Lawyers are in a challenging situation. They have to be good at so many things but are
strapped for time.
Most lawyers have limited time, energy, and other resources available to spend
on self-development. Yet, at the same time, lawyers are in a position to gain the most
from improving their knowledge and skills.
It’s a tough balancing act, and one that must be managed well.

If you’re a lawyer, try these ideas to successfully undertake self-
development ideas:

1. Carefully consider what you need to learn. Assess your needs and
weaknesses and make a decision about what you need to learn. What will most
add to your life or your practice? Lawyers are short for time, so it’s important to make a wise decision about how to spend your self-development time.
● Ask yourself, “What would most benefit my life or happiness?”
● Then ask yourself, “What would most benefit my practice ?”
2. Communication skills. It’s hard to make money without clients. Selling skills can
be among the most valuable for lawyers. If you don’t have all the income you
desire, enhancing your communication skills might be a logical choice for
your self-development efforts.
3. Marketing skills. If people don’t know about you, you’re going to struggle. There
are tons of inexpensive marketing choices available today for lawyers. Maybe
your business will benefit if you strengthen this important skill.
4. Social skills. Networking, gaining, and maintaining customers and clients is a
big part of an entrepreneur’s job. If your social skills are subpar, your business
will struggle. Everyone can benefit from greater social skills, whether they’re a
lawyers or not.

5. Public speaking. Depending on your business, this can be a very useful skill. It
can build confidence and comfort when dealing with people. Speaking at
conferences can be a good way to market and sell your services or
products to a larger audience.
6. Goals. Do you have goals? Many lawyers would benefit from having a set of
reasonable and applicable goals to work toward. Setting and striving for goals is
a valuable skill to develop. It’s a skill that will be useful in more areas of life than
just your practice.
7. Focus, discipline, perseverance. These are three qualities all lawyers could
use more of. If you’re lacking in any of these areas, consider implementing a
program that builds on one or more of these characteristics.
● Other qualities to consider include the ability to deal with stress,
confidence, and motivation.

8. Time management. Lawyers are frequently pressed for time. The closest
anyone can come to creating time out of thin air is to learn how to manage their
time more effectively.
9. Health. Most lawyers fail to care for themselves properly. Too little sleep, too
many skipped meals, poor food quality, and a lack of exercise are serious
impediments to good health. Making your health a priority and building some
healthy habits might be the best way to spend your self-development time.
10.Relationships. Lawyers are notorious for needs of building relationships. The
time commitment of running a business and the stress that goes along with it can
be a real strain on any relationship. Perhaps learning how to reconnect is the
best skill you can learn at this time.
Lawyers are short on time, so they must approach self-development intelligently and
efficiently.

Decide what area of self-development will best serve your practice or life. Do you
mostly want to find more clients or to enhance your health?

Is managing your time the best skill for you to learn at this time?

Take a look at your situation and allocate your self-development hours appropriately and find time to plan your coaching session in order to find the best way for you.