From
time
to
time,
I
come
up
with
what
I
call
“FRETZINISMS.”
These
are
unique
quotes
that
pop
into
my
head
and
need
to
be
written
down
immediately,
because
sometimes
they’re
gold.
Here’s
one
I
think
we
can
all
agree
is
true:
“Procrastination
gives
you
a
pass
for
today
but
hands
you
a
problem
for
tomorrow.
Action
today
clears
a
path
for
a
smoother,
easier
future.”
This
FRETZINISM
resonates
with
me
deeply,
both
personally
and
from
over
20
years
of
coaching
lawyers
in
business
development.
You
see,
procrastination
used
to
be
my
jam.
Whether
it
was
an
overdue
research
paper
or
laundry
piling
up,
“I’ll
get
to
it
later”
was
a
regular
phrase
in
my
vocabulary.
As
a
chubby
teen,
I
often
imagined
getting
fit,
hitting
the
gym,
or
honing
an
athletic
skill,
but
rarely
followed
through.
Now
I
see
the
same
habits
in
my
teenage
son,
and
I
catch
myself
sounding
like
my
dad.
We
all
know
better,
but
let’s
face
it,
change
and
effort
are
hard.
Most
of
us
take
the
easy
route
today,
hoping
to
dodge
the
consequences
tomorrow.
So,
what’s
the
point?
You
can’t
reclaim
that
time.
At
some
point,
we
all
must
draw
a
line
in
the
sand
and
decide
what
we
want
from
life
and
what
we’re
willing
to
do
to
get
it.
Here
are
three
actionable
ways
to
stop
deferring
and
start
doing.
Tip
#1:
Start
small.
Don’t
overwhelm
yourself
by
committing
to
a
huge
change
out
of
the
gate.
Losing
50
pounds
sounds
great
but
feels
impossible.
Break
it
down.
Two
pounds
a
week
over
25
weeks
is
manageable.
Use
calorie
tracking
or
other
tools
to
stay
on
target,
and
you’ll
see
results.
The
same
principle
applies
to
business
development.
Don’t
set
out
to
land
10
new
clients
this
month.
Start
by
emailing
three
to
five
past
clients
to
ask
for
introductions.
By
lowering
the
bar
and
making
it
achievable,
you’re
more
likely
to
follow
through
and
build
momentum
from
there.
Tip
#2:
Find
support.
Whether
it’s
a
mentor,
coach,
or
spouse,
find
someone
who
will
hold
you
accountable.
Many
of
my
clients
set
up
accountability
buddies,
small
groups
of
three
to
five
motivated
lawyers
who
meet
weekly
over
Zoom.
They
commit
to
goals,
report
back,
and
celebrate
wins.
This
works
for
fitness,
weight
loss,
and
yes,
business
development.
As
a
coach,
I
ask
my
clients
to
submit
a
weekly
success
journal
so
I
can
hold
them
to
their
goals.
Whatever
form
it
takes,
accountability
turns
intention
into
action
and
results.
Tip
#3:
Behavior
drives
attitude.
Here’s
a
lesser-known
truth:
when
you
break
a
commitment
to
someone
else,
there’s
a
clear
consequence.
But
when
you
break
a
commitment
to
yourself,
the
damage
happens
silently.
It
chips
away
at
your
confidence
and
reinforces
the
idea
that
you
can’t
follow
through.
That
creates
a
self-sabotaging
loop
that
kills
progress.
On
the
flip
side,
crossing
something
off
your
to-do
list
feels
amazing.
All
lawyers
know
that
rush.
If
you’re
constantly
falling
short,
you
may
be
overcommitted.
Delegate,
automate,
or
drop
the
tasks
that
don’t
serve
your
goals
so
you
can
focus
on
the
ones
that
do.
We
all
need
to
sacrifice
time,
money,
or
energy
today
to
prepare
for
the
challenges
of
tomorrow.
The
world
is
unpredictable,
and
if
you’re
not
ready,
now
is
the
time
to
get
there.
That
might
mean
learning
business
development,
improving
your
health,
or
fine-tuning
your
internal
systems.
Don’t
be
that
angsty
teenager,
like
I
once
was.
Get
on
it
today.
Whatever
“it”
is
for
you,
you’ll
thank
yourself
later.
And
if
building
your
book
of
business
is
one
of
those
“I’ll
get
to
it
eventually”
goals,
shoot
me
an
email.
Working
with
a
coach
helps
with
accountability
which
leads
to
better
habits.
Better
habits
create
a
winning
attitude
that
will
help
you
build
the
successful
practice
you
actually
want.
Steve
Fretzin
is
a
bestselling
author,
host
of
the
“Be
That
Lawyer”
podcast,
and
business
development
coach
exclusively
for
attorneys.
Steve
has
committed
his
career
to
helping
lawyers
learn
key
growth
skills
not
currently
taught
in
law
school.
His
clients
soon
become
top
rainmakers
and
credit
Steve’s
program
and
coaching
for
their
success.
He
can
be
reached
directly
by
email
at [email protected] (Opens
in
a
new
window).
Or
you
can
easily
find
him
on
his
website
at www.fretzin.com (Opens
in
a
new
window) or
LinkedIn
at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin (Opens
in
a
new
window).
Join
Steve
and
three
of
the
top
contributors
to
his
latest
book,
“Be
That
Lawyer:
101
Top
Rainmaker
Secrets
to
Growing
a
Successful
Law
Practice,”
for
a
live
virtual
event at
1
p.m.
EST
on
July
24. Register
here.