If there is one thing that all the attorneys I’ve worked with  share, it’s that they are ALL too busy.  Busy generating leads.  Busy meeting with prospects.  Busy mentoring associates.  Busy with professional activities.  Busy, busy, busy!

It is usually at the end of the year that some of your time is freed up simply because your clients don’t want to grind it out over the holidays that you have a little time to sit back and reflect on your life and your law firm.  And then you probably make a resolution that next year will be “different” — you’ll actually carve out the time you need to enjoy your life.

Unfortunately, that rarely happens.  This is usually because most of us don’t know how to prioritize when a million demands are being made of us.  We react, rather than consciously act.

As we enter 2017, consider this useful advice on how to prioritize your days for a balanced life and a better law firm, starting with the activities that provide the highest ROI on your time investment:

1. First thing, do the one thing that is most important to you personally.  Maybe it’s breakfast with the kids.  Maybe it’s starting to write that book you’ve always wanted to write.  If you don’t do the one thing that means the most to you in the world, years will go by and you will regret it.

2. Next, do the one thing that is most important to the health of your law practice.  This is not answering emails.  For most of us, it is doing something that will increase revenue — and that is usually marketing.  When you make law firm marketing a priority, you are ensuring that the one thing that feeds your business — new clients — doesn’t dry up for lack of attention.  You create demand that will keep your business going instead of treating business development like a luxury that will get your attention once you have the time.  Because you never do.

3. Next, do the one thing that is most important to fulfilling your business obligations. This is all the stuff you have to do to stay in business.  Work on case files.  Take depositions.  Serve clients how they deserve to be served.

4. Next, do the one thing that is most important to your current business operations.  This category includes answering emails, returning phone calls, finishing your billing — all the stuff that is essential to your current business operations.

5. Next, do the one thing that has been nagging at you — it’s an obligation that has to get done, but is not necessarily critical to your business.  If you make a commitment, you have to honor it.  You don’t want to be known as being untrustworthy, but when you’re running a firm, these items usually fall to the bottom of the to-do list.

6. Finally, go live your life. Are you working so you can work more, or so you can have a better life?  No one on their deathbed ever wished for more money, they wish for more time.  If you don’t take the time out to enjoy the fruits of your labors, you are missing the whole point (plus a lot more).