In this week’s edition of Things I Wish I Knew, New York solo lawyer Joleena Louis shares how she has built a successful law practice with intention.
One of the biggest mistakes I see many solo lawyers make is wandering along in their practice without a real plan. They have no goals, no directions, and just focus on making enough money to get through the next month.
I’ve been down this path a few times and every time I had no purpose, and my business stalled. When I took the time to sit down and figure out where I wanted my practice to go and what I wanted to achieve, my practice thrived.
When it comes to building a successful law practice, intention is everything.
Building a practice with intention means you have a plan. You have a vision. You are trying to do more than just get by. You don’t wait and react to whatever happens to your business, you need to go out and make things happen.
To me, this is the difference between a business owner and entrepreneur. It’s what separates the law practices that survive from the ones that thrive.
Have A Vision
The power of vision in business is often underestimated. Having a vision, or goals for your law practice gives you something to work towards. You will never reach a destination if you don’t know where it is. You must have a goal in mind, otherwise, you’ve failed before you’ve even started.
I’ve found the best way for me to determine my “vision” for my law practice is to close my eyes and picture my perfect workday. I picture where I am, the type of work I’m doing, and the type of clients I am working with. This helps me clearly see where I want to go with my practice and helps me determine exactly what I need to do to get there.
Create A Plan
Once you have a vision in place you need a plan. Big dreams are nice but they are never going to happen if you don’t have a plan. I break the big goals down into smaller goals that I can achieve in 90 days. I then break these goals down into smaller actions I can take on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
I find the small goals are much easier to accomplish and far less daunting. Pushing me towards my goals one step at a time.
Put The Plan Into Action
Lastly, you have to put that plan into action. You have to actually do those daily, weekly, and monthly tasks that will help you reach your goals.
One trick I use to ensure I stick to the plan is I am meticulous with my schedule and calendar. If there are tasks that I have committed to complete, then I make sure to block out time on my calendar for that task and that task alone. No calls, no emails and I put my phone in do not disturb mode.
When you are intentional in building your practice you become clear on the actions necessary to achieve your idea of success. Are you building your practice intentionally? Hopefully, my advice will help you get there!
