Unbillable

2 October 2025

2 simple habits to win Q4 crunch time

Read time: 2:59 minutes

90 days left in 2025.

Q4 has begun. The year-end crunch time is here.

As a lawyer, I knew this feeling well. Clients scrambling to use their remaining budgets. Partners making sure every hour is invoiced and paid. The pressure ramping up fast.

Important to keep a cool head and stay in control.

Difficult to keep a cool head and stay in control.

Most lawyers will spend Q4 putting out fires and responding to emergencies. That was me for years.

But what if you had a system? Two simple habits that keep you focused on what actually matters?

I know you have no time for this now. But your future self will thank you for taking 20 minutes tonight.

Here's the trap: without a system, you'll spend Q4 in reactive mode. Responding to whoever emails loudest. Working on whatever lands on your desk. Busy, but not strategic.

December arrives. You look back and realize you never worked on what actually mattered to you.

I fell into this trap as a lawyer. I planned my days — but I never stepped back to think about what I actually wanted to accomplish in Q4. I just reacted to what showed up.

Here's what I wish I'd used consistently from day 1:

Two connected habits that take 15 minutes per quarter and 5 minutes daily.

(This works for every quarter. But right now, with 90 days left in 2025, it's your last chance to make this year count.)

Part 1: Your 3 Q4 Goals (do this once, 15 minutes)

Most lawyers don't set clear goals beyond the billable hours their firm expects. I was one of them.

You can be different.

Take 15 minutes tonight. Grab pen and paper.

Imagine it's New Year's Eve and you look back at your year. What are the things that made Q4 a success?

Don't filter with your mind. Let it flow from your hand. Write everything down. All the goals, projects, and achievements that come to mind.

Then look at your list. Circle your top 3 and put them in order.

Make them SMART — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. Choose things you can control.

SMART:

• “Complete final drafts on [3 major files] before holiday break.”
• “Bill another 100k€ by 31 December to get a bonus.”
• “Leave the office by 7 PM twice per week.”

Not so SMART:

• “Get a promotion.”
• “Be more efficient.”
• “Have a better work-life balance.”

Put these 3 goals somewhere visible — at the top of your to-do list.

Now you have your North Star for Q4. Here's how to work towards it daily.

Part 2: The Shutdown Ritual (5 minutes daily)

Don’t just make a plan every quarter.

Make a plan every day.

Start the evening before with your own shutdown ritual.

Look at your to-do list:

• Anything to add from today?
• What are your deadlines coming up?
• What are your top 3 priorities for tomorrow? Pull them to the top.

Close your laptop with a smile.

You have a plan. Everything is under control.

Yes, you'll throw it out the window when a client emergency hits at 11 AM the next morning. You'll reprioritize then.

But you're done for the day. Safe for the night.

How do you prioritize those top 3 daily?

Ask yourself: is this getting me closer to my Q4 goals?

This simple question keeps you strategic instead of just busy.

Bonus: Eat That Frog

You've pulled your top 3 priorities to the top of your list.

But which one do you tackle first?

Your most important, most unpleasant task.

Eat that frog first thing in the morning.

Why? You'll think about it all day anyway. Costs energy. Creates anxiety. Ruins your day.

Get it done first thing.

Then enjoy your day with a triumphant smile.

Ready to make this Q4 different?

Start with the shutdown ritual tonight. Set your 3 Q4 goals, then plan tomorrow with your top 3 priorities.

It takes 20 minutes tonight and 5 minutes daily.

Your future self will thank you for getting strategic now instead of waiting until the calm January.

Let's make the next 90 days count,

Jan

P.S.

I know it feels odd to plan your day when you have to change your plan often. Morning team briefings, overnight emails, client emergencies.

But here's the thing: isn't it easier to re-prioritize after you've already prioritized?

The shutdown ritual gives you a baseline. When chaos hits (and it will), you know what matters. You're not scrambling from scratch.

Know a lawyer who needs a Q4 game plan? Share this to help them stay strategic.

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