Good morning! I can’t believe it’s the last Monday in August. Little Miss heads back to school this week to start 3rd Grade.
I’m a little sad. Not just because my baby girl is growing up, but that summer vacation is over. My family really loves summer. Like many New Englanders, we embrace the short 93 days between June and September. (Honestly, we extend summer as long as possible. October is actually my family’s favorite month by far to vacation.)
The weather is great. Our lives move outdoors. We enjoy dinner al fresco. The beaches, mountains, barbecues, and hammocks are calling. We get out of the office, out of the house, because we know that it won’t be long before our yard looks like this.
That’s not to say that I take the summer off. Lawducate will be introducing a lot of great features this fall, including our first class, Simple Legal Marketing, and our podcast, The Honest Lawyer Project. These projects don’t create themselves.
At the same time though, to do my best work, I need to take every opportunity to recharge my batteries – and so do you.
I know that attorneys work all the time. Been there, done that. Guess what? So do business owners. (I’m typing this on Sunday night at 10:08pm.) It’s not always easy to step away from the computer.
However, you can only work all the time for so long. You need time off to shut down your brain, breathe fresh air, and rekindle the relationships that matter. Why else are you working so hard?
The best in the world take time off. Have you ever seen pictures of Sir Richard Branson at his home on Necker Island? He works hard, and plays even harder. It’s also why the Hamptons, Cape Cod, the lakes, theme parks, etc. are jam-packed.
If you’ve missed your opportunity to take a week off this summer, autumn is a great time of year to enjoy some time away to disconnect, to pursue your favorite hobbies or enjoy time with friends and family.
It’s your last opportunity to revitalize minds and bodies before you start your busiest, most-productive time of the year. Seriously, did you know that the vast majority of a business’s annual gains occur between November and April?
The summer doldrums are real my friend. It’s a phrase coined by financial experts to describe the net decline in productivity and revenue that occurs in the months from May through October across a variety of industries. According to American Express OPEN Forum research, workers start to “check-out” in May. Over the course of the summer productivity drops by 20% per employee. Employee attendance drops by 19%, making it harder to get projects done (+13% to accomplish). And it takes until October to get the team working at peak performance again. Yikes!
If you have only 6 months to really make your numbers, be at your best. Unplug. Take a vacation.
Hit reply and let me know how you enjoyed the summer of 2016. Where did you go? What did you do? We created some great family memories on Cape Cod, and in the Green Mountains of Vermont.
Please reach out if you have any questions on how to make your law practice better.
Also, it only takes a few minutes a day to transform your law practice (and your life.) Get simple business development tips delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for Lawducate Updates. The investment in your future is free.
Have a great week!
-Kelli
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