So, my students have a tendency to want results overnight. I imagine we all do, in one way or another, but we have to remember to take each small amount of progress as a victory.
My last Saturday in Michigan I ran the “Auto Show Shuffle” 5K. My results were 38:30 with a 12:25 minute mile. Now, I realize that for any of you runners out there, this is not that impressive. But let me back up.
When I started running, it was a walk. I’m not even sure you could call it a jog. I’m not a runner, and it always felt hard. If I went for a “run”, it was WORK.
I did a half marathon in October, and my timing was not great. I was proud of the fact that I finished, and proud of the fact that I tried, but not proud of my over 17 minute mile. So I started working on it. Every day I got out there, I’d run a little bit longer, a little bit quicker. Each day I might just shave off 5-10 seconds off my total time, or go one tenth of a mile longer. It was progress. Slow progress, but progress.
But you know what? That was ok. That’s the point. That’s how you study, that’s how you learn the law. Whether you a first year, or studying for the bar – each time you sit down with your materials, it gets just a little easier, you learn just a little more. And no, you don’t notice it overnight. My bar students are the most impatient, because they have a very clear and important deadline. They want to go from getting a 50% on the practice set of MBE questions to 75% in days, and they beat themselves up if they don’t. That’s not the way to go about it. Each day you get ONE more point, one more answer right, one more percentage point. That’s progress! And before you know it, you’re there!
It’s important to think in these small increments. You will improve if you focus on ONE thing you can improve, versus a very vague notion that you want to improve 20 percentage points! With running, I’d set out a goal each week, and a goal each day. That goal might be to shave off 30 seconds from my overall time, or 5 seconds from a mile. It might be to go 3.5 miles instead of 3.25. Small increments, small goals.
For studying, set daily goals. Maybe your goal is to tackle damages. Then focus JUST on damages, drilling it. It’s too much to focus on the general concept that want to “master contracts”, master ONE part at a time. And maybe your goal is to get 35 questions right out of 50 instead of 33 that day. Work slowly and diligently. Remember, the tortoise DID win the race! And so did I, kind of.
The last race I did? Not only was my time a personal record, but I “won” because it was the first race that felt EASY. It wasn’t work, I wasn’t praying the finish line was around the corner, I was having fun!
Now I make no guarantees that you can have fun on the bar exam, but you can still go and win it. Slow and steady!
