I get this question quite often:

“I hope you’re doing well. I opened my own practice last year, which is primarily focused on family law matters. I was reading your post today about being a lawyer or a law firm owner, and that’s something that I’m kind of stuck in now. One of the things I have been constantly changing and experimenting with (but not having much luck finding a good balance with) is my weekly schedule, and I thought it might make an interesting topic you could cover one day. I guess what I’m trying to get at is do the lawyers in your firm have certain times marked out during the week for marketing, new client consultations, current client meetings, work time, time to return phone calls, etc.?”

So it’s basically a time management question—how do you find the time to do everything you need to do?

The answer?

You don’t.

You can’t get it all done. There isn’t enough time, and if there were, you’d use it up with some big idea you haven’t had time to address.

There isn’t enough time. Accept it and move on. Stop trying to manage the time to fit it all in.

What can you do?

You can make sure you do the things you’ve prioritized and let everything else wait.

If you want to do the marketing, then you’re going to have to push it up to the top of the list.

If you decide that it’s got to get done after everything else, then it’s not going to get done.

Here’s my suggestion—and it’s what I do when I’m being effective—make the thing that’s your priority first. Do it first thing in the morning.

For instance, if you want to increase your referral source meetings, do it first. Keep a list of prospects handy. Get up. Eat breakfast, shower, and then get on the phone to that list. Schedule a meeting and don’t quit until you’re done.

I can hear you now—but, but, but I’ve got court in the morning. I can’t do it then.

How about getting up 30 minutes earlier and doing it then? How about doing it the day before if you know you’ve got a conflict the next morning? How about you just do it if it matters to you?

If it’s not important to you, then stop beating yourself up about it.

If it is important, then put it on the top of the list and do it. You’ve got the time. You do the other stuff that matters.

You don’t leave your kid at softball practice and forget to pick her up, do you? Sadly, I did this once. You don’t decide that you don’t have time to pick her up, right?

If it matters, make it first. Make it happen.