when your attorney procrastinaates

Why do attorneys procrastinate?

What causes lawyers stress?

What should you not say to a lawyer?

What is a reasonable time for a lawyer to respond?

How do you deal with legal stress?

Why are lawyers so difficult?

Why do lawyers ignore you?

How often should I hear from my attorney?

Why do lawyers take so long to get back to you?

Is it normal to not hear from your lawyer?

What do you do when opposing counsel won't respond?

How do you respond to an attorney letter?

When Procrastination Rears Its Ugly Head

Procrastination and lawyering seem to go hand in hand. Legal work is intricate, precise, and hard to communicate to most people. This can leave you feeling alone with your burden.

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Some may think that year-end planning efforts should have begun in late November. But you put it off because of work, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, and Whatever Wednesday. And you have to attend various holiday parties, for business development purposes. So you procrastinate. And now it’s mid-December.

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While an attorney may request a postponement, it can be taken to an extreme. Take for instance the example of a Washington, D.C., solo who had an explanation for repeatedly missing a filing deadline.

Types of Procrastinators

Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. psychologist, coach, and author, identifies 6 different styles of procrastination. By identifying your style, you can try to address how to improve. Lawyers tend to fall into the following the six types of procrastinators. You may fit into several types:

Impact of Procrastination

Whether you procrastinate because you are too busy, fear change, the work is emotionally triggering, intimidating because it is novel, or you have simply burned out and are having difficulty starting or finishing work, procrastination has a serious impact on your mental state.

Techniques to Combat Procrastination

There are a variety of techniques you can try to change your behavior and reduce your stress. You can try more than one and be aware that procrastination is a habit. Breaking a habit requires forming new behaviors. Be patient and keep trying. Breaking a habit can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days. You just must keep trying.

How to get a procrastinator to do a dozen things?

If you tell a procrastinator to get a dozen things done, he might freeze up and do nothing…or try to do everything at once and accomplish little. Do the prioritizing for the procrastinator. Give him one task and one deadline at a time. Remove the distractions. Ask the procrastinator how you can help him focus on the task.

How to help a procrastinator?

What to do: Help the procrastinator find a healthier way to get the power or attention he desires. Point out the importance of his involvement. Sometimes, simply offering to help the procrastinator is all the attention that he needs. Or take attention away from him when he moves too slowly.

What does it feel like to live with a procrastinator?

Living with a procrastinator feels like torture to those who prefer to act promptly. The last-minute rushes and late arrivals that are normal for procrastinators are unnatural and stressful to do-it-nowers.

Why do it nowers do a poor job helping procrastinators change?

Do-it-nowers usually do a poor job helping procrastinators change because they don’t understand why procrastinators put things off in the first place. The most common reasons…. Fear. Many procrastinators delay taking action because action could lead to frightening results, such as failure or rejection.

Why do procrastinators move slowly?

A few procrastinators move slowly because they have discovered that foot-dragging is a way to get the attention or power they crave. What to do: Help the procrastinator find a healthier way to get the power or attention he desires. Point out the importance of his involvement.

Why do people fail to get things done?

Sometimes people fail to get things done because these aren’t their priorities. Example: A spouse might put off fixing a leaky pipe because it doesn’t really bother him. What to do: Explain to the procrastinator how important this is to you. If the procrastination continues, explain the consequences of future delays.

What are the negative effects of procrastination?

1 Negative impacts of procrastination include diminished performance, poorer mental and physical health, and increased stress, worry, and guilt.

What is the REBT theory of procrastination?

REBT theory teaches that procrastination often comes from a belief that discomfort should be avoided, 8 and you practice procrastination whenever you feel physically or psychologically uncomfortable.

How to combat bias?

What to try: Challenge yourself to open your mind and prove your bias wrong. Use the task as an opportunity to combat your bias. Your time estimates are... a little off! You tend to vastly underestimate how long it will take you to complete the task at hand, as you also underestimate how quickly you’ll get it done.

What to do if your partner is a procrastinator?

If your partner is a procrastinator and you’re not, first take a deep breath because you can’t change them. While it may feel like it should be doable to get your partner to do that early morning workout class with you if you could only show them the light, it’s not. It's important to accept them for who they are.

Is it important to accept procrastination?

Procrastination can really take its toll on a relationship or marriage, so it's important to find a way to work within it. If one or both of you are a procrastinator, it's helpful to first accept it. Someone isn’t going to magically change overnight, no matter how much you want them to.

How does procrastination affect your life?

Procrastination can affect every area of your life. If you’re someone who tends to put things off—or you’re married to someone who does—it can easily create friction in your relationship. But understanding where the other person is coming from can help you work through it .

What to do if you don't complete what you were supposed to do?

If they don’t complete what they were supposed to do in time, then you can bring it up. But don’t put yourself in the role of the reminder. Use an app like Remember the Milk to work off a shared to-do list. It will leave the responsibility of a reminder up to the app rather than you.