Taking the Time to Prioritize

Taking the Time to Prioritize
by Dan DeWoskin
December 1st, 2010

I know I am not the first to say it, but I don’t know where this year went. There are still so many books I intended to read this year that I have not yet had the time to read, so many tasks I intended to address around the house, and so many New Year’s Resolutions that I failed to pay any attention to whatsoever as of Jan. 2, 2010. Well, I suppose the year is not yet over.

Actually, I have spent much of this year focusing on my priorities and I am pleased that I rarely find myself regretting my choices. I have two small children whom I rush home from work to see each day. Like most lawyers I know, I have far too many cases and clients for whom the calls never cease and there is never a moment when there is nothing to be done. However, I have worked very hard to increase my efficiency at the office so that I can devote my time at home to those who need it most.

I have not always been successful and find myself working at unusual hours and even on weekends. On the whole, I have spent a lot of quality time with my wife and kids this year and I have difficulty imagining what it would feel like if I had missed some of those moments because I was at my desk. Collaborating with other lawyers on many of my cases has reduced my stress to a limited extent and permitted me to delegate some of the workload. By far, the greatest factor freeing up time for me to spend at home and with my family was simply my decision to do so.

In years past I indulged myself with delusions that as a lawyer, it was only natural that I would have little time for myself and that my work was important, somehow meaning it should always come first. In 2010, I got a handle on this nonsense. I still put in the hours, and in fact this year I even had to travel to Ohio, New Jersey, California, and Illinois for depositions and work with expert witnesses. Regardless of where I was, at bedtime at my house, I would call my house and read my son his favorite bedtime story. I had written it down on a notebook I carry with me with other extraneous information, but like any parent of a two-year-old, I have all but memorized this book I have been reading every night for the past year or so.

As lawyers, many of us have extraordinarily stressful and time-consuming jobs. Our clients count on us to get it right and to be thorough. As important as it is for me to play with my kids and take my wife out to dinner, I cannot use that as excuse for why I am unprepared at trial. What I have learned, and I hope I have learned early enough in my career, is that if I fail to address my priorities in a manner that is consistent with my values, burnout and despair is the likely reward for my efforts.

I intend to continue to collaborate with other lawyers in 2011. I expect that I will have to continue to travel as well, and I have more cases that will likely reach trial in 2011 than I did this year. With the help of my family, I also expect that I will still resist the urge to ever consider time spent with my family as a “diversion.” I love practicing law and I am honored of the contribution that I can make to my clients and their own families. I also treasure the moments I get to spend goofing around with kids. Soon enough, my kids will have many things that they would rather pay attention to than spending time with me. I have no intention of letting these fleeting moments in which I am their favorite playmate slip away.

I’d better cram in those books on my reading list over the holidays or learn to read while brushing my teeth. Otherwise, I may be tackling the same reading list well into my retirement.