Does anyone have tips/methods for staying on top of all the little things? I’m in litigation and it’s a constant struggle to make sure I have accurate and up to date ‘bring ups’ and that I float anf rename all my emails and get all my time in and update my partner etc. like I can maybe get 1 or 2 but I’m never on top of everything and it’s so hard!

My partner now accepts and understands I am just going to have some organised chaos but also I want to make this little shit work for me!

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I always forget small things from emails so I create a calendar event for the time I will work on that task and book those emails as appointments during that time so that the appointment reminders bring up the emails with all relevant information.

One of the ways I keep track of little bits of info and to dos scattered in multiple places.

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This is what I do and it has been a life saver! I also create calendar entries to follow up with partners about assignments I’ve given them but haven’t gone out when I know the deadline is approaching. I also put the email I sent in the entry so I can forward it easily and don’t have to search for it. I’ve had several partners tell me I help keep them organized.

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I also create outlook tasks with the contents of emails, like the other commenter. Lately I’ve been using notes tho so I can refer back to the instruction again easily.

The thing that helps me the most is creating short cuts, quick steps, or macros as much as I need to so that all the tedious steps of tracking the task are easy for me to do. Otherwise I’ll get annoyed/bored and lose track.

So for a concrete example, if I get an email asking me to do something, I:

(1) open up OneNote where I have a tab for each attorney I work for (I’m a jr associate) and each client/project, add a page for that email (each call, email, set of notes gets a page with the date). Copy (CTRL + C) and paste (CTRL + V) the email onto the one note page. Read and highlight any tasks or important instructions. Take any random notes off the top of my head that I need to remember when I actually do the thing.

(2) update an Excel table with the basic matter details (billing number, status, client name)

(3) add an all-day event to my calendar that’s color-coded with Categories for each attorney.

On Sundays (or Monday mornings when I’m not in top of it) I look at my calendar, look at my notes, and write out a list of tasks for that week.

I find that my calendar is good for planning ahead, but when things get busy I need a physical list to keep me grounded.

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