The POSITIVE Lawyer

These are SUPER powerful when they remind you in advance! ? The best way to illustrate the power of reminder flags is to share an anecdote.? ? I once worked with a team of insurance lawyers who repeatedly performed the same standard matters. They understood the key milestones and critical delivery dates and sometimes the timescales and dates were mandated by regulations or the court system.? ? They had an amazing legal secretary, who diligently allocated matters to team members and recorded the milestone dates in the diaries of the allocated lawyers as soon as they created the matter file.?? ? This was great but just wasn’t working – I could see that team members were overwhelmed and regularly missing deadlines.?? ? The solution was simple – the reminder flags were only in diaries on the date that the tasks needed to be completed. So sometimes team members would get so busy that they weren't looking ahead in their diaries- it was common for them to get to work and check their diaries only to find a milestone was due and that they couldn’t possibly get all the work done in one day!? ? This is a lot like running through the forest and getting smacked in the face by all the branches rather than anticipating the branches and having time to push them out of the way.? ? We did a few team sessions to map out the effort and duration of the milestone tasks and adjusted the diary management practices of their legal secretary. New forward-planning reminder flags were then inserted into diaries providing plenty of advance warning. The original reminders were also kept in place. ? If you like it, share it! #lawyer?#positivelawyer?#legaloperations?#legalprojectmanagement?#legalindustry?#positivepsychologycoach #personalproductivity

I get asked – does this stuff really work, and the answer is YES, YES, YES it does. I’ve got so many examples of improvements that can be achieved by individual lawyers and legal teams. I’ve only got room to share one with you now. Here’s one quick example of how my personal productivity tools can make an immediate and tangible difference… I was working with a Senior Associate to map out the phases, deliverables and activities for her matters when it became obvious to me that she was so overwhelmed that she couldn’t think straight. Before we could begin to develop the LPM precedents to support delegation and improve quality and consistency, I needed to find ways to reduce her stress so that she’d have the headspace to concentrate on the task at hand. I quickly dove into my kit bag of techniques for getting organised and selected the Daily Book supported by the Personal Prioritisation Matrix. I worked with her over the next few sessions to design her own approach to these tools and on our third session together I was so happy to see her commitment to her new Daily Book. She shared her feelings of sheer relief about being better organised and also mentioned that she had been seriously considering resigning due to the intense overwhelm and stress – this would have resulted in a massive loss of knowledge for the firm. Instead, we went on to develop amazing LPM precedents that are regularly shared with clients and team members, and are still in use today! That’s when I realised that I could magnify the positive impacts of Legal Project Management by combining it with my suite of productivity tools that I use in my own working life. This thinking was incorporated into the online Personal Productivity Skills course and Module 5 of the program. I regularly deliver a Personal Productivity Skills module as part of regular CPD training and Induction training for my clients. Book a FREE 30-minute initial coaching session - link in the comments below... #legalmindset #positivelawyer #legalprojectmanagement #legalprocessimprovement #productivity #lawyer #coaching

Are you thinking about work on the weekend too much? Do you get stressed on Sunday evening when you think about going back to work on Monday? Do you sleep badly because you start getting overwhelmed by all the tasks you need to get done? Then, Friday afternoons are the perfect time to get organised for next week so you’re not constantly thinking about all the work things you need to get done over the weekend. One great way to ensure this is done is to instigate a meeting-free zone every Friday afternoon. Block out this time as a timebox in your calendar that no one is allowed to override. I recommend you start with 90 minutes at 3.30 pm and over time you may be able to reduce this to 30 minutes as you get better at planning, organising, and delegating. You can use your personal productivity tools, especially the prioritisation matrix and matter milestone list to identify all the critical and due takes for next week. Then go one step further a decide which of the tasks can be delegated. The next step is then to schedule time on Monday morning to brief and delegate the team. Now you can really enjoy your weekend. If you like it, share it! #positivepsychology #legalmindset #productivity #positivelawyer #legalpeoplemanagement

