Mindset Shifts part 2 – Crafting Your Ideal Universe-

Hello, Law Guardians of the Galaxy!

No one ever gets out of the car after a long drive and thinks, “wow, I am so grateful to not have gotten into an accident or been stuck in too much traffic.”  Or at least no one “normal” ever does that.

But a few weeks ago I flew Spirit Airlines to and from Cliocon and I had one of those moments.

I bid $8 for the exit row each way, and not only did I win it on both legs, but I also got a window seat, AND had no one next to me on either flight, AND the flights left early or on time.  AND we didn’t crash because the plane wasn’t properly certified or inspected or whatever is going on with them.

So I am now THAT guy (for many reasons).  But I had to share those grateful moments.

And because I subscribe to what Mike Whelan calls folksy wisdom…this ties right into today’s article (BIG SURPRISE I KNOW).

Because last week we spoke about the mindset shifts that took me from struggling law firm owner to where I am now (not struggling law firm owner…or at least any struggles are not too serious or frequent).

In that article we spoke about the difference between avoiding pain and finding pleasure so this week I want to dive into how to find the RIGHT pleasure (this is SFW don’t worry, and if you did worry get your mind out of the gutter).

So let’s throw on our fedora and grab our whip (seriously, it’s SFW I swear) and start to uncover our lawyer holy grail - a life you LOVE.

Architect Your Ideal Firm Structure: Stark Enterprises Style

Tony Stark didn't build Iron Man in a day (even if it was just one montage). Begin by envisioning the infrastructure of your law firm. Do you dream of a solo practice or a team of superhero lawyers? Perhaps even an army of robotic assistants?

But seriously, map out your ideal firm modeled around the org chart (or if you want to be extra cool, do it with an accountability chart like EOS says) (LINK TO AN ARTICLE ON THE ACCOUNTABILITY CHART).

Without this plan, you have no idea where you fit into your firm’s future and therefore you cannot plan for the changes you need to get to where you want to be.

You want to make sure this firm setup supports your answers to the three questions (EITHER LINK TO THEM OR WRITE THEM OUT HERE)

And you will benefit from making sure your firm can handle all of the actual jobs that we discussed here (LINK TO THE ARTICLE ABOUT HOW MANY JOBS THERE ACTUALLY ARE).

If you’re like me, you might be in a few jobs on the accountability chart.  I am both the CEO (one set of tasks and overseeing the whole ship) and the CMO for my firm (where I have different tasks and oversee our four person marketing team)

Design Your Perfect Week: Marty McFly's Planner

Remember how Marty McFly had that handy almanac? Well, you need an equally powerful tool: your planner. Outline what an ideal week looks like. From client consultations and court appearances, to Taco Tuesdays and disc golf lessons. Time to hoverboard through your week with precision!

Did you know? Studies have shown that visually plotting out your week can improve productivity by 33% (Source: Harvard Business Review).

Seriously, write this out, you can use this template here (TAKE THE TIME AUDIT SHEET AND COPY IT AND THEN EDIT IT TO JUST HAVE THE WEEK STUFF AND NOT THE ENERGY AND DELEGATABLE STUFF YOU CAN USE NATALIA FOR THIS IF NEEDED).

Here is how to do this:

1. Pick your anchor events - my kid needs to be at school before 8:30.  So that get’s calendared
2. Support your anchor events - that means we need to leave by 8 (which ends up being 8:05).  Which means he needs to get dressed by 7:50 (thankfully no help from me, but I need to shower during this), fed by 7:30 (my help), morning routine by 7:15 (my help), woken up by 7am (me or Alexa), etc
3. Make sure you can do your work - him at school by 8:30 gets me to work before 9am Monday and Thursday, so I schedule all of my responsibilities from the ideal firm breakdown into 9-12 (meeting with my assistant, team meetings, writing this newsletter, marketing updates, weekly content creation, etc), then I do a 2 hour networking lunch (really 1.5 hours plus driving) and then I have 2-5 for meeting with coaching clients, or doing the work that comes up week to week (or if things go awry I have some extra time after 5pm) and also networking events or at topgolf (yes I know this sounds really simple and hopefully fun…that’s the whole point of this though, if I can do it, you can do it too)
4. Put in time for other focuses - knowing I need to wake my son up by 7am means  I need to be up by 6am to get in my morning routine and workout, which means I need to go to sleep by 10, which means I need to start winddown before 9…etc  I think we have the most control over the mornings so I think that’s the easiest place to get some extra time (and then figuring out how to still get the right amount of sleep
5. As things come up, seriously ask yourself if they are worth changing this schedule.  

