Work/life Balance
| Citation | Vol. 29 No. 1 |
| Publication year | 2023 |
| Author | Joshua Bonnici |
Joshua Bonnici*
Practicing law is stressful—strict deadlines, demanding clients, the billable hour, and managing partners can make for a very full plate. Top that off with starting your own practice, and responsibilities start to stack up. You may have fewer clients to wrangle and no boss meticulously reviewing your work, but now you have to worry about everything else to simply keep your doors open and remain in compliance with the law.
Finding a good work/life balance is different for every individual. Some need structured time away while others can simply insert some a la carte "me time" when needed. However, when it comes to having your own law practice, the dynamic changes for many attorneys. Many people want to work every waking minute, as now they are really working "for themselves" and downtime is wasted time. Any free moment could be used to write a newsletter, design a blog or Facebook advert, or review tasks for the upcoming week. While this is possible, and the freedom to complete these tasks is a wonderful aspect of hanging your own shingle, the snowball effect of brain power focus can result in early burnout. Understanding the complexities of running your own practice and recognizing that the stress is real—and dangerous—is the first step in doing your best to avoid burnout.
According to a report in the ABA Journal,1 lawyers—especially ones with new offices trying to bring clients in the door to pay start-up costs—face increasing pressure to compete, which results in the "better-faster-cheaper ethic" that leads to burnout and increased stress levels. This push to not only be a meticulous attorney but also compete with others can run you into the ground.
Burnout doesn't just leave you unmotivated to work. It can also be costly for you. Being overly stressed and inundated with work can lead to missing statutes of limitations, calendaring issues, or missing litigation deadlines, all of which can lead to malpractice and an increase in insurance rates. While every solo or small firm attorney will face a period of work fatigue and motivation issues, recognizing them and having a solution to recharge and refocus is vital.
Before we jump into the responsibilities of a solo practitioner, one needs to take time and understand what resets you enough to return to the office fresh, motivated, and full of ideas. Take a minute and think, what do you go to when clarity is needed, when you need to make big decisions? There's really no wrong answer, but consider something that is not extremely time consuming and can be done with others on occasion. Having other social interactions (both with and without similarly situated business owners) can lead to healthy off-time.
Need to be active? Look to join a local recreational sports team where you can burn some calories, satisfy your competitive nature, and also possibly make a new friend. Want quiet time? Consider going on a hike or walk with your dog at the same time every week to clear your mind and disconnect from your phone and email. Many people enjoy...
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