A nice lawyer in my Co-Pilot mastermind program recently emailed me asking for advice:
“My biggest challenge is implementing a new system. Any good discipline tips to get the job done? It’s always…the best laid plans that go sideways for many reasons.”
I answered her question in the monthly coaching call, but thought I’d share my response here as well because I know that her struggle with creating systems is pretty widespread among solo and small firm lawyers.
So here’s the deal with improving your practice…
If you want a better law practice—where you work less and have more free time to do fun stuff that you truly enjoy…then learn to leverage technology. The power of automation and outsourcing are just two of the ways that you can use technology in amazing ways.
That’s the good news. Now here’s the bad news…
If you use technology haphazardly (as many lawyers do) it will make your practice harder, not easier. How do I know all of this?
Well, in 2001 I was stuck in a frustrating BigLaw commercial litigation practice. And then I started trying to use my computer to do things more efficiently. I wasn’t interested in technology per se. I was just trying to make my life simpler and easier.
And guess what? I succeeded in a big way, one that actually took me by surprise. I created a paperless solo practice where I had very little overhead and could make more money, more easily. I worked as much as I wanted, where I wanted, and when I wanted.
And let me tell you, that’s the definition of bliss, my friend.
My lawyer buddies asked me to help them shed paper and streamline their practices, so I did. Then I started getting invited to speak to larger groups of lawyers…and it kind of snowballed to the point where I now spend all of my time helping lawyers use technology to create better practices.
Now, as I said, you have to use technology in sensible, strategic ways if you truly want to improve your practice.
Here’s an 18-minute video excerpt from the January Co-Pilot web-meeting:
Use technology to radically improve your law practice by focusing on the few core elements that have the biggest impact.
