Monthly Archives: December 2021

How to Kickstart Your Year with 12 Key Questions

Posted on December 31, 2021 | Comments Off on How to Kickstart Your Year with 12 Key Questions

The start of the new year is an ideal time to take stock and reflect. January 1, the 1st of every month, or the start of a new season are temporal landmarks. This is when many of us set goals or recommit to goals.  

A review of the year gives you insights on how to move forward in the next. It’s better to do it in the first week of the year, but no later than before you start planning for the upcoming months.   

In episode 45 of The Incrementalist, you will learn:

1. How much time to invest in the Yearly Review. 

2. You get to decide where to review your year, such as at the dining table, at your work desk, on your couch, or outdoors if the local weather is ideal.

3. The Peak End Rule is a cognitive bias that affects our memories and shapes our behavior. We remember fragments of an event or experience. The fragments are the peaks, the pits, and the beginning and ending. 

4. Don’t rely on just your memory when you do your review. Go through your personal records, like journals, planners, calendars, notebooks, videos and photos. 

5. The 12 key questions to kickstart your year: 

Question #1: What made you feel the most joy? 

Question #2: What made you feel the most discontent?

Question #3: What was your biggest win? How did you celebrate it?

Question #4: What was your biggest setback? How did you recover from it?  

Question #5: What do you wish to do or experience more? What would happen if this came true? How can you make it come true?    

Question #6: What do you wish to do or experience less? What would happen if this came true? How can you make it come true? 

Question #7: Which habit or activity renews your energy the most?

Question #8: Which habit or activity drains your energy the most?  

Question #9 What did you do to make life for your [spouse, partner, child, sibling, parent, friend, colleague] more easeful?        

Question #10: What did you do to make life for your [spouse, partner, child, sibling, parent, friend, colleague] more difficult?  

Question #11: What did you receive from each person that made you most grateful? 

Question #12: What was the biggest lesson you learned and are afraid to apply?  

6. If these questions do not resonate with you, be sure to come up with your own to reflect on the past and plan for the future. 

7. Remember the 80/20 Rule: 20% of what you do creates 80% of the results – either 80% of your joy or 80% of you discontent. 

8. The huge benefits of reflecting on the past before you plan for the future. 

9. Asking the right questions will lead to more informed answers. Sometimes we avoid questions because they are inconvenient and they hold us accountable or responsible. But if we don’t bring them to the surface, they will linger and keep us from growing and making good decisions.    

To listen to episode 45, How to Kickstart Your Year with 12 Key Questions, click here. If you prefer to read the transcript, go here. Subscribe to The Incrementalist at Apple Podcasts or other apps.

If you’re a visual learner, watch the video on our new YouTube channel, The Incrementalist – A Productivity Show!

Sources cited: 

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Dyan Williams is a solo lawyer who practices U.S. immigration law and legal ethics at Dyan Williams Law PLLC. She is also a productivity coach who helps working parents, lawyers, small business owners and other busy people turn their ideas into action, reduce overwhelm, and focus on what truly matters. She is the author of The Incrementalist: A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps.

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Posted in competence, diligence, lawyer well-being, The Productive Lawyer - Productivity + Lawyer Wellbeing Blog

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New: The Incrementalist YouTube Channel

Posted on December 22, 2021 | Comments Off on New: The Incrementalist YouTube Channel

The Incrementalist started as an ebook in May 2020 and became a podcast in January 2021. It’s now also a YouTube channel, which you can find HERE. 

The latest episode, #44, is the first video on YouTube. Past episodes 1 to 11 are also posted on the channel as of December 22, 2021. More past episodes will be posted later.

If you enjoy the video for episode 44 or want to support the new channel, hit the Like and Share buttons on YouTube. Positive or constructive comments are also appreciated.

And be sure to Subscribe and hit the Notification bell. When you Subscribe, you will receive notification when a new video is uploaded on the channel. The channel will also appear in the Subscriptions area on your YouTube home page.

In addition, you will help the channel reach at least 100 subscribers to get a Custom URL. This is great for growing the show on YouTube. 

A Custom URL is an easy-to-remember channel URL instead of the one we have now, which has autogenerated nonsense letters and numbers after the word “channel”: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm7VGAnFl3tDLy-fh69NPQw

You may unsubscribe at any time. It’s not an irreversible choice that you’re locked into and can’t change! 

If you’re a visual learner or you’re not into podcast apps, The Incrementalist YouTube channel is for you.  Most YouTube episodes will be audio only, but we do plan to post videos like episode 44 in the future. 

As with the blog and podcast, it will share productivity tools and techniques to make big changes in small steps, focus on your top priorities, and design a purposeful and well-lived life!

