What Is Time Affluence and How Does It Relate to Your Law Firm?

Time is a common limitation that every human must work with and adapt to. We all have the same hours in the day and use the same clock. However, our perception of time, from how much time has passed to how much we’ve wasted, can differ. Effectively managing your time and the concept of time affluence should be top of mind for all professionals, specifically attorneys.

Being constantly pressed for time is a common source of stress and unhappiness, which brings us to the discussion of a concept known as “time affluence.” While it’s okay to be focused on financial metrics, at some point those figures won’t be the measure of success you had hoped. What exactly is time affluence, and how does it relate to what’s happening in your law firm?

What is Time Affluence?

What does it mean to be wealthy? Having the fattest bank account or the fanciest job title? There are many ways to answer this question, but it’s important to consider one more: Will having those things make you truly happy?

While we would all love to have a few extra hours in our day, our actions rarely reflect that. We are often more focused on making money or moving onto the next important task. But what about having the time to take a deep breath and enjoy what you have?

According to Harvard Business School professor Ashley V. Whillans, the author of Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life, time affluence is the “feeling of having control and feeling like you have enough time on an everyday basis.” Whillans’ research reveals that those who value time over money tend to live happier and more civically engaged lives and are more likely to pursue activities they are passionate about.

How Time Affluence Can Impact Your Law Firm

It’s not uncommon for Americans to feel “time poor,” or as if there is never enough time to get everything done. These feelings can be associated with acute job dissatisfaction and anxiety. Let’s consider how this translates to the practice of law and what your law firm can do about it.

Lawyers Have No Free Hours in the Day

The average lawyer works well over the standard 40 hours per week. In fact, lawyers working for large law firms average around 66 hours weekly, and those working for small to mid-sized firms somewhere around 50.

If you own or manage a law firm, you’re probably taking on a lot of responsibility in addition to serving clients. You have some “priority” tasks, such as attending hearings and returning clients’ phone calls, followed by important items, like bookkeeping and marketing, and other duties, like civic engagement and internal meetings, that you have to fit in somewhere.

Maximizing Time Affluence at Your Law Firm

If you want to achieve the benefits of time affluence, it involves more than simply clearing your schedule or finding ways to be more productive each day. Once you have some free time, there may be a temptation to simply fill it with more busywork. The best approach is to use that time wisely by filling it with activities that are personally fulfilling, such as engaging with family, hobbies, or something educational.

While this might sound off the wall for an attorney, it’s an excellent strategy for long-term happiness and fulfillment. So, how do you get some of those items off of your plate to begin maximizing your time affluence? Here are several options:

• Get Organized

This is the first, easiest, and fastest way to recapture some of your time. If you find yourself repeating tasks weekly or monthly, it’s a sure sign you could be doing something differently. Make lists of things you want or need to do and prioritze them. Then, use time blocking to create fixed time blocks for each task.

• Try Monotasking

It’s important to be aware of a concept known as “time confetti,” which feels like multitasking because we jump quickly from one activity from another. However, it’s highly inefficient and is a terrible approach to getting things done. Instead, try monotasking, which involves focusing on a single task until it’s complete. It’s a simple concept, but not easy to implement because it requires discipline and the complete elimination of distractions.

• Consider Automation

While it’s not quite time to bring in the robots, you can automate some repetitive tasks that slowly eat away at the minutes and hours of your workday. For example, you can automate the payment of certain bills and the delivery of office supplies instead of handling these things manually. This will save you time and often even provides valuable cost savings.

• Delegate and Outsource

As a lawyer, your precious time is best spent doing what you were trained to do — practicing law. In other words, you shouldn’t be devoting a significant portion of your time to unrelated tasks, like accounting, IT, and marketing. There are other professionals with knowledge and expertise who can handle these things for you.

It may be challenging to let go of these items if you’re accustomed to having them under your control. However, it will also be a relief to get these tasks off your plate and in the hands of professionals who can manage them in the background.

Reclaim Your Time and Create a Winning Marketing Campaign for Your Law Firm

If you’ve been approaching law firm marketing as a DIY project, you’re probably frustrated with your lack of results and exhausted by the hours you have to spend on these additional tasks. After all, practicing law already requires a significant investment of time and effort. If you’re ready to reclaim some of that time, we can help.

Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing specializes in helping law firms become the business of choice in their practice and geographic areas. Our digital marketing specialists learn about your needs and goals before designing a customized plan to produce results. We respect our clients’ time and would be happy to sit down with you to discuss our services. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation.