SIMPLE RULES FOR SEIZING CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE

Most people let their life activities, responsibilities and businesses control them, when the truth of the matter is that those pursuits should be used to serve the purposes of your life. Here are some simple steps for gaining control.

Write a personal mission statement. Write down what you want to achieve and what the purpose of your life is. Its hard to do but it pays off, just the way the U.S. Constitution has paid off for America.
Develop healthful and efficient habits and stick to them. Create routines for everything you do. Think of Michael Jordan shooting a basketball. He had a routine he followed every time. Three dribbles, a back spin of the ball, breath, visualization, shoot. Translated: get up at the same time every day, eat at the same times every day, determine when you are going to work and when you are going to stop work. Try to do it the same way every day.
Create scheduling rules. Study what stresses you. Study when you like to do certain things and when you are most effective. For example, in my practice, I do not schedule appointments before 9:30. This allows me time to organize my day. I don’t schedule appointments “back to back.” This allows me to collect myself and prepare myself for each appointment.
Write a list of things to do each day. If you find yourself becoming frantic, go back to the list and simply follow it. This will calm you and bring focus.
Don’t allow interruptions. If you need to focus on something, don’t take that phone call. Let them know you are working on something and will call them back.
Schedule time for vacations as well as some time off each week. Schedule them well in advance. Put them on your calendar and stick to them.
Schedule 15 minutes of quiet time, meditation or prayer each day, preferably in the morning. Study breathing techniques to enhance the experience.
Determine a time you are going to leave work each day and stick to it. There will be plenty to do tomorrow and there is no point in trying to get it all done today. You will find yourself becoming infinitely more focused and efficient and you will enjoy life more.
Work out hard 6 times a week. (If the President has time to do it, so do you).

For more on this, see my book, How to Build and Manage a Family Law Practice, published by the ABA Family Law Section and available at ababooks.org and through my website, chinnandassociates.com.