to be done.

For example, it’s important that helpful content is posted on WLN and emailed to you, definitely stays on my to-do list.  But, I would be embarrassed to tell you how many times I’ve wasted time fighting some subtle formatting issue on a blog post to get it just right.  How silly.  I doubt you would have cared or even noticed.  In other words, even though the task itself was important, my perfectionist side kicked back in and made the important task take up much longer than it needed to, wasting time better spent on another important task.

What tasks are you over-doing?

Chances are that you tend to over-do similar tasks every time you do them, which can add up to huge amounts of wasted time.  Let’s try to avoid that in the future – you can try:

• Setting a timer for each task, then checking in when the timer goes off to see if that task is worth continuing to spend time on.
• Starting with the most important or most challenging part of a project – often we start with the easiest or most enjoyable part of a project but spend too long on that part.
• Breaking a project into clear, measurable tasks then making sure all of those component tasks are actually important.
• Delegate the pieces that don’t need to be done by you.
• Saving your work if it’s a task you expect to repeat at some point in the future.

Don’t forget to grab that planning worksheet if you missed it last week!

Don’t forget to download the tool at the end of this post.  

As we address the “I don’t have enough time.” issue, we’ve talked about narrowing your to-do list to the things that matter and making sure we allocate the right amount of time and energy to those things left on your list that do matter.  But even if you take those steps to clear out and prioritize, you’ll still have to deal with distractions.  So, let’s take a little time to begin addressing those pesky time-wasters.

To start tackling distractions, let’s remember that there are two main kinds: Internal & External.

Internal distractions start with you.  For example, when you’re tired and can’t focus, when you are trying to draft something for a client but suddenly start thinking of all the things you need at the grocery store, or when you suddenly get the urge to see what’s happening on Instagram.  Many internal distractions are the result of something biological (e.g., you’re tired), some reflex or habit (e.g., every time you turn to the computer you check your email whether you need to or not), or something you can blame on your brain, (e.g., those ugly thoughts we talked about recently or just a general lack of focus).

External distractions come from somewhere else.  For example, you get a text, the phone rings, a partner appears in your door to ask for help.  You may or may not have control over those external distractions.

Add a few internal distractions throughout the day to a few external distractions and you can easily lose a very significant amount of time every day.  The bigger danger with distractions is they tend to take up way more time than the length of distractions, i.e., someone my call you with a 60-second question but it if you were deep in thought working on a document, it may take you five minutes to get back to where you were in your thought process, so that distraction was 60 seconds long but cost you 6 minutes.

So, why bother to think about whether distractions are internal or external?  Different types of distractions need to be handled differently.  That means you will be more successful in handling them if you apply the right solution to the specific types of distractions that are stealing your time.  Sounds like some heavy lifting, but once you build a little awareness of your distractions, it’s surprisingly easy to tackle them and get back MUCH more time than you spent to do so.

To that end, lets get started building that awareness!  Just grab the attached distraction log, print it, leave it on your desk or toss it in your bag, and simply note your distractions over the next week.  Nothing more, just notice and take a few notes.  Grab it here, then we’ll move on from there soon.

1. Good Guys
2. Why Women Feel More Stress at Work
3. Four Types of Criticism Women Get Everyday
4. Increasing the Retention of Women
5. Several Women in Law Events in NYC this Summer

1. Good Guys.  If you haven’t heard of the Good Guys (Guys Overcoming Obstacles to Diversity) program yet, you can register now for a free 30-minute webinar to be presented TOMORROW, Wednesday, June 28 at noon EDT.  Join to hear from several speakers about how this approach is “essential to advancing equity in the legal workplace.” You’ll also learn a few tips and tools to combat bias.

2. Why Women Feel More Stress at Work.   Over at HBR, Breaking Through Bias book authors Andie and Al share great insight into why women feel more stress at work, a phenomenon that we often feel but that is also difficult to explain, but as usual this amazing husband and wife lawyer duo do a great job of getting behind the issue and offering practical advice.

3. Four Types of Criticism Women Get Everyday.  This post digs into different types of criticism women often face and discusses how to handle and treat each one.

4. Increasing the Retention of Women.  Over at Ms. JD, this article discusses approaches to increasing the retention of women, including family support, flexibility, and apprenticeship programs.

5. Several Women in Law Events in NYC this Summer.  Remember that NAWL hosts its annual meeting next month on July 20th, the NCWBA Summit is on August 11th, the Margaret Brent Awards Luncheon is on August 13th, and the Women’s Caucus also on August 13th from 2:15 – 4:30 p.m., right after the Margaret Brent Awards Luncheon.  (If you’re in town for these meetings, look for me and say hi!)

