Nobody likes feeling overwhelmed at work. We lose clarity on our priorities and lack the focus to make real progress on the things that matter most. We allow email, phone calls, and other “urgent” matters to interrupt the flow of our thoughts and our work. And what’s worse: research suggests that it can take more than 20 minutes to get back into the work “groove” after being interrupted.

Your supercharged calendar may be to blame for that feeling of overwhelm, but it doesn’t have to be like that.

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Welcome to Gimbal’s Tip of the Week, where you get practical, actionable advice you can use right away to start building a more productive and profitable legal practice.

One way to overcome the overwhelm, to regain control over your calendar and your workday, is with time-blocking. Set aside discrete blocks of uninterrupted time where you focus exclusively on thinking, writing, or whatever other strategically important activities require your focused attention.

But don’t just randomly block time off in your calendar. Think about the time of day when YOU are most productive and establish your routine around your most productive time. If your best time is the morning, then start each day (or at least 2-3 days a week) with 3-4 hours of blocked time that you dedicate to making progress on your highest priorities—your strategic imperatives.

Break the rest of your day into 1- or 2-hour blocks of time. Dedicate some to reading and responding to emails and phone calls, or to having open door office hours for ad hoc meetings. Depending on your workload and work habits, maybe you reserve other blocks of time for more uninterrupted working time.

Time is everything. We never have enough of it. Stick to a routine of blocking time and you’ll get more done. You’ll have greater clarity on your priorities, increase your efficiency and productivity, and create more time in your day to do more of the things that you love outside of work, whether that’s spending time with family or friends, exercising, engaging in a hobby or with your community, or something else.

Attorneys who know how to master their schedule by blocking time to focus on their priorities are more efficient and productive, make greater progress faster, and are more likely to be recognized value-driven legal professionals.

There is more to life than work, but it takes clarity and discipline to establish and maintain the balance…and that balance is the key to being happier both at and outside of work.

This week’s tip? Stop letting “urgent” get in the way of your priorities. Manage your time (and your calendar) more strategically. You’ll reduce the distractions that divert your attention and crush your productivity. Block time in your calendar for uninterrupted work. You’ll retake control of your schedule, and accomplish more on your list of priorities. And that will make you more valuable to your firm AND your clients, while also giving you more time for the other things you love. Now that’s a REAL win-win!

That’s all for now. We’ll see you next week for more practical, actionable advice you can use right away to start building a more productive and profitable legal practice. Sign up below so you don’t miss a tip.