Few careers are more demanding than that of an attorney. The hours are long, there’s constant pressure to bill more hours, and there’s always work that you could be doing – even when you’re at home or on vacation.
For a young, single attorney, the pressure and time commitment is manageable. There’s nobody at home waiting for you, which means you can put in extra hours without major backlash. But for a dad with a family, there are more strings attached. Trying to build a successful career and carve out time with family comes with a learning curve.
But those who master it discover that it really is possible to have both.
5 Tips for Spending Time With the Family
Being an attorney and a dad often makes you feel like a kite in the wind – you’re constantly being pushed and pulled in different directions. If you want to make both work without negatively impacting one area of your life at the expense of the other, you’ll need to implement tips like these:
1. Create a Schedule
You can’t expect to master your role as attorney and dad without a schedule – a tangible schedule that’s in writing for everyone to see. This schedule should clearly outline your hours, where you’ll be at what time, and which role takes precedence during which times of the day.
Don’t try to keep separate calendars for work and family. Doing so will only create confusion and conflict. Merge both calendars into one and give your family access to it. This keeps everyone on the same page.
2. Limit Distractions
When you’re in the office, be fully there. Productivity is the primary focus of your time at work. The only way to maximize productivity is to have a clear understanding of the task at hand and to eliminate unnecessary distractions.
The best way to limit distractions is to turn off your personal cell phone, log out of social media, and use website blockers to avoid sites that suck up your time. These actions alone could save you more than an hour each day.
3. Learn to Say “No”
It’s impossible to make time for your family if you’re constantly saying yes to every career-related opportunity. You must learn how to say no.
“Keep in mind that this isn’t necessarily about saying no to taking cases that would bring in needed income. This is about learning to say no to things that you truly don’t want to do or that you don’t have time to do,” entrepreneur Michael Barrons writes.
You also have to learn the power of saying no in your personal life. If a neighbor asks you to play in an adult softball league and you know that it’ll put even more strain on your schedule, you have to feel equipped to confidently turn him down. It’s all about prioritizing your time so that you’re spending it with the people that matter most.
4. Outsource and Delegate
There are certain tasks in your job that you can outsource and delegate to others in order to clear your schedule and save time. It might cost you in terms of dollars and cents, but it will ultimately generate a positive ROI in terms of time savings and superior results.
For example, as important as it is for building your brand and generating clients, you don’t have time to handle search engine optimization (SEO). Hiring a company that specializes in SEO for attorneys will save you hours each week – time that can be reallocated to your children.
5. Maximize Weekends
Weekends are where you make up for some of the lost time you weren’t able to spend with your family during the workweek. Ideally, both Saturday and Sunday are carved out exclusively for family. However, if you can’t do both, make sure you at least pick one day and set it aside. During this day, you don’t touch work. Everything is done with the intention of building and maintaining relationships with your children and/or spouse.
Balancing Priorities
Life is all about priorities. When you’re an attorney and a father, you constantly have to weigh your priorities so that you can allocate the proper amount of focus and energy to the task at hand. When you finally learn to balance priorities, guilt will dissipate and you’ll find joy and freedom in living a meaningful and productive life.
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This content is sponsored by Larry Alton.
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