Lawsagna

If you want to improve focus, ask these two questions

"What we call thinking is also a process whereby psychic energy gets ordered.  Emotions focus attention by mobilizing the entire organism in an approach or an avoidance mode.  Goals do it by providing images of desired outcomes.  Thoughts order attention by producing sequences of images that are related to each other in some meaningful way."
~ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, "Finding Flow"

Back in the fall of 1997, I was getting ready to apply to law school.  As part of the application process, I had to take the LSAT exam.  All I remember about the day of the exam now is that it was beautiful and sunny, and I didn't look forward to spending most of it in a classroom full of agonizing law school applicants, like myself, trying to figure out logical patterns and compose essays.  The rest is murky in my memory right now.  What I also remember is that a couple of months later, I got a big yellow envelope in the mail, and I was very anxious to open it because I expected to see the results of my test.  To my surprise, the envelope didn't have my LSAT score.  Instead, it had a letter stating that I had an option of retaking the exam if I wished because something had happened during the test.  Apparently, a car alarm went off nearby while the exam was in progress, and the noise lasted for a while and distracted a number of test-takers.  They complained to the organization that administered the LSAT, which resulted in the option to retake the whole exam.  Interestingly, I didn't remember hearing any car alarm during the exam.  I wasn't distracted by it - it simply didn't register in my mind.  Nevertheless, I had a decision to make whether to take the LSAT again, in which case it would override the score of the earlier exam, and of course, I had no idea how I did on the first test.  I didn't want to take it again, so I opted out.  Fortunately, I did all right the first time around, so I didn't come to regret my decision. 

You may be wondering by now why I am telling you this story, and I promise, it is relevant to what I am about to share with you.  The reason I was able to tune out the noise during that exam is not because I can focus so well or because I have hearing difficulties.  More likely, it was because I incidentally tapped into the secret ingredient of focus power.  If this ingredient is present, your ability to focus increases significantly.  When it's absent, your mind may be looking for a distraction or preoccupied with worry, doubt, or anxiety.

So, would you like to know how to turn your mind into a laser beam?  Getting the secret ingredient right is not always easy but well-worth a try.  It was discovered by psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi and described in his book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" :

The best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile….Such experiences are not necessarily pleasant at the time they occur.  The swimmer's muscles might have ached during his most memorable race, his lungs might have felt like exploding, and he might have been dizzy with fatigue – yet these could have been the best moments of his life. 

Csikszentmihalyi calls this state of engagement "the flow."  If you want to have a better chance to be absorbed in an activity, ask yourself the following two questions:

•    Is this too easy for me? 
If it is, you will likely become bored quickly and lose focus.  Your brain will look for something else to attend to.
•    Is this too difficult for me? 
If the activity is too hard, your brain will view it as a threat, triggering strong emotions.  In this case, you lose concentration because you feel anxious, stressed or full of doubt.      

The magic happens when you get it right, when you are challenged and stretched by what you are doing, but your mind perceives it as doable.   

That's what probably happened during my LSAT test.  I had practiced and believed I could do it, so it was a challenge that matched my skills, which helped me stay focused. 

As you go about your days, ask yourself the two questions above and remember that your power to focus lies somewhere in the middle between "too easy" and "too hard."

TED Talk: Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation

Daniel Pink, the author of "A Whole New Mind" and the upcoming book "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" gave a thought-provoking talk about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation at TED conference.  Current research indicates that extrinsic rewards may help us perform better in a narrow range of tasks that have a well-defined objective and a clear set of rules.  According to Pink, extrinsic rewards "narrow focus and restrict possibilities."  That's why they are not effective in situations that require us to think "outside the box."  If we want to boost engagement and creativity at work, we need intrinsic motivation, which includes three main components:

Autonomy: The urge to direct our own lives.
Mastery: The desire to get better at something that matters.
Purpose: The yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves.

When your loss is your brain's win

Have you ever bought a lottery ticket or at least, been tempted to buy one?  Your rational mind understands that the odds of winning are slim, but that tingling of hope inside says, "Somebody inevitably wins.  What if it's me this time?"   You are not alone.  In fact, the odds of winning a lottery are stacked clearly against you because our brains like gambling and prompt so many to buy those lottery tickets. 

