Method for Success: Organizing Your Life

April 22, 2021

I don't know about you, but I felt extremely overwhelmed during the first year of my law practice. Thanks to some research and soul searching, I came up with a "Method for Success" and I want to share it with you! I use this method to stay organized and make my days more productive.

1. Digital Master Calendar

I need the ability to review and add things to my calendar at a moment's notice. How do I carry an accessible calendar with me everywhere? I use a digital calendar that I can access on my iPhone. I use iCal, but Google Calendar also has good reviews. Within iCal, I have a variety of different calendars, each with its own color for easy identification. Some of my calendars include personal, work, reminders, deadlines, tasks, and notices.

2. Digital Master To-Do Lists

I really, really love to-do lists. I started using Google Keep at the beginning of 2021 and I am in love! It allows me to make digital notes and lists which I then color code according to type. I have lists for personal items, business items, marketing ideas, goals, and financials. I love having the ability to jot down notes and tasks anywhere. Google Keep makes it easy for me to organize all my to-do lists in one place.

3. Daily Planner

I use a daily planner to design my day. Every night I write down the next day's schedule, top three items, to-do list, and reminders. I then convert my tasks into blocks of time on my calendar. My daily planner makes it easy for me to stay productive and get more work done during the day. I currently use Day Designer products, but there are a variety of good options out there.

4. Client To-Do Lists

I also keep a small notebook inside my daily planner. In this notebook, I keep a page for each client to keep track of my most immediate to-do items. This makes it easy for me to "flip through" my clients and determine the top items I need to complete.

5. Business & Marketing Notebook

I like to keep a larger notebook for marketing, content, and business ideas. I break everything down into categories before making my action plans.

6. Excel Income & Expense Trackers

Something else I started doing in 2021 is keeping both personal and business income and expense trackers that I update weekly. I monitor my income and expenses and do a thorough review at the end of each month. I have a sheet where I break down the expenses by type so I can see where I'm spending the most money.

7. Budget Sheet

I use another excel sheet to keep track of all of my recurring monthly, semi-annual, and annual expenses. I use this sheet to set my budget for each month and know what my fixed expenses are.

8. Excel Mood, Food, & Exercise Log

Yet again, I use another excel sheet to keep track of my mood, sleep, exercise, and food. I try my best to update this sheet daily so that I can clearly track my habits. I like being able to look through the log and see what improvements I made throughout the month and also what areas I need to work on.

9. Habit Tracker

I also make use of a habit tracker that I bought on Amazon. At the beginning of each month, I write down the daily, weekly, and monthly habits I want to achieve. Then I simply check off the boxes as I complete the items. I do a review at the end of the month and see how well (or bad) I did.

10. Motivational Notes

Last but not least, I always try to keep motivational notes around me. My 2021 word of the year is productivity, and I try to align my motivational quotes within this theme. I even have an app on my iPhone, called "Motivation," which allows me to set up a widget on my home screen with changing productivity-themed quotes.

I hope this list has been helpful, and I wish you the best in your organization!