Got No Time for Time Management

By Carolyn Elefant

So, this month’s designated topic for Small Firm Innovation is time management. Which I suppose is a little unfortunate because I don’t really think much of time management practices. Let’s face it, most people waste time, or don’t use it efficiently not because they don’t know how to, but either because they don’t want to or they can’t. Let me explain.

Most time management tips consist of the same advice that I’ve been giving my daughters since kindergarden. Don’t watch TV while doing homework – you’ll get distracted. Don’t wait till the last minute to study for the test because you’ll have to cram and you’ll get tired. Make your lunch and lay your clothes out the night before so you’ll have more time.

Sure, in law practice, the details of this tips change, but the underlying principles are the same. Instead of cautioning against TV, time management gurus counsel us lawyers not to interrupt our day with ringing phones or email if we need to get a brief out the door. They advise us not to wait til the last minute to file an important pleading in case something goes wrong at the last minute or the e-filing system jams. And of course, the rule about laying out clothes the night before still applies.

My point is that all of us know these time management tips inside and out. And yet we still don’t get everything done as quickly as we’d like. That’s because all of the time management tips in the world aren’t going to eradicate obstacles like writers’ block which is what frequently delays me more than anything.

Take this very column for example – I’d been toying with different topics in my head all week and even as I came up with one and sat down to write, I needed nearly thirty minutes to collect my thoughts before I could put them down on paper. Time managers say to block out a specific time to write, then put the work away (which doesn’t seem very efficient) or block out a few hours to grind out 4 to 5 posts – which works if I have ideas for everything I’d like to write. Oh, and by the way, just writing garbage, stream of conscience isn’t a solution for me – unless what time managers really believe is that I should sacrifice quality.

Other times, we procrastinate intentionally. We open email every half hour or sneak onto Twitter every few seconds to avoid work that’s dull, tedious or just plain difficult. Doesn’t take a brain surgeon – or a time manager – to tell us that this isn’t productive. We know that – and if we lawyers don’t know it, well maybe we shouldn’t be practicing.

The end goal of time management is supposedly more freedom to engage in what we want to do. To be able to leave the office at 5 every day completely stress free or spend less time and earn more. And perhaps that’s why I don’t “get” time management – because empty evenings don’t interest me. I mean, sure, I want to have time to spend with my family, but what I want just as much is to find work that so engages and captivates me that I can stick with it for hours on end without ever realizing that any time has gone by.

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