NOW, NEXT, LATER

Written By Paula Pepin

The One Productivity Habit General Counsel Keep Returning To

Download the weekly worksheet found below used by experienced GCs to cut through the noise and lead with clarity.

As a leadership coach to General Counsel navigating increasingly complex roles, I often hear a familiar refrain:

“I’m buried.”

Buried under a backlog of emails, stakeholder requests, team management, board prep, and a growing list of strategic initiatives that never seem to find space on the calendar.

Over the years, I’ve introduced a number of prioritization frameworks to the GCs I work with. But there’s one method they consistently return to—because it’s simple, adaptable, and it works.

It’s called the Now / Next / Later method. And yes, all you need is a piece of paper.

A Practical Framework for High-Context Leadership

The strength of this approach is in its clarity. It’s visual, intuitive, and designed for leaders managing multiple priorities across legal, business, and team domains.

Here’s how it works:

  • Start with a Brain Dump

    • Write down everything including strategic projects, urgent tasks, emails to return, team check-ins, even personal errands. The goal is to externalize everything you’re holding mentally.

  • Sort into Three Buckets

    • Now: Must be completed this week

    • Next: Important, but not time-sensitive

    • Later: Long-term initiatives, ideas, or items to revisit

  • Keep Your ‘Now’ List Visible

    • This becomes your tactical anchor for the week. Revisit and adjust as new priorities emerge.

  • Reset Every Monday

    • Rewriting the list weekly reinforces accountability. If an item keeps migrating from “Next” to “Now,” that’s a signal to either take action or reassess its priority.

Why This Works for Legal Leaders

This approach is particularly effective for General Counsel because it mirrors the reality of your role: managing a high volume of context, balancing strategic and operational responsibilities, and responding to real-time demands.

It’s also aligned with one of the key pillars of leadership we emphasize in the GC Collective: Leading Self.

That means cultivating habits that support clarity, discipline, and intentionality in your work, especially when your time is your most valuable resource.

In practice, this method also strengthens your ability to Lead the Business by enabling sharper focus, better decision-making, and visible alignment with enterprise priorities.

Leadership Is Not Just What You Do, It’s What You Prioritize

I’ve seen GCs use this framework to manage board preparation, align legal operations with business goals, and ensure their team’s development doesn’t fall by the wayside.

One GC recently shared that this weekly reset has become her “non-negotiable Monday ritual”, not just to manage tasks, but to lead with intention.

Yes, it’s a low-tech solution. But in a world of noise and competing demands, clarity is a strategic asset.

If you're looking to adopt practices that create real traction and not just more noise, consider this your starting point.

And if you're seeking more leadership tools tailored specifically for General Counsel, our work at the GC Collective is designed with exactly that in mind: high-impact, small-group learning led by expert coaches and facilitators who understand the unique challenges of your role.

Let me know if you try it, I’d be glad to hear how it shifts your week.

Paula Pepin