THINK… of course we are always thinking. But in this world of action… action… action…. do we really take the time to think through an idea before we pick up the phone or put our fingers on the keyboard? The answer is probably… "Not so much." 

I just had a nice long weekend away from everything. No clients to call… no strategies to work out… no emails to attend to. My mind had no particular place to go… and out popped a solution to something I was grappling with for days.

A friend told me a story… " When I was a young associate I would see one of my shareholders pacing in his office most days. When I got up enough courage I asked… ‘Why are you pacing?’ He replied… ‘I’m billing clients.’ I must have had a puzzled look on my face so he explained… ‘If I can spend an hour thinking an issue through before I actually take action… my work product is much better. I ensure that I won’t paint myself into a corner." My friend took this concept to heart and today has the habit of taking long walks to think through most issues. The added benefit is he’s in great shape… not a bad byproduct, right? 

Business development isn’t something most lawyers think about much… they are generally passing thoughts. Sometimes taking action… sometimes not. I believe if you would make a habit of pacing or disconnecting you just may find that the ideas start to flow. You’ll think of… possible referral sources… topics for articles… people that could connect you to great resources and possible clients. The list goes on. Take the time to THINK about business development… it will pay dividends, I assure you. And like my friend… stay in great shape!