As I looked around this blog considering what to write (cool blog!), I began to think about why we are interested in increasing productivity. Ultimately, I realized, we are interested in being more productive because we think that, by doing so, we can get more of what we want in life. In other words, in spite of the challenges of law, we want to thrive – that overall sense that life is good in spite of the challenges (or maybe because of them).

There are some wrong turns we can take on the path to thriving, and one of them is to focus on making more money. In other words, we could believe:

More productivity = More money = Greater Thriving

Wrong! Research on well-being, what makes us happy, what gives us that sense of thriving in life has produced some pretty compelling evidence that beyond a fairly modest base, money makes little difference. However, most people get this point intuitively without the research. Try this. Imagine a lawyer with a household income of $80,000 who describes his or her life as follows: (more…)

Yesterday, we discussed how lawyers could improve their law firm productivity and personal well-being by training for a triathlon or 5k, and the positive reaction told us we were on to something.

So today, we’re going to stick with the fitness theme for today’s mobile app:  Active.com.

Last year in my quest to keep in shape and stay disciplined, the Active.com app was a critical, invaluable asset. They publish new articles every day about different sports and feature lots of great advice.  Their regular website is great too:  check out their 5k and triathlon starter guides. (more…)

Lawyers, like other professionals, work better and clear a higher profit when they make better decisions.

And you make better decisions when you’re less stressed. And you’re less stressed when you exercise.

You also have more energy for work when you kick off the morning with a run or a circuit at the gym. And aside from the productivity and mental boost you get from exercise, there’s the clear benefit of better health.

Consistent exercise is elusive for many people, and it was for me as well. I would turn over a new leaf & work out hard for three months until travel or a cold would knock me off my routine. Then I would take three months off, or however long it took until I got back into the swing of things. (more…)

Around this time of year we start thinking about compiling lists of things we want to do or change in the new year. These resolutions often remain just that – lists without much action. Prominent on most lists is getting and staying fit. On this blog we’re all about productivity and almost nothing is more important to remaining active and productive than a healthy body and mind.

Stepping out on your own with a solo practice, small firm or entrepreneurial venture severely limits the time and funds available to join a health club or invest in equipment, and it’s a very slippery slope to getting consumed with work, holed up in a home office and abandon your fitness routine. The very same routine that gave you the energy to be productive. I know, I’ve been there. (more…)

“Mindfulness,” or paying attention in the present moment with an open mind, reduces our inclination to dwell on the past, and worry about the future. Mindfulness also increases focus and concentration, and, because it is investigative, it’s a good fit for attorneys.

While people sometimes confuse mindfulness and relaxation, the practice of mindfulness increases concentration and creativity, as well as reducing stress. Being mindful brings focus: whether it’s to a client’s story, a deposition, a negotiation, or legal research.

Mindfulness helps us let go of fruitless efforts to be in complete control, and helps us obtain more satisfaction from the law. Being “present in the moment” can help lawyers deal with unanticipated developments. It enhances analytical, yet intuitive, decision-making. This can lead to stronger interpersonal relationships. Learning to “respond,” rather than “react”, opens the door to an array of new options. (more…)

New Year’s resolutions are right around the corner, and so is, ironically, the holiday binge-eating season. We hope 2011′s been a happy and healthy one for ya, and wish 2012 is as well. But how well do you know the basics of attorney health and wellness?

I’ve never been a fan of clutter – something nags me about it on a subconscious level – and it turns out my vibes were right.

I didn’t know this until recently, but having too much stuff lying around can cause all sorts of problems, including increased time lost, lack of freedom of thought, feelings of oppression and lack of control, and diminishment of willpower.

All from a messy countertop or closet – go figure.

It seems simple, but the truths are pretty deep. When people eliminate their clutter, they gain a feeling of control (versus lack of control) over their lives, which is a reason in and of itself to attack your overstuffed inbox. And then there’s the story of less time wasted: some estimates put the amount of housework eliminated at 40% when clutter is ki-boshed.

Two recent books espouse the virtues of a clutter free environment: The Joy of Less and The Happiness Project, both of which were published in 2010.

In the Joy of Less, Francine Jay points out that clutter impairs freedom of thought and creativity: when you have empty spaces, not filled ones, more things are possible. A vessel has value when it’s empty, not when it’s full. She writes:

We reclaim our space, and restore function and potential to our homes.

And when you have to choose between five different pairs of pants versus two, you’re using up your precious decision muscles, leaving you prone at every turn to “decision fatigue” and the resulting decrease of willpower.

As Gretchen Rubin says in The Happiness Project:

I felt happier choosing between two pairs of black pants that I liked rather than among five pairs of black pants.

Here’s another thing: I’ve studied a lot of different productivity/personal improvement systems, and universal truths pop out. It kind of reminds me of Joseph Campbell’s commentary on the commonalities of the world’s religions. Again and again, you see the suggestion to eliminate clutter. David Allen’s “Dumpster Day” in the GTD system is another example.

So do yourself a favor during your holiday downtime, schedule a work and personal dumpster day, and eliminate clutter!

“Responsibly Connected” is a seminar I present which deals with how to use technology responsibly.

The odd thing is, whenever I present on this topic, people come up to me afterwards and pour their hearts out about how Internet-connectedness has gotten to the point of interfering with the family. I feel like a therapist, not a CLE speaker.

So I was happy to see a Frontline® documentary on PBS about this very topic called Digital Nation: Life on The Virtual Frontier. I actually was able to rent it from our local library. (Call me a luddite, but I still like to watch TV on a TV, and I also read library books).

The film opens with a disturbingly familiar scene: family members around a kitchen table all on different connected devices. It explores a lot of the subject matter we’ve covered on this blog about multitaskers, who have convinced themselves are über-efficient but in reality are “suckers for irrelevancy,” as one UCLA researcher put it.

What I liked about the documentary, for fans of this topic, is it explores multiple facets of the connectivity phenomenon. Relationships, virtual reality, addiction, and war are all covered. So now, in this second year of our digital overload awakening, the ruminations from technology philosophers like Nick Carr combine with this depiction of the human toll.

The result: we’re starting to see a total picture of the smartphone-laptop-Internet-tablet-social media-email-multitasking society we’ve become.

See also:
Three Reasons Why We’re Powerless To Unplug.
Be as Mobile as You Wanna Be. Just Don’t Be Stupid.
Video: Responsibly Connected: How Not To Be Consumed By Technology
PS: Thanks to my colleague Raymond Lee for the recommendation.

Inspiration is gratitude’s easy-to-mock cousin in personal self-fulfillment.

It’s a lot more fun to be cynical than earnest. Just the other day I was LMAO at a mock inspirational poster showing a deflated Stormtrooper with the title “Regret: Those Were The Droids You Were Looking For”.

Cynicism aside, however, in 2011 a little inspiration can go along way with the crazy state of the world and the stresses the tough economy is piling upon us.

I am lucky to have plenty of inspiration in my life, including my folks, my wife, and my kids. But many of us are lucky that way, so I wanted to share some things that I didn’t know about, that really blew me away when I encountered them for the first time. (more…)

Just last week, as Larry, co-founder of Rocket Matter, and I discussed his App of the Week post about nutrition, we went on a tangent about the work-life and wellness topics we’ve written about here and the need for more, as it speaks directly to productivity. And we’re all about productivity!

We were especially burdened about addressing issues related to lawyers and depression. Later that day, through the magic of social media, we came across a mention by Susan of Solo Practice University about the Dave Nee Foundation. I contacted them and chatted with Wynne Kelly whose passion and commitment to this very important project formed the basis for this piece.
(more…)