If you don't have a "bird's eye view" of your work already, it's relatively simple (though sometimes time-consuming) to create: In short, compile a list of all of the work projects you're on – external (e.g., client-facing) and internal (e.g., an internal committee you're on). You can use whatever tool you'd like for this – even as simple as a spreadsheet or word doc. And organize the contents however it makes sense to your brain. There is no right or wrong here. We're just trying to get that bird's eye view of everything on your plate. In my attorney days, this would have looked like a list o ..read more

It might not be the view you want – but it was the one I craved for years. We're coming up on a year of living in Minnesota. It's wild to me that not even a year ago, palm trees greeted me when I looked up from the sink in San Diego – and now... this cozy landscape. When most people hear that we opted to move from San Diego to MN, we get a raised-eyebrow, "what?"-look. And I get it... But man, it's been such a wonderful move. I get random 15-minute swinging-by-to-drop-something-off moments with my parents. The other day, my mom swung by to drop off clothes my 4yo had left in her car – and I ..read more

I’ve always had perfectionist tendencies – I edit and re-edit things (including, sometimes, these posts) until I get things “just right.” Spending my first adult chapter as a litigator did nothing to help this tendency. A partner once criticized my (winning) brief because it had inconsistent spacing after periods... Long story short, being an attorney doesn't do you any favors if you're trying to kick perfectionist tendencies. But I also know it’s not sustainable to pour over everything until it’s "perfect." And yet… the whole “done is better than perfect” advice has always hit me wrong ..read more

I can still picture the first time a client said this during my very first Bright Method program in April 2020. Since then, it’s become a bit of a pattern. Every program, at least one person will say something along the lines of, “Now that I see it all laid out in my calendar, I realize I have way too much on my plate. But I also realize it’s not a problem with ME.” ? DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS BREAKTHROUGH. When you realize you have a workload problem – not a “me” problem – you stop blaming yourself and asking yourself to fundamentally change. Instead, you start looking for solutions to the pr ..read more

Here’s a practical strategy for those of you who are starting to get antsy about the fall - but want to enjoy the rest of summer. There’s something about it already being July that makes it feel like fall will be here before you know it. BUT, if you’re like me, you don’t want to turn to the fall yet - you want to soak in summer. SO, let’s balance these two feelings in a practical way. Step 1: Make a list of all the things that snag your attention. Go a little overboard here - write down anything that might cause you anxiety. For example… If you have kids, the start of school: buying school ..read more

I’m a huge advocate of taking action on issues you care about and someone who wants all of us to enjoy our lives as much as we can – no matter the circumstances. So, to that end, here are three strategies to help you maintain your sanity in this whiplash-whirlwind of a world right now: Strategy 1. (This is not a post about taking action and adding more to your plate if you’re tapped out: bear with me here…) Decide if and how you want to take action on issues you care about so that you know when you’re done. I’m not here to add more to your plate today. I’m actually trying to free you up from ..read more

“The more you confront the facts [that time is finite] - and work with them, rather than against them - the more productive, meaningful, ad joyful life becomes… I’m aware of no other time management technique that’s half as effective as just facing the way things are.” — Oliver Burkeman, Four Thousand Weeks I've never been all that great at articulating why the Bright Method works. I'm not really an academic about time management – I don't spend a lot of energy exploring the theories behind why things work. I just love a practical realistic solution. I know I have a system that helped me ditch ..read more

Many of us say “yes” at work so that we are / are seen as a “team player.” I love team sports and thought of the partners and associates I worked with in big law as my case “teams.” But this concept of taking on more and more work to be a “team player” has gotten warped – by our work culture and even in our own heads. So, some things to consider… Being a team player means taking on your fair share… of a fair share. If you push back on taking your fair share of an unfair and unrealistic amount of work for your team, that does not mean you are not a team player. It just means you know your limit ..read more

When I was practicing law, bonuses were dangled as incentives to bill more hours. And they were hard to resist. But after a couple of years, I realized a couple of things. 1. The hours threshold for the bonus was not always clear, and it was never guaranteed. That’s a lot of hard work for a vague, not-guaranteed payout. 2. When I really tried to break down the bonus into an hourly rate for those additional hours (which was hard because the hour trigger and bonus amount were vague), the bonus felt… less worth it. And when I considered the resulting impact on my personal life, it felt not at all ..read more

Ah, moving. With two kids. And a dog. Across state lines. And then, five months later, from a rental into a house we bought. While I’m not a moving expert, I’m now very experienced. Here’re some strategies that make life easier if you’re going through it. Moving with Kids Tip #1: Start a Project Management Board As soon as we found out my husband got a job in MN, my brain started whirling with all the things we needed to do. Find a rental. Get my oldest in daycare. Find a nanny. Movers. Transporting my car. Packing. All the things. In a whirlwind inside my head. And while I quarterback my life ..read more