Take Time for Yourself

There never seems to be a day where a deadline is not staring back at me as I sit at my desk and begin work.  With the varied types of law my firm practices (personal injury, criminal, family, real estate closings, etc), it doesn't take much to decide working at my desk all day is the way to go.  How else will the work get done, I ask myself, and pound away at my keyboard furiously for eight to ten hours and then go home just to do it all again the next day.  That's how the past two years of my practice have been for me.  This year, the spare tire around my middle tells me perhaps I should change my routine.

Since I began practicing, I have probably put on a good 15 pounds from sitting all day and eating quick.  This has made me lethargic as the day passes by, especially after lunch time.  I began to notice that concentration in the afternoon was difficult, and I was simply not happy with myself as a result.

I decided enough was enough, and joined the gym near my office.  Now I am taking my lunch hour at the gym and eating smaller meals during the day to stay alert.  The change in my work product has been dramatic.  Before, my ten hour work day typically generated maybe two hours of quality.  With a workout routine, I can now get more work done without having to stay in the office to the wee hours.  My energy level is up, my billables are up, and my happiness has skyrocketed.

It's easy to work in a small firm and assume you just can't afford the luxury.  Let me tell you this:  you cannot afford NOT to take care of yourself.  Take a walk, go for a jog, lift some weights, do anything that clears your mind.  You will be amazed at how productive you become.

JD

John D. Duncan is president of J.D. Duncan, PC, founding partner of Prater, Duncan & Craig, LLC in Newnan, Georgia, and is Esquire by Day.  You can find him at www.jdduncanlaw.com, or follow him on twitter and Facebook.