1. Email.

Email is a helpful and necessary tool of course, but it’s also a distraction.  If you are concentrating on something and don’t need to be on email, keep it from distracting you by turning of email alert noises and getting your email out of your vision.  For example, shrink or close your Outlook or other email program, or sit so that your computer screen is not in your line of sight.  If you have an L-shaped desk, push your computer far enough away on one side that you cannot see emails popping up when you are using the other side to concentrate on reviewing a document or reading a case.

2. Smartphone.

Ever go into your iPhone to look for a specific piece of information, then the next thing you know you’ve checked email, Facebook, and Instagram and sent a bunch of text messages?  Been there.  Try setting a reminder note as the wallpaper on your phone, so that when you open it you get a reminder to stay on task.  Here’s one I made for you – it’s on my phone right now!  (You’ll likely need to open the link using your phone, save the image, then go to saved images and set as wallpaper from there).  You can also try setting a timer when you open your phone to make sure you don’t spend more time than necessary and catch yourself if you get distracted.

3. Thoughts.

Often it’s our own thoughts that cause us trouble.  Next time you get distracted, try simply noticing the thought instead of engaging with it, i.e., “Huh, that’s interesting, I’m thinking about what I have to do later.” then get right back to what you were doing, letting the thought float right by.  Over time, this will train your brain to stay focused.  If it’s a thought you can easily dismiss and one that might continue to be a discretion if you didn’t take action, then address it quickly without letting your brain move beyond that thought.  For example, if you think, “I need to remember to grab milk at the store on the way home,” then either set a reminder on your phone, or write it on a pad on your desk that you keep there just for things you need to circle back to after you’re done concentrating, then get right back to what you were doing (i.e., don’t keep thinking of other things you need to pick up at the store.)  If it’s a more persistent, distracting thought that is not easily dismissed, try circling back to your Cheatsheet for Killing Ugly Thoughts that we talked about a few weeks ago.

4. Other People.  

If someone else distracts you, especially if it happens regularly, those distractions are worth addressing.  However, your approach will likely depend on who that person is and whether you have the ability to change the situation.  For example, if your assistant interrupts you several times each day, you can train that person to keep a list of the things s/he needs your input on during the day, then to circle back with you at certain times or to wait until you check in, unless there is something urgent.  You can also notify your assistant when you’re about to be concentrating so they know not to interrupt you unless there is an emergency.  On the other hand, if you are an associate, you may not be able to do too much about a partner that pops into your door.  However, you can still do your best to mange the effect that distraction has on you.  For example, if the person is coming to you for updates/recaps/status of a project, you may be able to avoid that by proactively sending updates/summaries/current to-do lists from time to time.  If you can’t avoid the distraction, after you get interrupted, first decide whether the item the person interrupted you for needs immediate attention.  If so, note where you were as best you can to save time when you go back to your original task, then tackle the new task.  If the interruption item can wait, set a reminder to deal with it later (or write on that circle-back-pad of yours) and jump right back to what you were doing.

5. Yourself.

Often we can count on distracting ourselves at some point throughout the day, and that often happens simply because we need a break.  Try scheduling breaks through out the day, and stick to them, setting a reminder or putting it on your schedule if you need to.  You can try a mix of quick breaks, e.g., stand up and stretch for a minute or walk around the office floor once, and longer breaks, e.g., go for a walk or head to a coffee shop.  Try to keep your head out of work while you are on your break, as best you can (again here, just noticing your thoughts and not engaging with them will help you get better at that over time).  Having breaks built in not only keeps you refreshed but keeps you focused.  For example, if you feel tempted to jump on Facebook or start poking around on Amazon, reminding yourself that you have a break coming up in an hour may be enough to keep you focused on what you are doing.

PS – Still struggling with a distraction?  Have other ideas for how to handle these distractions?  Head on over to the Amazing Women Lawyers Facebook Group and ask for help or share your tip.  See you over there!  ~Kate

As hectic as law practice can be, there are many ways to create space, find better balance, have more time, make every day better, and do a better job of enjoying being a lawyer.  Too often though, we’re too busy to make the changes we need to get there or to even stop and think about what needs to change and how.  It’s easy to get stuck in a loop of wanting things to change, setting goals, and saying “I wish..” or “If I could just…” or “Starting next month I will…” then getting frustrated at the lack of progress.

Today, let’s talk about one key to making those changes that will actually have an impact and get you where you want to be.  (Next week we’ll talk about another.)  Key #1: Make small changes.  Small changes lead to big differences.