May you continue to create big results in incremental, doable steps! 
Dyan

P.S. The ebook, The Incrementalist, is now on sale for a minimum price of $4.99 at https://leanpub.com/incrementalist. After January 31, the price will go back up to $9.99. Check it out to get a head start on 2022!

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Dyan Williams is a solo lawyer who practices U.S. immigration law and legal ethics at Dyan Williams Law PLLC. She is also a productivity coach who helps working parents, lawyers, small business owners and other busy people turn their ideas into action, reduce overwhelm, and focus on what truly matters. She is the author of The Incrementalist: A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps.

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Posted in communication, competence, diligence, lawyer well-being, The Productive Lawyer - Productivity + Lawyer Wellbeing Blog

Small Steps: The Surest Way to Success

Posted on December 19, 2021 | Comments Off on Small Steps: The Surest Way to Success

What is your big, worthy goal for the next month, quarter or year?

Do you know what the next step is to reach your goal?

How can you divide it into smaller, doable actions you can take?

At the end of the year and the start of a new one, we tend to reflect on accomplishments and think about aspirations.

There’s nothing wrong with keeping the status quo if it works for you. Constantly striving for the next big thing is no better than leading a simple, satisfying life.

But like all human beings, you probably have a wish or a dream that has yet to come true. A wish or a dream is not a goal until you have a plan of action. And a plan of action is not made until you define the next steps.  And the next steps are not done until you actually complete them.

In episode 44 of The Incrementalist, you will learn: 

1. When you have a high, hard goal that you want to reach in the next year, 5 years, or 10 years, lack of motivation is not the biggest issue. Usually, what holds you back is lack of clarity on what you need to do or lack of ability to take the necessary action.

2. With the Incrementalist approach, you can achieve big things with little resistance and less friction. 

3. The first principle is to get clear on your priority or priorities. 

4. The second principle is to break down the big goal into actionable, manageable steps. 

5. The third principle is to set a time block to do the important thing. 

6. The fourth principle is to synch with your natural rhythm. 

7. The fifth principle is to rest and recharge.

To listen to episode 44, Small Steps: The Surest Way to Success, click here. If you prefer to read the transcript, go here. Subscribe to The Incrementalist at Apple Podcasts or other apps.

If you’re a visual learner, watch the video on episode 44 on the new YouTube channel! 

Sources cited:

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Dyan Williams is a solo lawyer who practices U.S. immigration law and legal ethics at Dyan Williams Law PLLC. She is also a productivity coach who helps working parents, lawyers, small business owners and other busy people turn their ideas into action, reduce overwhelm, and focus on what truly matters. She is the author of The Incrementalist: A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps.

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Posted in competence, diligence, lawyer well-being, The Productive Lawyer - Productivity + Lawyer Wellbeing Blog

I-601 Waiver + Immigrant Visa = A True Success Story

Posted on December 15, 2021 | Comments Off on I-601 Waiver + Immigrant Visa = A True Success Story

Five years after being found inadmissible under INA 212(a)(6)(C)(i), our client finally received her Immigrant Visa to join her U.S. citizen spouse in the United States. Consistent with normal processing time, USCIS took 10 months to approve her Form I-601 application for waiver of inadmissibility, which we prepared and filed on her behalf.

But due to the U.S. Consulate’s administrative delays and a Presidential Proclamation suspending entries from the client’s home country, it took almost three more years for her to get the visa.

In episode 13 of The Legal Immigrant, you will learn:

1) The U.S. immigration problem when you have a permanent bar under INA 212(a)(6)(C)(i), i.e., fraud or willful misrepresentation of material fact to obtain a U.S. immigration benefit. 

2) The two main solutions to receive an Immigrant Visa or green card (permanent residence) when you have a section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) inadmissibility bar:

a) A motion to reconsider requires you to have a factual basis, legal ground, and procedural means to get the bar removed.

b) Form I-601 waiver application under INA 212(i) requires you to have a “qualifying relative” who will face “extreme hardship” if you do not immigrate to the United States. 

  • A qualifying relative is the U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse or parent of the applicant. 
  • Extreme hardship must result to the qualifying relative if that person stays in the U.S. without the applicant or relocates to another country to be with the applicant. 

3) The type of documentary evidence and legal argument that are required to receive an I-601 waiver.  This includes medical records on any chronic medical conditions the U.S. citizen spouse (or other qualifying relative) suffers, and reports on lack of medical resources in the visa applicant’s home country. 

4) The outcome of a true success story, which included more obstacles and long delays after the I-601 was approved. Due to the U.S. Consulate’s 221(g) administrative processing and a 212(f) Presidential Proclamation suspending entries from certain countries, it took almost three more years for the applicant to get the Immigrant Visa.

