Newsletter | No. 11

July 2023

Hey Friends,

On February 3, 2023, I completed my 1000th F45 fitness class. F45 is team functional training. The workouts are 45 minutes and alternate daily between cardio and resistance training. And yes, the workouts are hard.

I took my first F45 class on September 24, 2018. Although I had a trainer at the time and thought I was in good shape, the classes nearly killed me in the beginning. Yet, I felt energized and kept going, going and going: 1000 classes in four years and four months to be exact. I have received many benefits in return.

Each F45 studio has its own community. And I’ve been blessed to meet so many new friends, almost none of whom have any connection to the legal profession. The benefit of meeting and socializing with new friends is enormous. As Arthur Brooks discusses in his book, Strength to Strength, which I recommend below, the single most important trait for happiness and a long, healthy life is relationships. This shouldn’t surprise you: the top two loneliest professions, according to the Harvard Business Review, are lawyers and doctors.

The mental focus and strength needed to finish an F45 class has also improved my power of concentration. I’ve also lost 30 pounds since I started, and am eating and sleeping better than ever.

I hope you’re on or find your fitness journey. Contact me if you want to do an F45 class together.

Stay healthy, productive and make new friends. As always, thank you for reading.

With gratitude,

#LEGAL UPDATE

Blurred Lines: The Enforceability of Non-Compete Agreements in California

California Business & Professions Code section 16600 invalidates agreements not to compete. However, in Techno Lite, Inc. v. EmCod, LLC, 44 Cal.App.5th 462 (2020), the Court ruled that section 16600 does not apply to an employee’s promise not to compete against his current, as opposed to former, employer.

Scott Drucker and Arik Nirenberg were salesmen for Techno Lite. They formed Emcod because they feared Techno Lite would go out of business due to financial troubles. Techno Lite’s owners discovered Emcod but allowed Drucker and Nirenberg to continue operating Emcod while working for Techno Lite because Drucker and Nirenberg promised not to compete with Techno Lite.

Read more (1 min read)

#PRACTICE TIP

Are You Getting the Most out of Your Court Filings?

Today, especially after the pandemic, most of our client advocacy as attorneys is accomplished through writing. Persuasive writing is therefore essential. Persuasive writing is the art of informing and persuading the court why your client should win.

Read more (1 min read)

#PRODUCTIVITY HACK

Time Blocking Your Daily Highlight

Time blocking is a time management strategy where you schedule tasks on your calendar so your work can’t be interrupted or scheduled over. It is a way for you to reclaim your day and get a better idea of how you're using your time. Benjamin Franklin was an early adopter of time blocking.

There are different methods for blocking your time. One method is to schedule your entire day for each day of the week on your calendar. One benefit of this method is that you can then see where you may have time to schedule things that often get neglected like marketing, connecting with clients, exercise, or writing a newsletter. Another method is to schedule only blocks of time needed to complete large projects such as drafting a motion for summary judgment.

Read more (1 min read)

#WORTH YOUR TIME

Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks

“A roadmap for finding purpose, meaning, and success as we age, from bestselling author, Harvard professor, and the Atlantic's happiness columnist Arthur Brooks.”

All professionals will face an inevitable decline in performance because of aging. Studies show that when smart ambitious people who chase power and achievement early in their careers experience this decline, they become unhappy. In Strength to Strength, Brooks uses the examples of a well-known person he encounters on a plane and Charles Darwin. Both were very successful early in their careers. But in later years, even though both were still famous, they were unhappy because they could no longer live up to their past accomplishments.

Read more (1 min read)

#RECOMMENDATION

Empire Podcast

“How do empires rise? Why do they fall? And how have they shaped the world around us today?”

This is a terrific podcast about world history. There are three series about: (1) the East India Company; (2) the Ottoman Empire; and (3) Slavery. The podcast is hosted by two notable historians, Anita Anand and William Dalrymple. They have an excellent rapport and make the podcast fun and interesting by telling stories and inviting guests with specialized knowledge in some of the topics discussed in the episodes.

Even though I was a history major, I’ve learned so much from this podcast. For example, did you know that the US flag is nearly identical to the flag of the East India Company? That’s not anything I remember being taught. And it’s quite ironic given that the colonists rebelled in part from England because of taxes on tea imported by the East India Company.

Additionally, it was the East India Company (not England), which invaded India to force its way into the lucrative spice markets.

There is so much to unpack from this podcast. Give it a listen on your commute or while walking the dog.

#QUOTE

“The best project you’ll ever work on is YOU.”

– F45