The uncertainty of the reward is what keeps the brain interested.  When the brain is busy predicting if we win or lose, it produces more of the neuromodulator dopamine, which is responsible for focused attention and more pleasurable experience.  That explains how people can spend hours pulling a lever of a slot machine.  Imagine what would happen if you were to get a regular salary for pulling the same lever but no chance of a random win. You'd be bored to death very soon.  Random rewards keep the excitement alive but can also lead to gambling addictions. 

Finance professor Peter Tufano of Harvard Business School used this behavior of dopamine neurons for the force of good when he created a pilot program called "Save to Win."   Michigan residents now can invest as little as $25 into a one-year Save to Win Certificate of Deposit for a chance to win an annual grand prize of $100,000, plus monthly cash prizes varying up to $400.  The goal, of course, is to encourage more people to save. 

Here's something even more exciting.  Our brains interpret near misses as wins, causing us to keep playing longer.  In a recent fMRI study conducted by Luke Clark of the University of Cambridge, near misses activated the reward system of the volunteers who were playing a computerized slot machine in the same way as wins.  The researchers saw a lot of activity in the striatum and the insula - areas involved in reinforcing behavior with positive feedback.  Since people are generally not happy when they feel they were so close to winning but didn't, you may wonder about the reason for this odd behavior of the brain.  The answer may be that such positive reinforcement after near misses encourages learning.  The brain wants us to keep practicing the skill until we get better. 

How could you use this reward system of the brain to help you build good habits faster?  Here are a few things you can do:

Create a reward jar and fill it with pieces of paper with the descriptions of things you'd enjoy doing (your rewards), mixed with some blank papers.  If you stay on track with your new habit, let's say, for a week, pull a piece of paper from the jar to see if you've got your lucky reward.  Sometimes, you will, other times, you won't (if you get a blank paper), but that's exactly the point.  If you brain knows that the reward is coming, it feels nice, for sure, but not so exciting after a while. 

If you want to help others improve and grow, do random acts of kindness to encourage paying it forward, give unexpected gifts to celebrate accomplishments, express your gratitude by sending a thank-you note by snail mail (it is so rare these days that it would seem like a win to the recipient).

And remember that near misses are your opportunity to become better.  Our dog trainer taught us to give our dog a treat every time the dog got a bit closer to the desired behavior.  It's not just dogs that can learn new tricks with positive reinforcement.  Encouragement goes a long way for people too.

My video of positive affirmations

How selective are you when it comes to the images that appear in front of your eyes, sounds that you hear, words that you use?  What we feed to our senses affects our perceptions, emotions, and vibrations.  We don’t always have a choice of blocking negative signals, and there is no need to, as long as we have tools to counterbalance the undesirable effects with strong positive messages that help us stay centered, peaceful, and aware.  Visualizations, vision boards, meditation, affirmations are all helpful techniques to bring balance and clarity to our hectic lives. 

Yesterday, I created a brief video of positive affirmations.  I had lots of fun doing it and hope you enjoy it too.  Here it is...  

My wellness mindset newsletter

I have some exciting updates to share with you.  I’ve been busy cooking up a few new things for 2008.  One of them is the launch of my weekly wellness mindset newsletter “Well-Aware.”  I publish this newsletter for my coaching clients and other busy professionals who want to create a healthier lifestyle by building a wellness mindset.  The focus is on effective thinking.  Some of the topics I’ll be exploring are:

• How to develop a mindset for health and well-being.
• How to overcome limiting patterns of thinking and behavior.
• How to maintain a positive mental attitude.
• How to generate more “A-ha” moments and better insights.
• How to listen to your body and your intuition.
• How to discover your unique sources of wellness and vitality.
• How to limit negative thoughts.
• How to get yourself unstuck and moving in a powerful new direction.
• How to use your mind for effective self-regulation.
• How to persevere and reach your wellness goals.
• How to leverage the power of proven methods for managing stress.
• How to use mindfulness to change unhealthy patterns in your life.
• How to figure out and focus on what’s important to you.

If you’d like to subscribe, just complete the form in the right-hand column of this blog (under my picture) or on my coaching page. 

I also plan to focus more on the issue of wellness in the legal profession this year.  It pains me to see that so many talented and highly motivated people, who are very good at serving their clients, have trouble making decisions when it comes to their own life and well-being.  I know the traditional law firm culture often makes it difficult for lawyers to take care of their own needs.  But the bottom line is that the change starts with individuals, and we all need to stay well in order to work and live well.

