Last week in The Shift, we looked at how work often reverts back to you even when you don’t want it to. If you missed it, you can read it here. The shift we talked about—removing yourself from the bottleneck position—starts with identifying where it’s happening. Today, let’s make that pattern visible in your own practice. 

Set aside ten minutes and do the following exercise:

List 5 active matters or administrative projects you’ve been working on.

For each one, ask yourself:

• Where is this currently stuck, and

• Is it waiting on me?

Be honest. If the work is stuck waiting on you, you may be tempted to justify it (“I’m the only lawyer,” or, “I’m the only one who knows how to solve it”) but for now, don’t.

Just look for where work is pausing, and whether your involvement is the reason it hasn’t moved forward.

In many cases, the blockage won’t be because the question or problem is particularly complex. It’s more likely simply because the workflow has evolved to place you back at the centre, dependent on your input, your approval, or your decision.

Once you see the pattern across multiple matters, it becomes much easier to understand how the structure of the practice is creating dependence. Knowing this, you can focus on creating a structure that does not depend on you. 

Progress doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from focusing on what truly deserves your attention.