6 Behaviors Sabotaging the Success of Your Law Practice

Truth time…

There were days in my law practice where I worked nonstop, yet by the end of the day, I couldn’t pinpoint what I’d actually accomplished. I felt:

?? Drained from doing everything at once

?? Overwhelmed by the endless pile of work

?? Exhausted, with no real progress to show for it

Sound familiar?

It took me a while to realize that it wasn’t just the workload holding me back. It was the habits I’d built over the years that were quietly sabotaging my success.

In my latest issue of Be a Better Lawyer Insiders, I’m breaking down 6 subtle behaviors that may be keeping you stuck — and more importantly, how to turn them around.

Let’s dive in!

1. Focusing on Everything at All At Once

Most lawyers start their day by looking at the mountain of work ahead: briefs, client emails, deadlines, admin tasks — and the natural instinct is to try to tackle everything at once.

But when you try to look at everything all at once, you end up scattered and ineffective, with nothing of true significance getting done.

The Fix: Take 10 minutes every morning to plan your day intentionally.

Ask yourself: What’s the one task that, if completed today, would have the biggest impact? Then, focus on that first.

Focusing on the highest-impact task helps you avoid getting overwhelmed and ensures you’re making meaningful progress every day.

2. Over-Working and Over-Scheduling

Many lawyers equate longer hours with higher productivity.

We pack our schedules with back-to-back meetings and work late into the night, thinking it will lighten the load.

But working longer hours doesn’t improve productivity. It just drains your energy, leading to burnout and lower-quality work.

The Fix: Create an “enough plan.”

Decide ahead of time what it means for your workday to be done. For example: “I’m done when I finish this brief, check emails, and draft this document. At 6 PM, I’m out.” Stick to it.

By setting clear boundaries for your workday, you prevent burnout and create a sense of accomplishment without overloading yourself.

3. Creating Worry and Fear

As lawyers, we’re trained to think about the “what ifs” — but that same skill can turn against us when we use it to fuel unnecessary worry.

Running worst-case scenarios in your head, like “What if I miss my revenue goal?” or “What if my client leaves?”, doesn’t solve the problem — it just wastes mental energy and creates anxiety.

The Fix: Notice when you feel worry or fear in your body (tension, shallow breathing, etc.). Then, try this breathing exercise: Breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 7, and release for 8. Afterward, ask yourself: What’s the best action I can take right now?

This process interrupts the cycle of worry, calms your nervous system, and shifts your brain from anxiety into problem-solving mode.

4. Not Creating Boundaries and Mental Space

Without boundaries, we’re constantly pulled into other people’s emergencies and distractions. This creates a reactive state where your focus is constantly interrupted, and deep work becomes impossible.

The Fix: Set clear boundaries. Close your office door during focus hours, and have regular, structured meetings with staff to handle questions and concerns. This protects your mental space and allows you to do your best work.

Establishing boundaries gives you uninterrupted time to concentrate, which is essential for completing complex tasks efficiently.

5. Failing to Regroup

Many lawyers push through when they feel overwhelmed, thinking they’ll get more done by working through the exhaustion. But this approach actually leads to mistakes, mental exhaustion, and wasted time, as you’re more likely to make errors that need to be fixed later.

The Fix: When you feel overwhelmed, take a 5-10 minute break. Step away from your desk and ask yourself: What’s the most important thing I need to focus on right now? This helps you reset, refocus, and get back to the high-priority work.

Pausing to regroup restores your mental clarity, so you can make better decisions and avoid unnecessary errors.

6. Overthinking Decisions

Every time you defer a decision by saying, “I’ll think about it,” you add mental clutter. These unresolved decisions sit in the background, creating anxiety and draining your focus without moving you forward.

The Fix: Train yourself to be decisive. Prepare what you can, then make quick decisions. Trust that you’re good at making decisions and can handle whatever comes next.

Decisiveness clears mental space, allowing you to focus on the present and reducing the anxiety that comes from leaving decisions unresolved.

Your Next Steps

Implementing these shifts can feel challenging at first, but the payoff is huge.

When I started taking action on these behaviors, I freed up so much mental and physical energy — energy I used to grow my coaching business while still running my law practice.

You can do this too. You don’t have to sacrifice your well-being to be successful.

If you’re ready to dive deeper into reclaiming your productivity, join me for my upcoming masterclass: Unlock Productivity: 5 Counterintuitive Strategies to 10X Your Productivity Without Hustling.

In this masterclass, you’ll learn:

- How to become truly productive without burning out

- How to manage your time and focus on the right tasks

- Strategies to reclaim your life while growing your law practice

It’s happening on October 24th, and you can register now at DinaCataldo.com/October.

Remember, you have the power to choose a new path in each and every moment.

What’s one behavior from this list that you’re committed to changing today?

Let me know in the comments below — I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Need more personalized guidance?

Book a strategy session with me at DinaCataldo.com/strategysession and let’s work together one-on-one to unlock your full potential.

Here’s to building the law practice and life you love,

??

Dina

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How Dina Can Help You

Dina Cataldo is a leading legal industry expert, master certified coach, speaker, and host of the popular podcast “Be a Better Lawyer.”

She helps lawyers take control of their lives and law practices by helping them remove obstacles to growth and create time freedom and peace. These skills allow lawyers to build their practices with more ease than they ever imagined possible.

Dina's insights and advice have been featured on various prominent platforms. She's spoken at the Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting, on podcasts like “Law Firm Autopilot” and “Maximum Lawyer Podcast,” and more.

Through her coaching and speaking, Dina has positively impacted the lives of thousands of lawyers, helping them manage their time, overcome overwhelm, boost self-confidence, and find fulfillment in their legal careers.

Her empathetic and strategic approach has made her a sought-after coach among partners, solo practitioners, and boutique firm owners.

Dina Cataldo is a trailblazer in the legal industry, and she continues to inspire and empower big hearted female lawyers, to achieve professional success and personal fulfillment.

You can book a call with her to learn more about working with her privately one-on-one to build your practice with ease instead of overwhelm here: dinacataldo.com/strategysession.