The Secret to Better Planning

Ever felt a knot in your stomach when someone mentions "planning" or "using a calendar"?

You're not alone.

As lawyers, we often resist planning because we're buried under work, unsure how to climb out from the mountain of cases on our desk.

We tell ourselves we're too busy for planning or that it won't work for our practice.

But what if there's a different way?

What if the secret to better planning isn't about the calendar at all?

The Hidden Obstacle: Your Belief Cap

Here's something crucial I've discovered.

What we believe is our cap in life. We can't perform better than our beliefs.

For example, if you believe you can only make $250,000 in your practice without burning out, that becomes your reality. Your brain shuts down and tells you stories like:

"I can't do it because it's really hard."

"I can't do it because it'll take more time."

"I can't do it because [fill in the blank]."

When you have these beliefs, you're stuck. You can't move forward.

This is where possibility comes in.

The Power of "What If?"

When you start believing something different might be possible, your brain begins to problem-solve.

You start asking questions like:

• What might I need to change about how I work?
• Where can I increase my value to clients?
• Where can I improve my efficiency?
• How can I do this while working fewer hours?

These questions only emerge when you first believe change is possible.

Why Most Planning Attempts Fail

Think about New Years' resolutions. People often maintain their belief in possibility for a week or two. They feel excited about their goals. But then they stop believing.

Why?

They haven't addressed their mindset. They haven't built the support system needed to maintain that belief in possibility.

It's like lottery winners who suddenly come into millions but lose it all within months.

They didn't address the mindset that had them in a lower income bracket in the first place.

There Wasn't a "Planning 101" in Law School.

Most firms don't teach planning – they teach grinding harder, working longer, and sacrificing yourself for the job.

When you don't know how to plan, you do the only thing you know:

• Stay late at the office
• Bring work home on weekends
• Sacrifice sleep
• Skip the gym to bill more

But you didn't go to law school to suffer.

Your intuition is right – there is a better way.

The secret?

You don't need 100% belief to start.

You just need to believe it's possible that things can be different. Then keep believing until you see a different result.

Keep believing when you fall on your face.

Keep believing when you don't follow through.

Keep believing when doubt creeps in.

That's the secret – persistence in possibility!

Your Next Steps:

Take a moment to ask yourself this: What do you want to believe is possible?

• Is it having dinner with your family each night?
• Going to the gym four times a week?
• Reading a book before bed without worrying about missed emails?

Picture that life.

Feel it.

Let it fuel your belief in possibility.

Because when you can see it, when you can feel it, that's when change begins.

If you're ready to create more peace in your practice and life, I invite you to join me in Time Peace for Lawyers?.

? Enrollment for the January 2025 class opens December 3rd, but when you sign up for the interest list right now, I'm giving you a free workbook to help you get more time and productivity back right now.

The workbook is called, "3 Sneaky Problems Stealing Your Time and Productivity (and How to Fix Them Now!)."

?? You can sign up for the interest list and get the workbook at dinacataldo.com/timepeace.

Share in the comments: What possibility are you ready to believe in?

??

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.

To book a call with her to learn more about working with her one-on-one to build your practice with ease instead of overwhelm, go to dinacataldo.com/strategysession.