Editor's Column

By:  Tim Williams

For the third year in a row, September kicks off soccer season in my house.  Around this time of year I am affectionately known at home as “Coach Daddy.”  This year, I am assuming the role of head coach for a second-grade team and a pre-K team.  My coaching strategy is consistency.  I deliver the same message to each practice and every game: “Kick the ball that way” while pointing to what I believe is the correct goal.  I don’t know what constitutes offside.  I don’t know soccer positions except for goalie.  (As an aside, this knowledge is useless because we don’t use a goalie in my kids’ league.  I’m told that’s what they do in European youth soccer.)  I played soccer exactly one season growing up and my only memories from that season are, in no particular order: (1) a bee sting to the neck hurts, (2) a well-placed soccer ball to the face will break your glasses, and (3) we won the last place trophy award.  I have no idea what I am doing.  And that is reflected by the score that we aren’t supposed to keep, but always do.  My kids’ soccer abilities already exceed my soccer knowledge base.  And at some point, I won’t be asked to coach anymore.  But, until then, I will continue to tell them “yes.”

Which brings me to the point of this month’s Editor’s Column.  Every time we say “yes” to something, we say “no” to something else.  We all have the same 24 hours in a day.  When I committed to coach two youth soccer teams, I said no to Thursday night football.  I said no to scheduling hearings or conference calls that would prevent me from getting to the soccer field by 5:15 p.m. Thursday. Although probably unique to me, it also means that if I have a Thursday or Friday deadline, I can’t wait until Thursday night to start working on it.  I said no to some procrastination. 

As lawyers, we are often viewed as leaders in our community.  We are asked to attend events, join service organizations, serve on boards of nonprofit organizations, network with other professionals, attend happy hours, give free legal advice to distant relatives, etc.  The list goes on and on and on.  All may be worthwhile endeavors.  Before you say yes, consider what you will have to say no to.  Family, church, work, exercise, community, hobbies.  There are countless articles about achieving a work/life balance and about the benefits of exercise for a busy professional.  It is important that you find the right balance.  If you start saying yes to too many things, you may find yourself saying no to something that you are passionate about.  You may have to give up an annual trip hiking in the Colorado mountains or abandon your Boston Marathon qualifying attempt.  You may find yourself missing a birthday party.  Before you say yes, make an honest assessment of whether you have the time to fulfill the obligation.  If you don’t, or you think that it will negatively impact another time commitment, do everyone a favor and say no from the beginning.

You may also inadvertently create bigger issues than foregoing a hobby.  Trying to do too much can negatively impact our own well-being in significant ways.  Stress and workload can result in very real issues like alcoholism and addiction.  (Click here for wellness resources from the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program.)

I hope you enjoy this month’s eNews and that you find the time to read all the articles.

Tim Williams is an attorney at Sprouse Shrader Smith PLLC and a director of the Texas Young Lawyers Association.  Tim can be contacted at tim.williams@sprouselaw.com.