It’s been said that juggling personal and professional obligations can be like juggling glass and plastic balls. Not every family ball is glass, and not every work ball is glass either. Determining which obligation takes priority – to keep all the balls in the air – takes time, effort, and dedication.
Associates joining Galloway often ask their seasoned colleagues, “how do you achieve and maintain a work/life balance?” Admittedly, there is great difficulty for attorneys to find balance while working diligently to provide outstanding client service in a job that regularly demands time and sacrifice.
Galloway Directors Nathan Burrow, Katherine Currie Fallas, and Nicole Fluet shared their insights on the challenge of a work/life balance in their legal careers with new Galloway attorneys. They emphasized that the balance requires active planning, regular adjustments, and that a healthy balance looks different for everyone.
“Work/life balance will not fall into your lap.”
Katherine, a Director in the Firm’s Mandeville office, explained that because professional lives and personal lives constantly evolve, flexible plans that are revisited regularly assists in making sure that the balance still works in your favor. “You have to make a plan and set firm boundaries around your personal and professional goals. There isn’t a magic formula for balance because we all derive personal happiness and professional success from different sources. But if you self-reflect and create a clear picture of your short-term and long-term personal and professional goals – and then create a plan to reach those goals – you will find a balance that makes you happy. Take ownership of your goals and make a plan that works for you – no one else can do it for you.”
Adding to the importance of goals, Nicole added some practical advice from her experience in our Tampa office: “Set yourself a list of manageable weekly and daily goals, while also understanding what overarching goals you are working toward. Think about how short term goals fit into long term goals. If the short term is not helping to advance the long term, try to redirect your time to make sure you are using it in the most valuable ways.” Creating a vision for both set of goals will help guide your balance.
Flexibility Stretches Our Balance
Both personal and professional lives require a bit of flexibility and adjusting plans regularly. For Nathan, he leverages the flexibility of non-peak work hours, such as nights and weekends, in his Mobile, Alabama practice and at home. “You can readily complete projects – and accumulate billed hours – in short bursts after kids are in bed, between naps, or between events. I can attend school functions and sporting events while still assuring my work gets completed.” Maximizing productivity during non-peak hours allows for a better work/life integration without compromising personal commitments.
Katherine commented, “While our work sometimes requires us to be flexible, for the most part, if you plan ahead, you can meet your personal goals without sacrificing client service.” Building a strong boundary around personal lives coupled with proactive planning goes a long way in avoiding that boundary being breached. “We took an oath and owe a duty to our clients, but if we plan ahead and work ahead, we can avoid most last minute ‘fires.'”
Making It Work With Kids
Work/life balance looks different for everyone, and that includes spouse and children. The seasons of life change, and when an attorney can successfully balance their commitments as a single person, it looks vastly different when young children are home. Since beginning her practice, Katherine has welcomed two young daughters which required a shifting of priorities.
She shared her personal experience and routine:
- By waking up and getting ready earlier, when her kids do wake up, “I am able to avoid the rush and can spend quality time with them in the morning.”
- “I have a firm ‘stop time’ of 6:00 pm so I can leave the office, eat dinner with my kids, and play with them until bedtime.” If there are emails to answer or additional work, it can be completed after putting them to bed.
- She works remotely when they are home sick, which often requires catch up time on the weekends, “but that is a sacrifice I am happy to make because it allows me to meet my personal ‘goal’ of being home with them when they are sick.”
- Any weekend work is done during nap time or when the kids are doing something fun, “which helps with the ‘mom guilt.'”
“Do the things you love.”
Nicole emphasized the importance of making time for enjoyable activities. “I love walking around the mall and watching my favorite TV show, so make sure whatever schedule you set for yourself has time for your favorite things.” Occasionally, she will leave the office a few minutes early and handle a few calls while walking around the mall, ensuring she still gets her work done while doing something she loves. “While we cannot do everything, making time for the things (and people!) you love is essential.”
Katherine loves to work at a coffee shop on the weekend. “It feels like a treat to get a good cup of coffee and work somewhere other than my office. Plus, even though I am being productive and completing tasks, I don’t feel burnt out from spending another day in the office.”
Practical Tips from the Galloway Team
- Keep a family calendar along with your work calendar. I know where I need to be at least a week in advance and can make sure I schedule my work activities accordingly. If I have a kid’s baseball game on Tuesday evening, I know I have to set depositions in the morning.
- Be organized. Lists, calendars, tasks, whatever works best for you!
- Communicate your goals to your supervisor. If there is something important to you outside of the office (whether it be a school program for a child or a workout class), let your supervisor know so that you can work together to make sure any deadlines are met so that you can attend.
- Contemporaneously bill. You are wasting and losing your time if you are not keeping it contemporaneously. Your time is valuable, so learning how to efficiently capture your time is important to successful balance.
- If you have a spouse/partner, work together to ensure that they are on board with your goals so that both of you know what the other needs in the way of support.
Achieving a sustainable and healthy work/life balance is an ongoing process that requires attention and commitment. Regular evaluation of your goals and routines makes a difference. Balance is individualistic and possible with intention and flexibility.