Solo & Small Firm
Why Goal Planning Matters for Solo & Small-Firm Lawyers: And How to Actually Do It Without Losing Your Mind
By Joshua Bonnici
Let’s be honest: most attorneys didn’t go to law school because they dreamed of running a business. We went for justice, advocacy, prestige—or because someone told us we argued well and we believed them. Yet here we are: running law firms, juggling clients, balancing calendars, and occasionally remembering to eat lunch.
And that is precisely why goal planning isn’t just helpful for small-firm lawyers – it’s essential. Without clear goals, running a law practice can feel like being trapped in perpetual triage mode. You’re busy every day, but you have no idea whether you’re actually moving forward or simply spinning in place like a confused Roomba.
The good news? Goal planning doesn’t need to be painful, complicated, or filled with corporate buzzwords like “synergy” or “paradigm shift”. With the right approach, and a little humor, you can create a system that boosts your revenue, reduces stress, and even helps you build the kind of life you actually want. That’s where a bit of inspiration from the 12-Week Year comes in.
The Problem: Annual Planning Is a Myth We Tell Ourselves
Traditional annual goal setting is like deciding in January that you’re going to “get in the best shape of your life” … and then remembering that goal sometime around Halloween. By December, the gap between intentions and actions is big enough to qualify as a jurisdictional issue.
The 12-Week Year flips that on its head by treating each 12-week cycle as a “year” with its own goals, priorities, and execution plan. Shorter timeframes force clarity, urgency, and action; all things attorneys claim they love, at least in theory.
Why Solo Attorneys Struggle: The Firefighter Problem
Let’s talk about the elephant in the conference room: solo and small-firm attorneys rarely spend enough time working on the business side of their practice. Most solos are, through no fault of their own, stuck in:
- Production mode (drafting, filing, returning calls, putting out fires)
- Reaction mode (“Your Honor, we can file that by Tuesday! Absolutely!”)
- Survival mode (“I swear I will organize my trust account… next month.”)
The truth is, solos become skilled firefighters, jumping from emergency to emergency with admirable speed but very little strategic direction. Every day is a new adventure, and not always the fun kind.
It’s because when you’re the one handling intake, drafting pleadings, updating clients, managing billing, fixing the printer, and occasionally answering your own phone, “strategic business planning” feels like a luxury. But here’s the twist: when you don’t plan, your business grows accidentally, if it grows at all. When you do plan, your business grows intentionally, sustainably, and in a way that actually supports your life.
Goal setting is the antidote to firefighting. It shifts you from reacting to leading, from chaos to clarity, from merely working in the practice to actively building and strengthening the practice.
Why Solo & Small-Firm Attorneys Need Goals (Even More Than Big Firms Do)
You’re the CEO, CFO, CMO, COO, and occasionally the janitor. Big firms have committees, departments, and someone dedicated to updating the website once a quarter. Your firm has… you.
- Avoid the “Loudest Fire”: Without clear, intentional goals, your firm defaults to the loudest fire of the day. Planning helps prevent your practice from becoming an ongoing emergency response drill.
- Enable Delegation: Clarity makes delegation possible. You can’t outsource chaos. Goals help you decide what to hand off to an associate, virtual assistant, or paralegal.
- Create Predictability: Goals make your business predictable. Predictability equals stability, which leads to better clients and healthier revenue.
Personal and Professional Goals: More Overlap Than You Think
Some attorneys treat personal goals and business goals like a divorcing couple, living separate lives and refusing to acknowledge their connection. But the truth is, you started your law firm to support your life, not the other way around.
Whether you want to spend more evenings with your family or travel without your laptop, those are personal goals that rely heavily on business structure, systems, and revenue planning. Your business goals, like improving profitability or reducing administrative work, often free up time and reduce stress for all the things you care about outside the office. Personal and professional goals should be co-conspirators, not adversaries.
A 12-Week Inspired Framework for Goal Setting (Attorney Edition)
- Create a Vision That Doesn’t Put You to Sleep
Your vision is a vivid picture of what you want your life and practice to look like. Ask yourself what kind of practice you want and what kind of life you want it to support. Be specific: “Increase net revenue by 20% so I can hire help and stop working Saturdays” is actionable.
- Set 1–3 Clear 12-Week Goals
Each goal should be measurable, deadline-driven, aligned with your vision, and not dependent on miracles. Examples include:
- Generate 10 new estate planning clients through a targeted referral campaign
- Reduce case backlog by 30% by calendar-blocking focused production time
- Build and implement a streamlined intake system
- Take every Friday afternoon off
- Break Each Goal Into Weekly Actions
Keep your weekly plan simple and executable. For each goal, list the exact actions you will take, when you will take them, and how you will measure completion. If it doesn’t hit your calendar often, it doesn’t count.
- Track Your Execution Score
Execution beats intention every time. Each week, give yourself a score:
- 85–100% completion: You’re winning.
- 50% completion: You’re learning.
- 0% completion: You’re either exhausted, overcommitted, or you forgot you set goals.
5. Build Accountability
Attorneys are great at keeping promises to clients and courts, but not always to themselves. Set up accountability through a colleague, your assistant, a public commitment, or by hiring a business coach.
- Review, Celebrate, and Iterate
At the end of 12 weeks, review what you accomplished, identify what worked, and celebrate yourself. Then, start the next cycle with renewed clarity.
Final Thoughts: You Deserve a Practice That Works For You
As a solo or small-firm lawyer, you’re carrying a lot. Clear goal planning helps you build a practice that supports your well-being, financial stability, and long-term vision. A law firm without goals is like a brief without a table of contents: it technically functions, but no one enjoys navigating it. Commit to building a practice that works for you, not one that consumes you.