Starting a Law Firm - Getting Things Done, Part 2

In yesterday's edition of Starting a Law Firm, I posted about the importance of maintaining to do lists as a reminder to get things done. But I realized that it is difficult to really grasp the to do list concept without some examples.

So today I will let everyone know what my current to do list entails. In this post, I'm only listing the A priority items, and in the next post, I will list my B and C priority items. This is just an example of a list, and you should create yours in a way that makes you more productive. Keep in mind also that I keep multiple lists, for all aspects of my professional and personal life, and this is only the list for the "business" side of my law firm. I also keep one for the "lawyer" side, which contains work to be done for clients (obviously, I can't disclose that list on the public blogosphere). Believe it or not, I also keep a list for my personal life. Why do I do this? Because it helps me get things done. I also read somewhere that a very common characteristic of successful entrepreneurs is the obsession with making lists.

If you haven't opened your doors yet, and are reading about How to Start a Law Firm, then you will only have the business side to do list. So without further ado, my A priorities for today:

1. Contact CPA (I have a name, but will not use it here) for appointment.
2. Sign up for [bar association] lawyer referral service.
3. Add content to family law page of website.
4. Post to Starting a Law Firm blog.
5. Write criminal law article for website.
6. Go to bank and deposit checks.
7. Order office supplies.
8. Contact two attorneys for lunch networking meetings.

This was my A priority list at the beginning of the day, and will keep me plenty busy. After this post, I will have checked off the first 4 items. Also, in re-writing my list, I noticed that I broke one of my own rules - to be specific. Some of my items are not nearly specific enough, which is something I will need to work on. The easiest way to do this is to come up with a broad goal or something you want to get accomplished, then create more specific set of items that need to get done in order to accomplish the broad goal.

After getting through my A priority items, I will move on to the B priority items. Actually, the B priority items compose the majority of my list, and I usually bump a few of these up to A priority items each day.

Starting a Law Firm - Getting Things Done

One of the things that is imperative when starting a law firm is to consistently get the things done that you need to get done. At some point, the excitement of being your own boss and making your own decisions will wear off, and the reality of needing to get clients and earn income, while running a business, will set in. For this installment of how to start a law firm, I want to talk about the "to do list."

You may already have a detailed business plan or you may be a fly by the seat of the pants type person. But at some point, you need to sit down and lay out the things that you have to get done. For that, I am a firm believer in the to do list. Each evening, I write a list for the next day of things I would like to accomplish. I prioritize each item with an A, B, or C, and make sure I get the top priority items finished. If some of the lower priority items don't get finished, I roll them over to the next day's to do list. It is also important to check off the things that you get done, so you know you are accomplishing things.

The key for the to do list is to be specific. Don't just write that you need to research accountants, or work on your marketing. Include tangible goals, with action words. For example, "call John Doe, CPA," or "invite three attorneys to lunch," or "post to how to start a small law firm blog."

Above all, just keep doing things. Don't get discouraged. Keep moving forward with your plan. Keep checking items off your to do list. Eventually, when you get your first client, or unlock your own office for the first time, it will all be worth it.