The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Day 72/90 – Fixing Problems

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 72 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I think I found the answers to some of my clients’ problems.

    The Fix Is In by JD Hancock from Flickr (Creative Commons License)
    The Fix Is In by JD Hancock from Flickr (Creative Commons License)

    One of the things I like about being a lawyer is I get to solve problems. I get to fix things. I get to be an intellectual engineer that combines statutes, with case law, and my client’s situation to find a viable solution. In several aspects of my practice areas – like social media law and internet-based businesses, the law isn’t black-and-white. There are a lot of gray areas, and even then, there are times where there are no definitive answers. At best, we can hedge and predict until the laws are changed or an applicable court decides a case on the issue.

    Today I felt like a legal engineer – looking case law, examining it when my color-coded highlighter system, looking at similar situations, talking to other attorneys who work in the area, and coming up with recommendations for my clients. Sometimes that’s the best anyone can do – critically analyze the situation and try to draw conclusions based on the available data.

    (Please say “data” correctly. In my world, it’s pronounced DAY-ta – like the Star Trek character, not Dah-Ta.)

    In case you missed it: Day 71 of the 90 Days of Awesome – Helping another Lawyer be more Effective with Social Media.

  • Day 54/90 – Just a Good Day

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 54 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? It was just a good day overall!

    This is a photo from Ignite Phoenix #17 - yes I'm skipping. It embodies how I felt yesterday. (Photo by Joseph Abbruscato, used with permission)
    This is a photo from Ignite Phoenix #17 – yes I’m skipping. It embodies how I felt yesterday. (Photo by Joseph Abbruscato, used with permission)

    I had to think about what made yesterday awesome. There were so many good things to choose from. There was nothing especially extraordinary about the day but it had good flow and energy:

    • Went to the office – fourth time being the first person in where I didn’t set of the security alarm!
    • Cranked on client work – for many lawyers, summer is a slow time. I’ve had the opposite this year. I’m surprised that so many new and returning clients have asked me to do work for them.
    • Went to therapy – we’re all better people because I sit on my therapists couch every week.
    • Picked up a new water bottle at Runner’s Den – I wanted one that straps to my hand to help me stay hydrated during evening walks and runs.
    • Took Rosie with me to Fellowship Under the Stars – everyone loved her and it was a great meeting.

    By the end of the day I was exhausted and I flopped into bed and purposely didn’t set an alarm.

    In case you missed it: Day 53 of the 90 Days of Awesome – no cavities at the dentist!

  • Day 50/90 – Hitting the Ground Running

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 50 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I hit the ground running this week.

    This is the view from my desk. I'll be seeing it a lot this week.
    This is the view from my desk. I’ll be seeing it a lot this week.

    I knew I was going to have a busy week with client work – I mean really busy – even for me. If I didn’t have a spreadsheet of all my cases it would be hard to keep track of them all. By nine o’clock this morning I felt that if you weren’t on my to-do list this week, there’s a good chance you’re not going to get on it ‘til next week.

    I’m pleased so many people want my help. This may be one of those weeks where I have to keep my door closed, put my cell phone where I can’t see or hear it, and can only schedule phone calls and let all others go to voicemail. It might be the only way I can give each project the attention it needs and to avoid other distractions.

    I saw this awesome tweet today, inspired by the legendary Captain Jean-Luc Picard:

    That’s going to be my week – working through my to-do list, one thing at a time.

    I’ve also borrowed a tip from Jason Zook – I have a digital file of my daily to-dos that extends for weeks, but each day when I get to the office, I start by writing the list of what I want to accomplish before I leave for the day on a sticky note. (If I can’t fit my list on a sticky note, I’m trying to do too much.) There’s something about writing this list by hand that feels more organic and helps me find my focus to start the day.

    Just gotta keep putting one foot in front of other.

    In case you missed it: Day 49 of the 90 Days of Awesome – Simple Pleasures.