September + Q3 review

Every month and quarter, I take time to review what happened and prepare for what comes next.

In this job, and in life, it’s easy to move from day to day without noticing what we’ve accomplished.

You may feel like you are not getting much done, or you may be doing a lot without being able to name it.

Yesterday, I wrote about slowing down.

I did slow down in September.

I took a week off to spend time up north with my dad. He traveled from Georgia to northern Wisconsin to stay with us at our lake house.

Even with that week off, I had nine one-on-ones with mentees, colleagues, new contacts, potential clients, and current clients.

I had a board meeting, played tennis twice, and attended a great AI event hosted by CLOC in Chicago.

I am deep in deposition prep, and a trial team is starting up again after an adjournment.

I also began an AI boot camp and am learning how to become an AI architect.

I finished a great book called “Unprecedented”, about building a human-designed law firm.

I got to give a talk on a fav topic, time management, to law students at Fordham.

As I look ahead to October and Q4, I know I have some catching up to do to reach my 2,400 all-in hours.

I’ll share more about that tomorrow.

On this last day of September and Q3, I feel grateful.

It has been a strange work year.

It has been much slower than last year, when I led a full-speed-ahead trial team for the first time.

At times, I have not known what to do with myself.

Still, I have used the time well.

I spent time up north, learned, developed professionally, networked, pitched alternative fee options, and learned more about how to make those alternative fees profitable even in big law.

I also gave myself room to breathe, work out, meditate, focus on myself, and take long walks.

I do not always have this space or time, so I try to make the most of it when I do.

♥️✌🏻🔥