Many of us can look up from this newsletter and see dozens of files that need tending and an assortment of telephone messages that we must return. Not to mention the client awaiting us in the reception area, the secretary and paralegal who have questions, and the associate down the hall needing our advice.
Attorneys are notorious for putting everyone else's needs before their own.
Of course, stress goes hand in hand with the practice of law. Unfortunately, that means giving up time to relax and, when that still is not enough, we look for shortcuts in our work as a way to accomplish all of it. The bottom line is that, like the tightrope walker, we all need balance in our lives or we will fall and hurt ourselves. The daily stresses associated with the practice of law, combined with our responsibilities at home, can diminish with a little time-management. No one has a career goal of most hours spent in the office, and the most effective attorneys provide quality representation to their clients and enjoy their own quality of life doing it.