What do you say when you’re not sure how to talk to a new person at a networking event (or holiday party)?
Here’s a simple script that worked well for me:
- Walk toward someone.
- Extend a hand.
- Say, “Hi, I don’t think we met. What’s your name?”
And then you’re off to the races.
If this seems too simple, that’s the point. It’s not the perfect tactical wordsmithing of your intro that makes or breaks you. It’s the fact that you acted first and short-circuited your approach anxiety.
The parallel here to bar prep (of course) is to not spend too much time thinking about which supplements to use, which tutor to use, which newsletters to follow…when the most important thing is to have a plan, start moving, and stay consistent (and of course follow my newsletter).
In other words, make things easy to do, and get started.
If you get stuck spinning your wheels “getting your ducks in a row” deciding on the perfect plan of action, you won’t get anywhere. A good enough plan > no plan.
In the end, whichever course or supplements you use, this is a self-study endeavor. You’re responsible for preparing yourself. Don’t forget that courses and supplements are simply there to support that.
“But it’s too cold outside, and it’s too warm inside, and this temperature delta and holiday spirit are making me too relaxed to do anything.”
I’m not letting you off the hook thinking “new year, new me!” and then NOT following through with your plans.
You don’t need a New Year resolution. Don’t let a date on a calendar dictate your actions.
(Also, it doesn’t work. How’s this year’s resolution going?)
Instead, keep the following 3 ideas in mind to light a fire under your ass and keep those buns toasty. Let’s get going.
Choose your hard
Preparing for the bar exam is hard.
Studying, retaking, and waiting yet again for results over the next 9 to 11 months is hard.
If you have to retake the February exam, next Halloween/Thanksgiving (next holiday season) is when you’d find out whether you passed.
That is a haunting length of time.
What do you want your next year to look like?
Is bar prep your priority?
I’m not saying family and holidays aren’t important.
But what is your priority? The origin of the word “priorities” is singular. That is, there can only be ONE priority.
Short story: I once worked with someone debating how to fit bar prep with holiday and family duties. When I mentioned that I did MBE questions on Christmas morning, she had a revelation that she did NOT want to do that (which is fine). We decided that, you know what, the February bar exam is NOT a priority for her.
Great!
For that reason among others, July was probably a better choice. That’s perfectly fine. At least we got clarity on a more realistic approach instead of forcing something that wasn’t going to work.
So is passing the bar exam your priority or not?
Either answer is OK! The only thing I want from us is self-honesty.
But decide so you aren’t losing momentum trying to force yourself to do something you’re not aligned with, or waiting until the last minute and saying “oh well, it’s conveniently too late now.”
On the other hand, if you’re planning to skip the upcoming exam and take the one after that, make sure that you’re doing it for the right reason, not to push it off.
BTW, it’s not going to “ruin” anything if you decide to spend a couple of hours hitting the books or take a day off. Stop being melodramatic. You could have accounted for predictable downtime with my newsletters and sample study schedules and scheduling guidance.
Motivation for the bar exam
Great musical, business, and athletic talents have their personal emotions to lean on, a compelling WHY that pushes them to the top. Maybe it’s not possible for someone to get up on stage in an innocent state.
It’s OK if you don’t have anything like that. You don’t need a beautiful cause.
You just have to find the formula that works for you and gets you up every day energized to do something that matters to you.
- Superficials like money, status, and vanity (despite what they told you at law school orientation)
- Not wanting to solve and review yet another multiple-guess question
- Never again wanting to be distracted away from holidays and time with your family and friends
- Even vague platitudes like “I just want to help people”
The secret to productivity is to find a way to feel good, to enjoy what you’re doing.
Tap into your reason.
You don’t need to get everything right. You don’t need the sugarcoated reasons you wrote in your personal statement.
You just have to pass one time.
So it’s not “I don’t have the motivation.” Of course you have the motivation. Your reason for doing this is to put the bar exam behind you and become an attorney.
But here are ways to bring back your motivation.
Look also at what other readers have said motivated them. I love the personal honesty! Bar prep is personal.
Most people think they lack motivation when they really lack the clarity to act. Did these three ideas give you some clarity?
“I’m committed to doing better next time!”
Next time? What have you done so far? What are you doing now?
New Year resolutions have a high failure rate. In fact, I heard you should work on them in April instead of right after the holiday overwhelm.
Instead of daydreaming about a huge goal, why not just take one small step?
Crack open one (1) MBE question instead of hoping you’ll suddenly have the drive later and the timeskip version of yourself will be ready.
No, today. Right now.
The key to clarity—and composure—is knowing the next step to take. Get clear on what you need to do, and the rest will follow.
If you want clarity and guidance for making this your last time preparing for the bar exam, start with these study tools.
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