It’s the tiny, easier-to-accomplish changes that add up to really have an impact on your daily life.  But we tend to think those small changes are too small or will take too long, and we want things to change now.  The truth is though, making smaller changes bit by bit results in big, lasting change much faster than you would expect.  On the other hand, going after big changes often means we’re biting off more than we can chew, the big change is too much to tackle or sustain, we can’t keep it up, and we go back to the way things were before (but a little more frustrated), stuck in an annoying loop.  Ugh.

But, even if we recognize the need to make small change over time, that still doesn’t help if you don’t have time to think about what changes you should make or how to go about them in the first place.  The good news is, I can help you with that part.  On Monday, I’ll have an awesome announcement for you, so get excited – you’ll have an amazing chance to better your every day and to get some time back very soon, talk to you next week!

Be sure to join the email community and get in the WLN Facebook group so you don’t miss the announcement!

Psst….if you haven’t yet joined the free Get Back an Hour of Your Day Challenge, you can sign up here – we start Monday.

Key #2: You have to commit but only a little bit.  (Miss Key #1?)

To make changes that make your life better, happier, and more balanced, you do need to commit some time.  Fortunately, just a little bit of time can make a big difference.  We often delay making changes because we don’t have the big chunk of time we think it will take to make those changes.  But the truth is, if your time is well-spent, you don’t need much time – if you have a plan.

In other words, if there is something about your day-to-day that you don’t like (or many things), if you feel overwhelmed, tired, constantly scrambling, and out of balance, you only need to commit a little bit of time each day/week to get yourself where you want to be.  If you have a plan, you can break it down into little pieces and carry it out over time.  The problem is, you need to have a plan, which means you need to have time to figure out how to analyze and fix the problem.

Of course, if your problem is you’re already struggling to keep up, it’s unlikely you’ll have time or enough of a mental break to get past that first analysis and planning step.  So, too many of us end up feeling stuck in a loop, dissatisfied with our day-to-day, and thinking that one day, or when we get to a certain point, we’ll fix it.  Ugh.

The good news is, as tough as it can be to break that loop, it only takes a little change, just a tiny bit of progress to break the loop, then change is much easier from there.

Together we can break that loop.  We’re starting with the Get Back an Hour of Your Day Challenge, because 1) so many of us feel like we just do not have enough time in the day; 2) if we can create a little extra space, a little extra time, bigger change is much, much easier from there; and 3) it lets you skip that planning part that you don’t have time for – I’ve done it for you.

So, I invite you to take that first step with me by signing up to join me for this free 21-Day Challenge.  It’s an easy way to get started on making your day-to-day better, especially if you feel stuck in a loop with no time to make the changes that will break you out of it.

We start Monday, sign up now so you’re included, and I’ll talk to you then.

Over the past few months, in the WLN community, we’ve been digging into some important topics that have a big impact on our daily lives, and we’ll keep doing that as we move forward. Adding to those discussions, let’s take this month to talk about other stuff that affects us every day, issues that I regularly hear people saying they would like to improve:

• Sleep
• Fitness
• Food/Nutrition
• Energy

Each week this month, starting next week, we’ll tackle 5 Quick Tips to make progress in each of these categories.

Today, let’s prepare for the rest of the month by talking about two key concepts:

1. Some improvement is better than none at all. We often overlook this (being the super-achieving types that we are). In other words, we tend to take an all-or-nothing approach to the above issues. For example, we think – I don’t have a free hour to go to the gym, so I guess I won’t get to work out today, when actually a quick walk or a 5-minute workout at home would be much better than no workout at all. We’re used to knocking it out of the park, but sometimes it’s ok to just hit the ball and get to first base, then build on that and make bigger improvements later.

2. It’s an experiment. We spend time in the WLN community talking about ways to approach a problem as well as tips for handling issues, and I’m always thrilled to hear when amazing women like you use those discussions to make their daily life better. However, we can never have a completely one-size-fits-all approach that works for everyone. Often, it’s a matter of trying a tip or idea, seeing if it works for you, and perhaps changing and adjusting it to fit your life. So, keep in mind as we move through this month, that some of the tips you’re reading may work well right away, while others will require a little reflection and adjustment on your part. The good news is, as we so often do in this community, we’re moving along in bite-sized pieces so you can make continuous improvement over time, and that adds up to big changes really quickly!

One more thing, just click to let me know which of these bugs you the most every week, so I know which you’re most excited to dig into:

Sleep ……. Food ……. Fitness ……. Not Enough Energy

Lack of sleep (and sleep quality) does really terrible things to us – it can make us sluggish, distracted, cranky, less creative and leave us struggling with decisions, craving unhealthy food, and gaining weight, just to name a few. Yet, it’s really easy to skip sleep or to do things that mess with the quality of our sleep. Fortunately, I love reading sleep health articles and discussing sleep health research (sometimes even when I should be going to bed, go figure), so today let’s skip the scientific talk and get down to Five Quick Tips that you can use to help you get more and better sleep, starting tonight.

