Game Face
Monday mornings are often challenging. Garfield the comic strip cat hated Mondays for a reason. Most people dread Mondays as they are the start of another work week and the end of two days of respite. Lawyers are no exception. We too can NOT look forward to Mondays. Whether or not we look forward to our Monday, we as attorneys, MUST put our game faces on; especially when we are litigation attorneys. When I was having one of those Mondays, I started to wonder how many other attorneys experienced the same. Do we all just spring out of bed, eager to put our dress shoes on and race to the office eager to start the day? Or is there more of a real-world experience where we sometimes drag our way into the office, sit at our desks, and need that extra cup of tea or coffee to get things together?
Part of our jobs in our profession is to put our game faces on, isn’t it? When we are out of sorts, or are having a bad day for whatever reason, ours is the profession where we are supposed to disregard those feelings and get our act together quick and in a hurry in order to perform for our clients and the court. Sounds like we are jesters, huh? Jokes aside, where is there room in our profession for US to experience a Monday like everyone else? And when we do, how do we go about putting on our game face? Here are a few things that help me put my game face on:
No Calls
On those Monday mornings where you are slow to get it together and put your game face on, I try and not take any calls from anyone for a good hour after I get to the office. Unless there is a crisis that needs your immediate attention, I think you can swing this. Have your administrative assistant take a message; you will get back to that person that day. Don’t have an admin.? Let calls go to voicemail for that first bit of time at the office. This allows you to ease into your workday and not all of a sudden be off to the races. If you don’t have your game face on, then whomever you take a call from will feel that as well. Take a moment. You can get back to them. This gives you the time and space to find your game face and start putting it on.
Start With the Straightforward
Sometimes, when you just don’t feel like putting on your game face, it is hard to get knee deep into complicated, focus driven tasks. So, try not to do those at this time. I try and start with those tasks that I can do with ease, but are clearly on my to do list and need to get accomplished. So, I am still checking things off my list, but starting with the easiest and most straightforward items first. This diligent work inspires me to continue working ticking things off my list while preparing to put my game face on for the more complicated tasks.
Walk Down Memory Lane
If you can, think back fondly and gratefully to that time when you were right out of law school. That time where you were itching to get started working as a lawyer. Try it. Try and remember those times when you knew absolutely nothing and fast forward to now where you know a whole helluva lot more. You start to put things in perspective and look forward to donning your game face to tackle whatever is on your schedule.
I wonder what steps others have to motivate themselves to put on their game face?
*Image Credit: 8873209 © Leanid Shchahlou | Dreamstime.com