Are you holding back on delegating because you feel you can do it faster or better? Or maybe you avoid delegating because it just seems too time-consuming? If delegating is a challenge for you, drop a "YES" in the comments, and I'll send over my Time Boxing and Delegation Toolkit! After a decade of working with thousands of lawyers in legal project management, process improvement, and productivity, I’m still surprised by how many struggle with delegation. While some are naturals, most find it difficult to delegate effectively. If you're feeling overwhelmed and things are slipping, learning to delegate well could be your game-changer. Here’s why delegation is tough for many lawyers: either they’ve never learned how or they believe they can do it faster and better. But if you want to expand your practice, handle more in less time, and avoid burnout, then delegation is non-negotiable. Delegation Tips: ?? Delegate immediately—don’t let tasks sit ?? Set a deadline and an early check-in to avoid last-minute issues ?? Pick the right person and think about the support they’ll need ?? Choose the best leadership style for them (Adaptive Leadership helps with this) ?? Give a solid briefing with all they need to succeed ?? Leave time for review before the deadline ?? Own the outcome - if the quality’s not there, it’s a sign to improve the delegation process From what I’ve seen, top-performing lawyers are skilled delegators and leaders. Check out one of my popular articles on Adaptive Leadership for tips on how to pick the right person and lead effectively - link in the comments below... #lawyer #positivelawyer #legalprojectmanagement #legalleadership #productivitycoach

I love this photo of my daughter Gabriella Lowgren and me, it’s from the last trip we did to Tokyo together. It was a magical and playful time and gave me the opportunity to channel my inner princess. It is important that we hold on to our playfulness. What happens as we age?? ? We go from being naturally active and flexible to being unconsciously inactive and rigid.? ? When we are children, we love to play and run around. We often participate in organised sports and outdoor games.? ? When we get older, we have more responsibilities and less time to move.? ? This greatly impacts our minds and our bodies.? ? We become stiff in our bodies and fixed in our mindsets.? ? It is harder to learn new things and to commit to important changes when we are grown up!? ? “The simple trick to living longer and better is to reintroduce all those things that we naturally did as children. Move, laugh, play, experiment, and explore.”? ? If you like it, share it…? ? #lawyer?#positivelawyer?#legaloperations?#legalprojectmanagement?#legalindustry?#positivepsychologycoach #optimalperformance

Here is my personal virtuous cycle for optimal performance. It has been distilled from a lifetime of interest in happiness, performance, and wellbeing. I only saw the cycle from Michael Gervais several years after I developed my own and it’s no coincidence, they are similar - the research led us both here. I have embedded these components into my daily habits. Sometimes I wander off track and act to course correct and other times I give myself permission to step outside of my normal boundaries, or I adjust the framework. This is particularly important for holidays and during periods of high stress. This cycle is how I set myself up for success with the best possible foundations and then I maintain a commitment to continuous improvement in my work, fitness, health, happiness, and wellbeing. Find out more in this week’s Tuesday toolkit. If you like it, share it! #lawyer?#positivelawyer?#legaloperations?#legalprojectmanagement?#legalindustry?#positivepsychologycoach #optimalperformance

You know exercise is good for you. Well, it’s even better than you think. It boosts your mood; increases your life expectancy; and improves your mental, cognitive and brain health! ? Want to feel better, have more energy and even add years to your life? Just exercise.? ? Exercise makes us stronger in many ways – it improves our cognitive ability; helps us solve problems more creatively; improves our flexibility; increases our metabolism through more muscle mass; and improves our bone strength. It also supports a stronger immune system and reduces the impacts of infection and inflammation. ? The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. Everyone benefits from exercise, regardless of age, sex or physical ability.? ? Research indicates that high-intensity exercise in the morning is ideal. If this doesn’t work for you then feel great about the fact that any exercise is beneficial. Ideally around 45 to 60 minutes of high-intensity exercise every day that combine both aerobic and strength components.? ? Even small amounts of physical activity are helpful, and accumulated activity throughout the day adds up to provide health benefits.? ? So, take a dance class, hit the hiking trails or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. Bored? Try something new or do something with friends or family.? ? Book me in for a FREE initial coaching session and I can give you practical tips to optimise your performance – link in the comments below… #lawyer?#positivelawyer?#legaloperations?#legalprojectmanagement?#legalindustry?#positivepsychologycoach #optimalperformance

