SuccessTips

A Fantastic Tool For Keeping Yourself On Track

You look at the clock, or someone calls (or knocks) and you realize “Damn! It happened again.”  You got lost in your drafting or your web searching and now you’re pressed for time as you hurriedly turn to your next activity.  Or maybe you just won’t get to the other two memos you intended to work on by the end of the day.  It’s one of the toughest time management challenges lawyers face: being aware of the time when you’re deeply engaged (or lost) in thought. Fortunately, there are several no-cost apps that can help.  My favorite is called TimeLeft.  You can get it here: https://www.timeleft.info/.  Once set up on your computer, you can set an alarm to play after X number of minutes with just two or three clicks. (The alarm sound can be a system sound or any mp3 on your computer.)  It’s visually unobtrusive and extremely easy to use.  In addition to the alarm, there are other functions such as a stop watch and a recurring event reminder. The screenshot above shows how I use two of the functions: the timer (on the left) and the stopwatch. When I want to set an end-time for something I’m working on, I set the amount of the time with two clicks, and then start the timer (I last used it yesterday and set it to 20 minutes).  When I want to see how long something is going to take (e.g., writing these weekly posts), I start the stopwatch. The trick, of course, is to remember to use these simple tools.  But they’re surprisingly fun to use, and the alarm is extremely useful, so remembering is not as hard as you might think. TimeLeft is a terrific time management tool for attorneys who want a little help keeping themselves on track.

About the Author

Bill Jawitz, Law Firm Coach and Consultant

Bill Jawitz has been coaching lawyers to become more profitable and enjoy a higher quality of life since 2002.

He can be reached at bill@sucesstrackesq.com or at 203.806.1300.

I maintain a deep library of hundreds of best-of-breed checklists, templates, guides, and white papers on every aspect of managing a legal practice and law firm, from lawyer marketing plans, to hiring process checklists, to alternative fee engagement letters.

If you need a quick resource, call me. I’ll send you what I have on the topic free of charge with no strings.

Call for a free consultation (203) 806-1300

Want to learn more?

Have a question? Looking for a Just-In-Time Resource?

Contact Bill Now