The couple remained committed to one another despite their separate residences and long-distance relationship. Our client finally became a permanent resident after she was initially refused the visa under INA 212(a)(6)(C)(i).

This is a true success story at Dyan Williams Law.

To hear more on the I-601 Waiver + Immigrant Visa success story, click HERE for Episode 13 on The Legal Immigrant podcast or find it on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. 

To watch the YouTube video, click HERE.  

To read the transcript, click HERE. 

The Legal Immigrant provides general information only from Dyan Williams Law. Do not consider it as legal advice. Each case is different. Even cases that seem similar can have different outcomes. 

Have you been charged with fraud or misrepresentation? If you’re applying for an immigrant visa or permanent residence and have this lifetime bar, you need an I-601 waiver. Otherwise, if the bar was made in error, you might be able to get it removed through a motion to reconsider.

To receive advice on fraud or misrepresentation issues, you may submit an email to info@dyanwilliamslaw.com or online message at www.dyanwilliamslaw.com.

Dyan Williams, Esq. 

Founder & Principal Attorney
Dyan Williams Law PLLC
(612) 225-9900
info@dyanwilliamslaw.com
www.dyanwilliamslaw.com

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Posted in adjustment of status, good moral character, green card, immigrant petition, immigrant visa, immigration fraud, INA 212(a)(6)(C)(i), marriage fraud, success story, The Legal Immigrant - Immigration Blog, Videos, waiver, willful misrepresentation

Make Use of Good Anxiety

Posted on December 11, 2021 | Comments Off on Make Use of Good Anxiety

Is anxiety always a bad thing to get rid of?  

When is it a superpower you need the most?

How do you rein in anxiety to benefit from it?

We have all experienced anxiety on some level at various points in our lives. COVID-19 and the global response to it have brought massive changes and deep uncertainty since the start of 2020.

Before then, 90% of Americans in the room raised their hand when asked if they had experienced daily anxiety. Wendy Suzuki, a neural science and psychology professor at NYU, says that number has gone way up. But she reminds us that at its core, anxiety is really a protective mechanism. Like all emotions, it serves an evolutionary purpose and is key to survival. 

In episode 43 of The Incrementalist, you will learn:

1) Anxiety is generally defined as worry over an imminent possible event or worry over uncertainty.

2)  Anxiety is a psychological and physical response to stress, which moves you into fight, flight or freeze mode.

3) Currently, 28% or nearly 1/3 of Americans are diagnosed with a clinical, anxiety disorder. Examples are generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, PTSD, and OCD.

4) Chronic anxiety weakens the immune system, contributes to heart disease, impairs brain health, creates indigestion, and makes us less productive. It causes negative plasticity in the brain, changes our biochemistry and raises blood pressure.

5) Good anxiety tells you what’s important, what needs attention, what you value, and what to avoid. By befriending anxiety, you can build resilience, patience, compassion and empathy, and leverage nervous energy to deal with challenges.

6) According to the Yerkes-Dodson curve, a bit of anxiety can put you in the optimal state to perform a difficult task. But just like fine wine and delicious chocolate, you can have too much of a good thing.

7) Four tools that Dr. Suzuki recommends for activating the parasympathetic, destressing part of the nervous system:

a) Deep Breathing – which includes the 4 x 4 box breathing method.

b) Movement – which includes a power walk outside or walking up and down the stairs. Cardio exercise for about 45 minutes, two to three times per week, gives the most benefits.

c) Joy conditioning – which is active recall and selection of memories of your most joyful experiences, especially ones with olfactory associations.

d) Social support – which you might need to choose carefully because certain relationships are better than others for certain purposes and in different contexts.

8) Why you need to create an enriched environment and escape impoverished environments for brain health and emotional wellbeing.

9) Approach anxiety with an exploratory mindset so you can harness it as a superpower.

10) Embracing good anxiety helps you to avoid toxic positivity and experience the expansiveness of your emotions.

Sources cited: 

To listen to episode 43, Make Use of Good Anxiety, click here. If you prefer to read the transcript, go here. Subscribe to The Incrementalist at Apple Podcasts or other apps.

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Dyan Williams is a solo lawyer who practices U.S. immigration law and legal ethics at Dyan Williams Law PLLC. She is also a productivity coach who helps working parents, lawyers, small business owners and other busy people turn their ideas into action, reduce overwhelm, and focus on what truly matters. She is the author of The Incrementalist: A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps.

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Posted in communication, competence, diligence, lawyer well-being, The Productive Lawyer - Productivity + Lawyer Wellbeing Blog