I had the pleasure of speaking to several attorneys the other day about the challenges facing those professionals who work in small groups or solo practice and how they can grow their business while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As with most small business owners, their major occupational hazard is the full consumption that is required of them to wear multiple hats from marketing director to service deliverer to billing coordinator.

We discussed their time pressures and I shared with them the idea that managing energy instead of trying to manage time is a more effective strategy to getting work done. After all, we can’t add any time to our day but we can replenish our energy allowing us to work more efficiently.

One direction to take in that arena is to turn to technology. Taking a mental break during your day could mean turning to a mindfulness app for a quick mental rest. Headspace is a popular app that’s helps build skills in taking a quick mental rest during the day.

Another approach to focusing your energy and concentration is to turn off the distractors that pull you away from getting things done. Stay Focused is a Google Chrome browser extension that limits the amount of time you spend surfing sites that take you away from getting your work done.

Most of us have lives like the attorneys I spoke with the other day. With an emphasis on building resilience through managing our energy, we take one big step towards doing more with less.

© Richard Citrin, All rights reserved, 2017