We all have specific tasks we need to complete each day, whether for our employment or in our home. The tools we use can make all the difference. In this week's episode I share some of the tools I use for efficient work.

 



Having the right tools on hand can make for a more productive satisfying workday

As I was working this past week I started thinking about the things I do--systems and tools I’ve set up over the years--to make sure I can get my work done effectively and efficiently. I’ve been doing this for a long time, but over the years I’ve learned so much from seeing how other people get their work done. I thought I’d take a few minutes to share with you what’s working for me

By way of context, my job is as a commercial real estate transactional lawyer. This involves multiple clients and multiple transactions. Every client is assigned a number, and each transaction for that has its own number. There are lots of documents to draft, using forms and precedents. Lots of email and lots of phone/Teams/Zoom calls. I am required to keep track of my time on each matter in 6-minute increments.

Priorities: 


* Excellent work 
* Responsiveness to clients 
* Efficiency (to minimize clients’ legal bills) 


The key to achieving those priorities is maximizing my use of time, energy, and attention--and my workspace 

I've found that the best ways of doing that are establishing consistency -- always doing the same things the same way; always put things in the same places--and routines, which minimizes decision fatigue and allows my brain to settle into the work with less distraction

Key tasks and tools for accomplishing them


* Software: 

* Basic software package the firm provides: Office 365 suite (Word, Outlook (for email, calendar), Teams, Excel, One Note); Litera package (for comparing documents); Net Documents (document management); Orion (time and expense tracking) 
* My additional software tools: TextExpander, Dropbox, ScanSnap, Zoom, Back to Episodes