Let’s do this:

1. Make your bedroom dark. Get rid of any gadgets that you can see glowing when you turn the light off. Get light-blocking blinds and/or curtains if there is light peeking in at night. If you really can’t eliminate everything, find a safe way to cover it or try a sleep mask that you find comfortable.
2. Make it about sleep. And only sleep. Your bed should not be a desk, couch, or dining room table, i.e., no working, checking email, eating, or watching TV in bed. All these activities do several terrible things to your ability to get to sleep and to sleep well, which means they can seriously mess up your sleep and energy levels.
3. Keep it cool. You shouldn’t be too warm when you sleep. Find a temperature that works for you. Avoid blankets that will make you too hot. Try cooler or wicking sheets. Make sure your pajamas are a cool, breathable fabric, e.g., cotton is often a good starting point, and silk or bamboo can work well too. If you’re feeling too warm when you get in bed, sticking a leg out of the blanket for a bit can cool you down faster. But make sure your feet are not cold. If they are, find comfortable socks for bed that keep them a good temperature. Again, look for breathable material.
4. Skip the food and drink. Try to keep an 8-hour buffer between your last caffeine of the day and your bedtime. (I know, I know.) Also, leave a 2-3 hour buffer between your last meal of the day and bedtime. That can be really tough when you’re working late, but do your best to avoid eating close to bedtime. If you struggle with this, try setting a daily reminder to check in with yourself a few hours before bed to see if you need a snack – your own personal last call.
5. Skip the email. You probably expected this one, right? Turn screens off before bed. This is a tough one, but there are some really scary research articles and charts that show how much this can mess with your sleep. Try keeping at least an hour buffer of screen-free time before bed. You may need to set a reminder for a “tech last call” as well. You may also need a separate alarm clock, instead of your phone, to make it easier to keep your bedroom screen-free.Bonus: Your “no more screens” curfew is a good trigger to start a wind-down routine for the night, i.e., do the same things in the same order each night before you go do bed. Know what time you need to start your routine to be in bed on time. Ideally, your routine will give your brain some space from your day, your eyes some space from your screen, help you make the next day easier (e.g., set out your clothes or food for the next day), and help you relax so you’re more likely to sleep better (e.g., read a fiction book).

Sweet dreams!

Today, we talk about: Fitness.  Here are 5 quick tips to get you going:

Fitness and exercise have a big impact on our energy level (and our ability to sleep…this stuff is all connected!), but so often we don’t feel like we have enough time to devote to working out. (Or enough energy to work out…it’s a vicious cycle.) Here are Five Quick Tips to improve your fitness situation, starting today.

Here we go!

1. Ditch the all-or-nothing mindset. We often have the best intentions of going to the gym for an hour, then we have a busy day and don’t have time to fit in an hour, so we skip it. Or we think – when I have time to sit down and map out a workout plan or join a gym, then I’ll work out. Don’t wait until you have enough time or can tackle a big workout goal. Do anything, now. A 10-minute walk, a few wall pushups – do whatever you can manage, then celebrate the small victory. (This is why people fell in love with the 7-minute workout.)

2. Go after the low-hanging fruit. Park further away, take the stairs, take a longer route when you walk to the office or a meeting – these little things can add up to make a difference and boost your energy.

3. Notice your reasons and resistance. It takes shockingly little to derail us from our fitness goals. Ever forget your headphones, have a little headache, or feel a little tired and skip your workout altogether? Next time you find yourself skipping the healthy choice, or feeling tempted to, stop and notice the conversation you’re having with yourself.

4. Add a few easy habits/rules. Fitness is yet another thing that we’re more likely to tackle if we can make it a habit and take the brainpower out of it. Add easy, little bits of fitness into your day, and they will become automatic. Keep it simple to start. For example, you could do 5 wall pushups every time you get off of a conference call, or a 10-second wall sit every time you switch from one client project to another, or calf raises while waiting at the printer.

5. Have a few go-to quick exercises. The more we complicate, the more difficult it can be to follow through on fitness plans, so do whatever you can to make it easy on yourself. Keep a list of exercises that you can easily choose from depending on the amount of time you typically have available.

Of course it goes without saying, but be sure to choose exercises and an approach that fits your physical abilities and fitness level. Here’s to your small fitness wins!

