03 Jan Judge Jimmy
Bronwyn H (Lawyer) – Hey Judge Jimmy, it’s been 4 weeks since our firm decided everyone should work from home. At first I thought this was going to be a nice change, however since my crazy kids have also been told that they will be schooling from home, I’m finding it really hard to get into a solid routine. Do you have any tips for me on this? Thanks.
Hi Bronwyn, thanks for reaching out during these very disruptive times. Everyone’s normal daily routines have certainly been thrown out the window ever since COVID-19 came to town. Finding some sort of normality amid the chaos can be difficult while working from home, especially if you’ve got kids running around as well.
I have a few simple tips, and outlined a daily schedule which I think you will find really useful during these difficult times.
Firstly, I would get the nanny on full time and then relocate to your Whale Beach house for the working week. To ensure productivity best to only check in on the kids a couple times a week, as like you, they don’t need the distraction (from their Xbox).
Make sure your IT department are fully utilised. So rather than drive into the office to get your computer screens and equipment, have them courier everything you need to both your houses so you can be online 24/7. Best to select a quiet spot in the house to set up your home office, preferably with ocean views. I hear it is really calming.
With the kids in the other house your only distraction will be stunning views and the sound of waves crashing on the shore. The next step is to establish a fool proof routine. We have created a template below that you can use as a guideline.
6.30am – Wake up and head down to the beach for a morning swim. Try not to look at your share portfolio, as it will only cause anxiety and make you question the purchase of the chalet in Aspen.
7.30am – Healthy organic breakfast, washed down with a fresh home-made espresso. It is important at this point to have a shower and make an effort to get out of your pyjamas. Remember you are likely to spend the next 5 hours on zoom calls, so even if you have no pants on, a nice top is critical.
8.00am – Zoom call with your team. Ask them how they are feeling and ensure you go through the checklist questions provided by HR. Feign interest and practice empathising. This is much easier on Zoom, as you can spend the whole time checking out your facial expressions to really nail it.
8.30am – Delegate as much work as humanly possible. One thing that is great about COVID-19 is that you have now learnt to trust your team. You have realised working from home is great. In fact, your team has never billed more. During these stressful times, lawyers are less likely to take a lunch break, while feeling the pressure to work even harder; take full advantage and load them up.
9.30am – Another espresso – spend some time gazing out the window and contemplate how much money you are going to make next year when this thing rebounds.
10.00am – 12.00pm Zoom call with partnership to discuss cost cutting ideas and genius business development plans centred around articles on COVID-19.
12.00pm – lunch – Light snack – you want to stay sharp for the afternoon.
12.30pm – 2.00pm – Nap time.
2.00pm – 4.00pm – Zoom calls with clients. If you have none, think of a reason to organise a pointless meeting with someone in your firm to ensure that they waste the afternoon as well. Two is better than one right?
4.00pm – 5.00pm – Zoom each member of your team to ensure they are OK and not too overwhelmed with work volume. HR has told you the importance of caring for your team (plus you really like how you look on Zoom). Make sure you take a photo and post on LinkedIn to show the world you really care, no one likes a sociopath.
5.00pm – Sign off on anything that needs actioning and make sure you have plenty of ice in the fridge.
6.00pm – Mojito time!!
6.20pm – Open up a bottle of chilled wine.
7.30pm – Order some Uber eats. Something healthy like a Poke bowl.
8.00pm – Put on Tiger King, but if anyone asks, you are watching something more educational. Unorthodox is meant to be pretty great.
9.00pm – Open 2nd bottle of wine… just one glass… at a time.
11.00pm – If you can make it to bed, do so, otherwise settle in on the couch and rest up before you repeat it all again tomorrow.
Drive back to your Woollahra home on Saturday morning, feeling refreshed and productive. You now have more energy to put into you kids. Remember there are no birthday parties or sports camps available, so you will need that energy to maintain enthusiasm while going round and round Centennial Park while waving at loose acquaintances from a distance.
All the best,
Judge Jimmy
