Ok, suppose you and I had an in person coaching session today: What might we cover?

In advance of our coaching session, I would ask you to send me agenda topics you want to brainstorm with me. I ask for those topics in case I need to do any research. A lawyer I coach recently sent me this agenda of items he wanted to brainstorm:

I would like to discuss time management issues that I’ve been experiencing lately.

Lately, I feel like I am running on a treadmill from the moment I get in until 4:00 in the afternoon – I am running around but feel like I am not getting anything done until the early evening, when I get my best work done. I was wondering what works for you and if you have any time management techniques/maneuvers that might help.

So, now I would be able to prepare for our session together. During the session I would also ask you some questions:

  1. What have you worked on since we last met?
  2. What do you have planned for the next month?
  3. What client development activities do you want to accomplish the second half of this year to feel you are moving toward your goals?
  4. How do you feel you are doing compared to what you had hoped to be doing?
  5. What  causes you to feel like you are running on a treadmill until 4:00? How does that affect your work? What have you tried to do to solve the problem?

After getting your answers to the treadmill questions, I might say:

Have you given any thought to actually scheduling client development activities?

When I felt I was struggling for time, I would prepare a weekly plan. I would list the client development activities I wanted to do, estimate how long each one would take and then I would put them on my calendar. I also had a list of small client development activities I could do each and every day. When my time was very tight if I just did one of those actions, I felt I was keeping my head in the game.

You have a couple of months to focus on what you want to accomplish next year. If you will answer my coaching questions above, you will be on your way to a focused, purposeful 2018.