The one thing every attorney agrees on

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Subject: The one thing every attorney agrees on

Success Without Sacrifice

N E W S L E T T E R

Anti-hustle strategies for lawyers who want more control, impact, and life.

Back when I practiced law, I watched a partner spend 3 days at month-end reconstructing his time.

Every. Single. Month.

He'd sit there with his secretary, going through his calendar, phone logs, email threads, and meeting notes, trying to piece together what he'd done weeks ago like a detective solving a cold case.

His poor secretary spent even more time each month pulling it all together for him. Then, they'd huddle for hours trying to figure out: "Was that call 30 minutes or an hour?"

[He definitely lost time. And drove everyone crazy in the process.]

This is the lawyer's version of Groundhog Day.

The same scramble every month.

Again and again.

I don't know a private practice attorney who actually likes tracking time. Most can't stand it. The few who've made peace with it have learned to feel "neutral" about it (but still don't "like" it).

Sadly, most struggle to keep up with it. Even though NOT tracking it is:

An ethics violation.
Poor client service.
Lost revenue for you and your firm.

And here’s the thing…

It’s part of the job.

EVERYTHING CAN'T ALWAYS BE

Fun (Sorry, But It's True)

No matter how enjoyable your job or role, there will always be tasks you’d rather avoid.

This is true for many things, both personally and professionally.

Although collaboration has an obvious upside, not everyone will get along all of the time (and conflict management is your job as team leader).
Although parenting has its benefits, it’s not fun when your kids have hard lessons to learn.
And although building your book of business leads to more control and income, networking events and pitches can feel uncomfortable and time-consuming.

So, how can you turn this around?

Here’s my 3-step framework:

STEP 1:

Stop wasting energy on:

"I wish I didn't have to..." and "If only I could skip this part..."

That resistance creates more mental load than the task itself.

Instead, accept it as something that just is. Like my client, Emily, who decided tracking time was just like “clocking in and out”.

STEP 2:

Support

Get proper support to make it easier, whether:

Time-tracking software that runs in the background.
Having a leadership coach (or mentor!) on speed dial.
Calling a friend who has been through a similar parent-trap before.
Partnering with a colleague at networking events as your "wing person".

Resources are available.

Find them. Use them.

STEP 3:

Mindset

[You knew mindset was going to be part of this, didn't you?]

Once you've accepted and found support, reframe how you think about it.

That time data? It's proof of your value and a roadmap for your BD efforts.
Managing conflict between team members? You’re strengthening your leadership skills and building a more resilient team.
The tough parenting conversation? It’s a life lesson they need to learn (and you’re glad to be the one to help them through it).
Uncomfortable networking events? You’re allowing yourself to meet new, interesting people.

I can't promise you'll love it all. But these three steps will help get you to neutral. So you're not fighting yourself anymore.

What's the one thing you need to stop fighting and start reframing, Friend?

Hit reply and let me know (I promise to get back to you with at least one tip).

XO,

Heather

P.S. Want to know how to start tracking your time and writing great narratives (so you don’t end up like the partner mentioned above)? Listen to this week’s Life & Law podcast with guest Molly Kremer (aka The Billing Coach).

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A B O U T

H E A T H E R

Former BigLaw partner. Lawyer coach. Cancer survivor. Mom x2. Recovering overachiever.

I traded in my $2.5MM+ practice to help lawyers create the kind of success that doesn’t come at the cost of their well-being.

Learn more about me here.

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Subject: The one thing every attorney agrees on