Over the weekend I cut the grass. It was mundane. I’ve got an old lawnmower. The self-propulsion is shot. Our yard is around 3/4 of an acre, and on a hill, so mowing the lawn takes some time and is a bit of a workout.
Back and forth, up and down. Around trees and hedges. Edging with the lawn trimmer. Bugs flying in your face, gas fumes in your nose. The roar of the lawnmower drowning out most other sound. The smell of fresh cut grass.
I could pay someone else to do our yardwork of course. But I enjoy it. It’s time I’m outside. Actual physical labor I’m putting forth to take care of our home. It’s a project that I take on and complete within a couple of hours. When I’m done I can see the work I’ve done and feel satisfied that I’ve completed a task.
Cutting the lawn isn’t radically significant in terms of a home. It’s not an addition to the kitchen. Or painting the house. Cutting the lawn is maintenance. It’s like vacuuming the carpet. Or dusting the shelves. Something you do on a regular basis to not let you home fall into disrepair. To maintain appearances. To keep things neat and tidy.
Maintenance is important. It’s what keeps your home a home to some extent. By making sure your home is well-kept, you’re not allowing negative influences to fester and grow. Cutting the lawn helps keep bugs and pest away. Vacuuming removes dirt and filth from your home. Dusting removes particulate from the air. None of these things is going to cause your home to fall off of its foundations. But slowly, over time, they can chip away at the quality of your home.
A lack of regular maintenance allows problems to build. Not taking the time to take action to address complications or build-up around your home leads to negative consequences. It’s similar to hygiene. Your personal hygiene is not your health. But if you don’t shower, brush your teeth, cut your nails, it will eventually affect your health. You have to engage in regular hygiene to stay healthy.
Mow Your Law Firm’s Lawn
A law practice needs maintenance too. It can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind. Answer phone, reply to emails, meet with clients, draft motion, bill hours, bill hours, bill hours. You’ve got to make money to keep your doors open, that’s the “health” of you law firm. But your law firm has “hygiene issues” as well. The policies and procedures you have in place affect how work is completed. Your workflow determines how quickly work can be done. How quickly you can get invoices out the door determines how quickly you can get paid.
None of these things actively make your firm money. But they are “hygiene issues.” Eventually they will affect the health of your firm. So you need to take the time to engage in regular law firm maintenance. You need to make sure that you’re doing things the way they actually need to be done. Case and people can fall off the tracks if they’re not well maintained. Follow best practices. Develop routines. Engage in annual planning and make sure you review your plan throughout the year.
Maintenance isn’t exciting or sexy. It’s often something that you might like to put off. But taking the time to do so will help ensure your success in the long run.
