On the first day of productivity, my favorite PBI blogger gave to me...
The year isn't over yet! The holidays can be a crazy time for everyone, and some tasks might fall by the wayside while others take priority. You might notice your desk becoming a bit messier or your to-do list looking overgrown. For lawyers, this season can be equal parts chaotic or quiet, depending on your practice.
Before you take off for vacation or settle into hibernation, I have a fun challenge for you to take on before the clock strikes midnight on 2025. Feel free to treat it as a daily challenge or simply a checklist you can tackle when you've got the time. It's meant to be stress-free, after all! And hopefully it will help you head into the new year feeling a little more productive and reflective.
Without further ado: The 12 Days of Productivity.
Day 1: Declutter your desk. Don't save it for spring! Make 2026 a fresh start. Clear your workspace of files and post-it note chaos. This also means your virtual desktop as well. Remove unneeded apps, clear old desktop icons, organize client folders, and delete any downloads that are just taking up memory space. You will feel as though a weight has been lifted once you finish organizing both your physical and virtual workspaces!
Day 2: Tackle the tasks you've been avoiding. I hope you didn't throw away the important post-it notes because today we are tying up the loose ends we've been procrastinating on. So get ready to respond to those emails, return that phone call, or schedule that overdue meeting. Whatever has been hanging over your head, it's time to buckle down and say goodbye to it!
Day 3: Do an hour of deep work. It's time for a digital detox. No calls, no notifications. Put everything aside and block one uninterrupted hour in your schedule for some meaningful deep work. Drafting, reviewing, writing...whatever it is, the outside world can wait.
Day 4: Do a little networking. This is the perfect time of year to reach out to others! Take time to send a thoughtful note to a mentor, referral partner, colleague, or client with a sincere message of appreciation or well wishes. Strengthening your network doesn't require a long lunch or happy hour. A brief moment of connection can be enough!
Day 5: Five golden minutes. We love our moments of mindfulness on Raising the Bar. Today, I ask you to engage in a mere five minutes of meditation. Do some deep breathing or stretching. Even a few minutes can improve your focus and resilience. It's especially important for lawyers to stop and breathe every so often.
Day 6: Clean out your inbox. Your desktop is looking nice and clean, but how's that email inbox doing? Yeah...me too. Let's start by deleting old emails and emptying out our junk bin. Create folders and archive the most important emails to achieve a new level of organization. Finally, scan through and unsubscribe from all of the junk mail that keeps finding its way to you. Today's inbox cleanup is tomorrow's peace of mind!
Day 7: Take a break. If you've made it this far, congratulations...you're halfway through! Today's assignment? Do less. Take a walk, sit in silence, read a book unrelated to law. Recovery is an important part of productivity—otherwise, it's just an invitation for burnout. Now go enjoy yourself!
Day 8: Book your CLEs early! Don't wait until you're racing the compliance clock. We've got plenty of live webcasts headed your way this month and beyond, plus webcast replays that also provide live credits! If you're in need of distance credits, then check out our on-demand library with hundreds of options in various practice areas. We're here to make compliance as simple and stress-free as possible! So why not get a headstart? Future you will thank you.
Day 9: Delegate or automate three tasks. If that to-do list is starting to look scary, letting things go can sometimes result in more productivity than letting it sit forever. Take today to review your duties and ask yourself if anything can be automated or passed off to a trusted colleague.
Day 10: Plan ahead. Dig out that 2026 calendar and get to work! Pencil in important meetings, courtroom dates, CLEs, and those all-important vacation days. If planning out your entire year feels overwhelming, then just focus on Q1 (January through March). You'll head into the new year feeling organized and also setting boundaries around what's important.
Day 11: Reflect on 2025. Think of one professional challenge you faced this year. What did you learn? How did you grow from it? From there, write down three wins you had. What went well? What are you most proud of? Big or small, jot them down! Professional momentum is built on recognizing progress.
Day 12: Set a goal for 2026. It could be a new healthy habit, a micro-goal, or a big resolution! No matter what it is, keep it simple and doable. Need ideas? Then be sure to come back in two weeks for our final blog of 2025, which will be chock full of ideas for your New Year's resolution!
If you participate in the 12 Days of Productivity, be sure to let us know on social media! We hope this blog has inspired you and has brought you a little cheer before we head into the new year. Remember, productivity isn't just about work. It also includes rest, reflection...and the occasional gingerbread cookie.
Wishing you a peaceful, purposeful, and productive December!