We’re moving on to the third item on our list for August: food. Here are your Five Quick Tips:

1. Eat The Healthy Stuff Even if you Eat the Unhealthy Stuff. Eating fruits and vegetables is really (really, really) important, so be sure that even if you’re eating something less healthy too, you still try to work in those fruits and vegetables. Maybe on an ideal day, everything you eat is healthy. Even if not, still get those fruits and vegetables in too.

2. Really Taste Your Food. Try taking a few seconds to stop whatever you’re doing, put down your pen or phone, close your eyes if you want, and really taste just the first bite of whatever you’re eating. Notice the taste, texture, and the size of the bite you took. Often this will prompt you to naturally slow down your eating, chew your food, take smaller bites, and eat less overall.

3. Decide if it’s Worth it. Another cool thing that happens when you slow down to taste your food for just that first bite: you may actually notice that some of the foods you thought you enjoyed, especially those that we snack on when we’re busy, don’t actually taste that good and aren’t worth eating. Earlier this summer, I was having friends over and bought a package of brand name processed crackers to put out with some cheese. Not super healthy but a nice treat, or so I thought. I’ve loved this brand of cracker since I was a kid. Then, for the fist time, I actually paused long enough to really taste one (instead of absent-mindedly snacking on one at a party while talking). Turns out, they’re kind of gross, and I’m no longer tempted to eat those empty calories. (This is a great way to handle some of the probably-also-kind-of-gross free food in the office cafeteria that starts to look delicious when you’re tired and hungry.) A delicious macaroon from the local bakery on the other hand….totally worth it.

4. Keep it Simple. Ever decide that this week you’re going to be super healthy so you go to the grocery store and buy lots of healthy stuff with the intention of spending a few weekend hours to food prep, prepare healthy lunches, and look up new recipes to make for dinners during the week? Then you end up too rushed in the morning to actually pack that healthy lunch and too tired in the evening to cook. So you grab a lackluster sandwich from the building cafeteria for lunch and end up snacking instead of really eating dinner. Instead, find a way to make it simple – try sticking to a handful of simple healthy recipes that only take a few minutes to put together and cycle through them, or focus on one healthy meal a day, or making dinner just once or twice per week – save the complication and experimentation for when you have time, keep it simple otherwise.

5. (Again, as with Fitness) Ditch the All or Nothing Mindset. We tend to love hitting the reset button when it comes to food and nutrition, thinking I’ll start eating healthy tomorrow/after the weekend/next month when things slow down – that magical time when we will eat 100% healthy foods – in the meantime, may as well have that cookie. It’s really easy to fall into this trap, but there are issues with this approach. First, 100% perfectly healthy is not particularly realistic (and it’s kind of boring). Next, it takes a ton of willpower. And finally, although we’re tempted to think we do better with clear rules, saying “I’m not eating any white flour right now,” to your brain, is like putting a giant red button in front of it and saying, “Don’t press that.” – it tends to work against you eventually. (This is why people end up stuck in a cycle of dieting/eating healthy on and off, over and over.) It’s actually easier to be healthy, consistently, when you’re not so extreme or hard on yourself….really.

Next week, we wrap up our August Sleep/Fitness/Food/Energy 5 Quick Tips series and move on, BUT we’ll have the opportunity to dig further into these topics down the road, alongside the other game-changing topics we cover. If you’re up for more practical, easy-to-implement tips on getting your health, sleep, nutrition, fitness, and energy on track, click here so I know you want to keep it going later.

1. Signs You’re Trying Too Hard to Please Everyone.
2. Female Lawyers Can Talk Too.
3. One Question to Create More Time in Your Day.
4. Four Ideas to Advance Women in the Profession
5. Thoughts on “Invisible Women” in the Profession

1. Signs You’re Trying Too Hard to Please Everyone.  Forbes Woman shares these 10 signs that you’re trying too hard to please everyone, such as apologizing, struggling with saying no, acting like people around you, and avoiding conflict.

2. Female Lawyers Can Talk Too.  NYT shares these thoughts on women lawyers not getting enough opportunities to speak in court.

3. One Question to Create More Time in Your Day.  Muse talks about prioritizing and making better use of time by asking what matters right now.  (See also: our WLN discussion of whether everything you’re doing needs to be done.)

4. Four Ideas to Advance Women in the Profession.  On page 10 of the NAWL Women Lawyer’s Journal, Dr. Arin Reeves shares 4 innovative tips for advancing women lawyers, such as leadership development programs and having people opt out of opportunities instead of opting in.

5. Thoughts on “Invisible Women” in the Profession.  My Shingle shares this food for thought about the treatment of women in small firms/solo practice and the way women treat other women.