As we head into the weekend, we might be planning functions that involve the relaxation of drinking a few glasses of wine or beer. Just make sure that you drink a glass of water in between.? ? Water is vital to the function of our brains and our bodies. After all our bodies are between 50 and 75% water, and we lose water every day, so it’s critical that we replenish our supply.? ? There are four main areas where hydration supports us – ?? Performance – If you are not well hydrated your physical performance will suffer, especially during intense exercise or high temperatures.?Optimal hydration prevents the loss of physical performance and also reduces the oxidative stress that occurs from intense exercise. ?? Cognition – our brains are strongly influenced by our hydration status. Studies show that even mild dehydration, such as the loss of 1 to 3% of body weight, can impair many aspects of brain function such as mood, working memory, concentration, anxiety, fatigue and headaches. ?? Good health – there are many other benefits to staying well hydrated. For instance, dehydration is a major cause of headaches and also contributes to significantly worse hangovers. Water supports the function of our intestines and is critical to avoid constipation (especially mineral water that contains magnesium). Increased water intake appears to decrease the risk of kidney stone formation. Some evidence suggests that increasing water intake can promote weight loss by slightly increasing your metabolism and making you feel full before a meal when drunk half an hour before eating – this results in naturally smaller portion sizes.? ?? Wellbeing – adequate hydration reduces feelings of anxiety and uplifts our mood, it reduces feelings of fatigue and anger and increases our ability to concentrate. Enough clean water daily generally contributes to more stable, positive emotions. #lawyer?#positivelawyer?#legaloperations?#legalprojectmanagement?#legalindustry?#positivepsychologycoach #nutrition

I’m sharing a photo of my wonderful assistant Rodelynn, who was recently on holiday. She went to Amsterdam, Rome, Switzerland, and Paris. Now, she loves cheese almost as much as I do. If I could eat only one food for the rest of my life, it would be cheese!? ? Even if we eat cheese, we all know that we feel better when we eat better.? ? Good nutrition and healthy eating are about more than weight loss.? ? Good eating habits improve your wellbeing, your mood, your productivity, your focus, and your happiness.? ? Extensive research studies (too many to list and too many to count)…confirm that the food we eat impacts our health.? ? “Employees with unhealthy diets were 66% more likely to report a productivity loss than healthy eaters” Brigham University research? ? I prefer not to think of ‘diets’ as these tend to conjure up ideas of nutritional deprivation. For me nutrition is about having a healthy eating plan that is a natural part of your lifestyle and supports good health, as well as optimal physical and mental performance. It’s all about a common-sense approach.? ? Chapter 9 of The POSITIVE Lawyer Mindset book takes a deep dive into nutrition. Check out the book – link in the comments below?? ? If you like it, share it! ? #lawyer?#positivelawyer?#legaloperations?#legalprojectmanagement?#legalindustry?#positivepsychologycoach #nutrition

Are you a lawyer feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled? Confused about all the new expectations from clients and not sure how to change your approach to your work? Maybe you’re thinking about leaving the profession?? ? The POSITIVE Lawyer is a groundbreaking learning and coaching program tailored specifically for lawyers. It builds positive mindsets and transforms ways of working to increase your productivity, reduce your stress, and reignite your spark. We’ve even helped clients get promoted to partners, or move into less traditional legal careers that they love.? ? Book me in for a FREE initial coaching session and you’ll get a glimpse of how The POSITIVE Lawyer can change your life and set you up for a long and successful career – link in the comments below…? ? If you like it, share it! #lawyer?#positivelawyer?#legaloperations?#legalprojectmanagement?#legalindustry?#positivepsychologycoach #positivepsychology #qualitysleep