Don’t get me wrong, I have Tuesday WIDE open for me (massage, movies, disc golf lessons, this time of year awful B level horror movies, etc), chores are usually a Wednesday thing (and then I get to pick up my son from school or I get to meet with more coaching clients) and Fridays end up being fun extra networking or longer content creation a lot of the time.  

But when I get asked to speak, I don’t JUST look at the time to talk, I look at the time to prep for the talk, and get a slideshow made, and practice it, etc.  Usually, I have the time to add things, but sometimes I don’t…or better yet (to throw it back to some mindset shifts), sometimes I choose NOT to add more to my plate. 

That’s probably the key, having this mapped out (not down to the second for large chunks, but maybe 66-75% of the work day) makes it easier to know what to say no to.

The 'Bruce Wayne Gala Night': Discover Your Personal Desires

Bruce Wayne is a billionaire, vigilante, AND a party enthusiast. What do you yearn for when the lawyer cape is off? A tranquil vacation? Collecting antique gavels? Perfecting that courtroom strut?

Oftentimes the best thing you can ask yourself is “what do I want more of in my life?”

Too often we get stuck on what we want out of our lives - fewer non-paying clients, less litigation, not as many sleepless nights worrying about how you will make payroll…

But flip that question around, and then make it personal.

Do you want to get better as a speaker?  Consider joining toastmasters or taking an improv class. 

Do you want to try more new restaurants?  Consider setting up a standing lunch with your biggest referral sources and rotate who picks where to go.  Or find a foodie friend and each bring a new guest every month to fill a whole four top and your stomach.

Bonus points - social connections play a pivotal role in our well-being and can even increase lifespan by 50% (Source: Harvard Health Publishing).

Do you want to sit on the couch and watch Suits on Netflix another time?  Awesome.  Can you turn some of it into a group event either in person or digitally?  Can you do a presentation to your local bar about Real Housewives and the truth of family law?  Can you pick up some style tips for your next photoshoot?

Or DON’T make it about work and just figure out what can you delegate, automate and systematize to get you more time to spend

Reality check: It's not selfish to prioritize yourself. Your happiness fuels your passion, which, in turn, benefits your employees and your clients. Win-win(-win)!

Training Montage: Enhance Your Skills

Every superhero movie has it: that montage where our hero levels up. Be it Luke Skywalker with his Jedi training on Dagobah or Neo mastering the Matrix by watching videos in his head as shown on the Windows 95 style computer. 

For me this has been learning Rubik’s Cubes (I can do 3x3, 2x2 and triangle ones), juggling and balloon animals (when people say they’re great at parties they don’t usually mean 13 year old birthdays…), and rock climbing (it’s Florida, so fake and indoors, but still).

It’s also reading books (up to 150 for the year), having coaches (business and golf), going to conferences (on Spirit Airlines sometimes) and honestly…being overly critical but in a constructive way.  I cannot tell you how often I think through things that I did and figure out how I could have done them better (like these newsletters, I read old ones and ALWAYS find things I left out or things I think differently about now).

Going forward I want to learn how to make really good sourdough bread and the crazy cool Japanese omelets, make origami swans, and continue with my Spanish (375 duolingo streak!)

For you, this might mean anything I listed above, a crazy cool personal achievement like board certification or simply learning how to make the perfect espresso.

Anything is possible, you just have to decide what you want and work for it (and you can ALWAYS change your mind later).

Whether you're aiming to be the next Daredevil in court or seeking the tranquility of Yoda in your personal life, crafting your vision is paramount. Put on some great tunes, fire up the flux capacitor and get your Delorean up to 88mph and let’s go back to your future, the one you actually want.

And remember, every legend starts with a dream and perhaps a quirky sidekick! 🚀

May the Force (and impeccable legal judgment) be with you!

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