Her Time: A Passion For Cooking
Today we share a day in the life of a partner at a local law firm who spends her evenings perfecting her culinary skills. She spends her day in Burberry heels until switching to Nikes for a workout and Ferragamo flats at home.
Age: 37 ;)
Housemate: My spoiled dog.
Home: Del Ray, Alexandria, Virginia
Education: Bachelor of Science in Political Science and International Studies, Juris Doctor, and Certified Family Law Mediator
Work: Partner, Law Group
Hobbies: Volunteering, gardening, skiing, cooking, baking, traveling.
What were your time management habits growing up?
I have always been very energetic, so it has been a just-get-it-all-done-by-the-deadline type of life.
Did you use those planners that they handed out in school?
Planners? What? Everything is always done by the deadline, but there were a lot of late nights before deadlines in college.
What are your time management habits now?
I try to balance keeping work at work, if I need to stay late that is one thing, but once I leave the office, I am off the clock. I am also trying not to read emails as they come in, and scheduling calls, so I don't interrupt myself while doing important tasks.
Do you feel like you have enough time in the day to accomplish everything you’d like to do?
I never have enough time! But even if I did, to me it would mean I need to take on more.
What do you do when you feel like you don’t have enough time, or you feel like you are sacrificing your me-time to get things done for work or family?
I get a lot of anxiety about not getting enough work done. When this happens, I try to think strategically: what does our business need, what do I need? I try to book workouts, meals, and other things that will force me to have some downtime and prioritize my mental and physical health.
Her Time
7:30 AM: Ugh, must I wake up? I wish I could sleep ‘till noon. I hop into a very hot shower to wake me up, let my dog out, and motion to him (because he is deaf now) that yes, I am watching and yes, he needs to go, and give him his treat for going out, get dressed, make coffee, and stare blankly in the fridge to see if I have food for lunch before heading out.
9:00 AM: Quiet office serenity. Open the door to the office, and delete all the junk emails in my inbox. Eat Greek yogurt. Prioritize what deadlines and upcoming trial work needs to get done, respond to emails, and return phone calls before the office gets hopping.
9:30 AM: Madness descends. I get ready for court at 10 AM, wildly throw everything I need in a bag, print out my last documents, and hop in my car. I think about my arguments while driving, go through security hoping it's a bailiff that remembers me so I don't have to pull out my bar card, and walk into court.
12:00 PM: My stomach is calling. I hope that I am out of court because I will be hungry at noon. If I am back at the office, I grab a Diet Coke and warm up something healthy, like a frozen veggie side to which I add chicken or tuna. If I am out, I grab something healthy to moderately healthy nearby. Some of my favorites are Chewish, Sweetgreen, Market2Market, and Sushi Hinata. If it is a nice day, maybe I can walk a couple of blocks to go get lunch!
1:00 PM: Get productive! In the afternoon I draft documents, have client consultations, and return emails when I am not in court. You can tell how busy I am by the number of unfinished beverages I have on my desk. If there is coffee, Diet Coke, and sparkling water then it's been a hectic day!
4:00 PM: The time my employees enjoy. Around 4:00 PM, I talk with my employees about what is going on, cases we are collaborating on, and tasks for the next day or week. I tend to be very sarcastic by this point in the day, and my employees enjoy hearing my errant comments about cases and life. I answer smaller priority emails and try to knock out small tasks I might have personally and professionally.
6:00 PM: Sweat it out! Normally this is the hour I work out, usually in a spin class, but sometimes I also run or do a HIIT workout. I like to do this after work and before I get home because if I work out hard, it takes my mind off work and helps make a clear line between work time and my time.
7:00 PM: Perfecting my skills! When I get home, I let my dog out, he generally has a dog walker, but if he hasn't that day, then we go on a long walk. I like to talk to my mom or friends while I walk him. Then I fix dinner. I am a pretty good cook, and I like to perfect my cooking skills. I don't love cooking for just me, so I often cook for someone I have over for dinner. Alternatively, I am out for an event my firm has sponsored or a meeting for an organization I support. Sometimes I even have time for a weeknight date and go eat somewhere in Del Ray like Matt & Tony's, Stracci, or Evening Star.
9:30 PM: About to Crash! At this point, it has been a long day on the go, and if I am not out, then I will watch a tv show or read a book with my dog cuddled up beside me before I crash to bed. Tv or book depends on how much I have read for work that day. I like watching all sorts of shows – anything from The Derry Girls, The Great, Emily in Paris to Star Wars or a food or travel show.
11:00 PM: Hit the hay! I will try to sleep by this time, as I need a lot of sleep. I am very grumpy and tired if I don't get enough sleep. My dog sleeps in bed with me and will start the night right beside me. It’s a blessing or a curse depending on if I'd like cuddles or if he snores that night. I do love watching him move and bark in his sleep when he has puppy dreams and I wonder what they are of.
