We covered part 1 of Sheila Grela’s terrific article on Monday. Here’s part 2 of The 12-Minute Habit: How Legal Pros Can Make Learning Stick (and Keep Their Sanity).
Make It Stick: Three Simple Systems
Make It Stick reminds us that lasting learning comes from retrieval, reflection, and spacing—not cramming. Here’s how to apply that to your 12-minute habit.
- Calendar the Habit → Spaced Practice
Block your 12 minutes like a client meeting. Label it with a purpose—“Micro-learn: privilege log automation.”
Spacing your learning (metadata today, QA next week) strengthens memory. Mix it up: read one day, test the next, reflect on Friday.
Tip: You can even learn how to use AI by providing the content you read and asking it to quiz you—first with a “questions-only” file, then with “questions and answers.”
Example Week: Putting the 12-Minute Habit to Work
Here’s how a single week can turn everyday reading into active learning and skill-building.
Monday – Read a white paper.
If it takes longer than twelve minutes, no problem—use it as a chance to practice AI prompting.
Give clear, specific instructions such as:
- “Highlight key items that relate to __.”
- “Provide the information in outline format.”
- “Summarize for use in an upcoming webinar.”
- “Condense into a draft blog post.”
This not only saves time but also strengthens your ability to guide AI effectively.
Wednesday – Draft from memory.
Without rereading the paper, write a short blog or LinkedIn post about its main insights. This tests what you truly retained.
Tip: After writing, ask AI to compare your post to the original paper and suggest improvements.
Friday – Fill in the gaps.
Ask AI to generate a follow-up checklist or resource file based on what you learned that week—something you can reuse or share with your team.
This simple rhythm captures the essence of the habit: learn, test, and teach.
- Track Tiny Wins → Retrieval & Reflection
Writing down what you’ve learned—even one line—forces recall, which strengthens memory.
10/12 — Mastered Relativity search syntax; can now explain the difference between “contains” and “exact phrase.”
At week’s end, reread your notes. That mini-quiz moment connects ideas.
Example: After a webinar, jot one example you could teach a colleague. If you can explain it simply, you understand it deeply.
Share One Thing a Week → Elaboration & Generation
To make learning permanent—teach it.
Share one tip or link in your team chat. Offer to demo a workflow during lunch. Turn your notes into a short SOP. When colleagues ask questions, your understanding deepens in real time.
Example: After learning batch-redaction techniques, record a quick 3-minute “how-to” clip demonstrating what you learned.
Why This Works
Each system reinforces the others through a specific learning effect:
| System | Learning Effect |
| Calendar the Habit | Reinforces recall through spaced practice |
| Track Tiny Wins | Encourages active learning via reflection |
| Share One Thing | Deepens mastery through elaboration |
As Tom O’Connor, veteran eDiscovery consultant, reminds us:
“We have an ethical duty to truly understand this technology in order to be able to explain it to our clients and the Court, when required.”
That reminder ties it all together—each micro-habit isn’t just about efficiency or growth, it’s about professional responsibility. This trio mirrors how your brain encodes knowledge—and in legal tech, where tools evolve faster than case law, that understanding is essential.
End of Month (20 Minutes): Reflect, Connect & Apply
At the end of each month, take twenty minutes to pause and connect the dots.
Ask yourself: What did I improve? What still breaks? What’s ready to become a team standard?
Then take it one step further:
- What are the key takeaways? Capture what truly made a difference in your workflow or mindset.
- How can I use it—and who can I teach? Apply one improvement to a project, or share it with a colleague or mentee.
- What questions did it raise—and who can help me explore them? Connect with peers or mentors who can deepen your next stage of learning.
Reflection turns activity into mastery—and keeps your learning purposeful, practical, and evolving.
Set a timer for twelve minutes, or block the time on your calendar. Either way, make it happen.
Why It Matters
This isn’t about checking a box or padding a résumé—it’s about building habits that make you better at your craft.
As Debbie Reynolds, The Data Diva, reminds us, “Advancements in technology can create issues that we had never really thought about in terms of privacy.” That’s exactly why small, consistent learning matters: technology evolves faster than our assumptions. Staying curious keeps us ahead of what we haven’t yet imagined.
Doug Austin’s “12-minute” habit, paired with a weekly one-hour webinar, offers a sustainable rhythm for ongoing growth. Make It Stick confirms that this approach is grounded in solid learning science. Together, they provide legal professionals with a practical roadmap to sharpen their skills and stay adaptable—without sacrificing sleep or weekends.
Your 3-Step Challenge: Start Now
Learning doesn’t require more hours—just more intention. In short, twelve focused minutes a day can turn curiosity into competence, and competence into confidence.
So here’s your challenge:
Block 12 minutes on your calendar right now
Jot down one tiny win after each session
Share one insight with a colleague, LinkedIn post, or team chat
That’s it. Repeat.
Because in this evolving profession, your best skill is adaptability. Show up for your craft, your clients, and your future self—one small step at a time. Start today. See you in twelve minutes—and at that one-hour webinar by week.
Further Reading: Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Editor’s Note: Kudos to Sheila for taking my 12-minute habit for learning and supercharging it with proven learning science from the book Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning! Her insights show how paralegals, legal assistants, and attorneys can turn small, consistent efforts into lasting skill—and keep their sanity while doing it. Thanks, Sheila!
Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the authors and speakers themselves, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.