As I often say, the best part of this industry is the people. While so many lawyers get a bad rap for being egotistical assholes (because many of them are) there are still a bunch of US (yes I am including you and I hope you include me) who are cool people and the more we come together and build a community of like-minded lawyers the better the whole industry will be.
Today’s newsletter about food. But really it’s about choices. But really it’s about a conversation I had with Craig Goldenfarb (one of my favorite fellow lawyers hence the lead-in) where we spoke about how everyone has something in their life that’s fucked up.
For me, it’s my weight. I have struggled with that for as long as I can remember. And it’s been about a year since I last did 75 hard, and while I am up some weight from that time…and have some more weight I want to lose…I have found something more sustainable in my life (for the first time in a LONG time).
So today, I want to share what that is, BUT really as an example of how decision-making can reflect our broader goals and values, especially for those of trying to run a firm, stay healthy, show up for our spouses and families, the 1,000,000 other things we have going on…oh and actually do the work clients hire us to do…
The Goal: Why We Choose What We Choose
First things first, when it comes to any decision, you need to ask: What is my goal here? Or maybe it’s more what’s the outcome I’m hoping for?
In the military they call this commander’s intent…making sure the people reporting to you know what a great outcome looks like.
Or as Mike Tyson said, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
For me, my food-related goals are:
- Weight Loss and Maintenance: Continuing my weight loss journey that began with 75 Hard. Picture me as Thor in the Dude PJs turning into not Thor…but maybe dad bod Thor.
- Exploring New Restaurants: I genuinely enjoy trying new places. Food is one of the things I splurge on, along with travel. A culinary Indiana Jones, venturing into uncharted restaurants.
- Networking and Socializing: Double date dinners and networking lunches are a huge part of my strategy to get cases. It’s like assembling my own Avengers team over a meal.
So when it comes to planning anything in your life, start with what outcome you want and then we can work backwards as you’ll see here.
Structuring My Food Decisions
Once I identified my goals, I had to figure out how to align my food choices with them. It’s like strategizing for a superhero mission—every decision matters.
If you want to run a marathon, start with some brisk walks.
If you want to have a $1,000,000 firm start, what can you do right now to generate more work.
If you want to spend more time with your family, block the time on your calendar now and then start looking at what else you can STOP doing to have more time.
If I want to follow my food goals…keep reading to see what I did.
Weekday Networking Lunches:
- I use a booking link to schedule lunches on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. It’s like having my own Jarvis scheduling my life. Lawmatics helps customize this schedule, making sure I stick to around two lunches per week.
Saturday Splurges:
- Saturdays are my days to go wild and try new places. It’s my cheat day, and yes the times I have been in the best shape have been when I followed Tim Ferris’ Slow-Carb Diet. So keeping this Saturday cheat day helps keeps things fun and exciting while preventing me from going off the wagon the other 6 days a week.
The Rest of the Time
- With these two things in place to make sure I hit the networking AND trying new things…we are left with the weight loss journey goal. So let’s dive into how to fill the rest of the meals without having a Hobbit second breakfast everyday.
Balancing Eating Out and Eating In
When it comes to food, there are countless options:
- Cooking at Home: More control over what you eat, saves money, but takes time. It’s like being a Ninja Turtle in the Sewers – you have all the weapons and training areas, but no pizza places.
- Eating Out: Saves time, no prep or cleanup, but less control over what you eat, and more expensive. Think of eating Shawarma with the Avengers after saving the world.
- Meal Prepping Services: A middle ground, where you get the benefits of prepared ingredients without the hassle of grocery shopping and maybe some $$$ savings. Imagine Alfred preparing everything in advance for you.
I cannot stress this enough – what do you WANT to do or what do you find enjoyable. Productivity is great, time hacks are awesome…but if you love doing the consultations at your firm…don’t delegate them to someone else. If you love making articles that answer the best questions client ask you, don’t ChatGPT your blog posts…focus on YOU.
So for me, cooking is enjoyable. It might stem from my childhood, where my mom’s idea of cooking was microwaving things for less than two minutes (too complicated if it took more than that!). I learned to cook out of necessity and ended up loving it.
I am not in love with food shopping. So sometimes I use instacart or something similar.
And I don’t love doing dishes, but I do like the environment. So every now and then we use paper plates, but normally we don’t and then I do the dishes and put everything away. I wrote about this more in my article on Fair Play. And honestly, me being in charge of the food shopping, cooking, and dishes helps me because now I know I am the whole ecosystem. If I don’t do dishes or food shop, I don’t have the stuff I need to cook.
So when you’re working on your decision making, think about what you need to do the thing you want to do AND what you have to do after to make sure you can do it again.
This might be having some marketing to former clients to get more work from them. Or it could be making your children do chores so you have more time to play with them. Or it could be going to some legal conferences to make sure you are up to date on the best case law and motion practice.
The Real Deal: What I Actually Do
Here’s a look at my weekly food plan:
- Breakfast: I often skip breakfast and follow intermittent fasting on non-lifting days. On lifting days, I have a balanced meal with complex carbs and protein. It’s my version of getting my Spidey senses tingling.
- Lunch: Networking lunches twice a week. On other days, I bring in leftovers from meals I prepped at home. Think of it as my daily mission briefing with Nick Fury.
- Dinner: I cook larger meals and portion them out for multiple days. It’s like rewatching your favorite episodes of Friends—you know what you’re getting, and it’s still good.
- Saturday – YIPPIE KAY YAY Mother…(the rest of that line is censored). Let’s have some fun and try some new places (and I also make SURE I lift on Saturday to offset some of the eating).
- Sunday – I usually fast on Sundays for as long as I can and eat lighter, especially if I went extra hard on Saturday.
Practical Tips for Decision Making
- Identify Your Goals: What do you want to achieve? Weight loss, socializing, trying new things? Channel your inner Sherlock Holmes and figure it out.
- Evaluate Your Options: Look at the trade-offs between the different options to get to the goal you want. Be the Batman of meal planning – meticulous and strategic.
- Plan and Adapt: Schedule your plan and adapt as needed. If you don’t get the results you want, tweak your plan.
- Enjoy the Process: Remember, it’s not just about achieving goals but enjoying the journey. Like Batman said, “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”
Conclusion
Food choices are a microcosm of our broader decision-making processes. By understanding your goals, evaluating options, planning, and enjoying the journey, you can make better decisions that align with your values and objectives.
Until then, keep your capes at the ready and your meals planned!