I’d love to hear what your biggest challenges are when it comes to wellness.

 

How attitudes towards intelligence affect the ability to learn

How we think about our intelligence influences our success as learners.  In her article “The Secret to Raising Smart Kids” in the current issue of Scientific American Mind, Carol S. Dweck, Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and the author of “Mindset:  The New Psychology of Success,” describes two kinds of attitude towards intelligence that affect kids’ performance in school:  the “growth mind-set” and the “fixed mind-set.”  People with the “growth mind-set” believe that their intelligence can be developed through learning and hard work, while those with the “fixed mind-set” believe that their intelligence is static and cannot be improved.  A recent study has found that children with the “growth mind-set” perform better in school, show greater persistence when they face challenges, and are more enthusiastic about learning.  In contrast, kids with the “fixed mind-set” are more concerned about “looking smart” than learning, get discouraged with they encounter a problem, and avoid challenges.  These differences are also reflected in the workplace where people with the “growth mind-set” are more likely to mentor others and to welcome feedback because they see it as a tool for improvement.  Those who believe that their intelligence is fixed are likely to ignore their own shortfalls and shun criticism. 

How do you develop the “growth mind-set”?  The article suggests praising kids for their effort and hard work instead of their intelligence.  Students also benefit from learning about the brain and its ability to change and grow new connections.

Gearing up for work after holidays

As I am emerging from my turkey-induced coma, I think about the ways to ease the transition back into the world of work and productivity.  Here are a few things that seem to help me:

• Schedule some thinking and planning time before you start the work.  Thinking about the work can serve as a bridge to actually doing it.
• Get organized.  You need a routine that will keep you focused and moving forward.  As part of your planning, break down the task at hand into small steps.  It is easier to complete smaller parts of the project one by one than to tackle the whole project at once.  If you plan your exam preparation, check out my earlier post “Strategies and tools to plan your exam preparation.”
• Make yourself commit to your plan by writing down a few goals for the day.
• Boost your mood.  Before you start your work, read or listen to something that motivates you.  Start your work day off right!
• Enlist a buddy to keep you on track with your plan.  Your buddy can help you stay accountable for your progress and cheer you up when you need support.  Positive social interactions have an added benefit of boosting your immune system.
• Have something to look forward to.  Think of little rewards you can give yourself when you complete each part of the longer project. 
• Accessorize. That’s right, add some flare to your surroundings.  Office supplies are not just about function.  Appearances matter when it comes to work motivation.  Visit Office Playground for fun office ideas.

What eases your transition to work?

Do you have a dreamboard?

Last weekend, my family was busy creating dreamboards.  It turned out to be a very enjoyable exercise.  It is something you may consider doing with your family around the holidays.  A dreamboard is a collection of images that represent something you want to attain in your life.  You can clip inspirational pictures from magazines, add text or anything else you like and then attach everything to a poster board.  You want to choose a spot for your dreamboard where you can see it often.  The idea is to look at it, internalize it, and start manifesting your desires.  Here are my observations so far:

I am not very crafty, so I was surprised to see how engaging it was to search for images, clip and arrange them on the board.  I felt a bit like a kid at play.  Not something we do often as adults.    

It was easier to evoke emotions with images than with thoughts alone.  The exercise created a nice union of reasoning and feeling, which left me more inspired and determined to pursue my dreams.

Finding the right pictures took longer in the beginning, but as time progressed, good images began jumping out at me.  I think this was the result of letting my imagination run free. 

Occasionally, an image would catch my eye, but I wasn’t sure why I wanted it on my dreamboard.  The reason usually revealed itself if I looked at the image long enough.  To me, this just shows that we are not always conscious of what we really want, but we can get at it by noticing our emotions and listening to our intuition.  The process of creating a dreamboard increases self-awareness. 

I am not sure if I should ascribe any meaning to the actual positioning of the elements on my board.  It is something I still ponder. 

We actually talked about our dreamboards and the images we chose.  There was power in voicing and sharing our dreams.

I like looking at my dreamboard every day.  It definitely gives me more motivation to act on the things that matter to me.  I also like the fact that I can see all my dreams at the same time in one place, while I can only think of one or maybe two at a time. 

Dreaming doesn’t stop.  I will continue to add more images to my dreamboard. 

Do you have a dreamboard?  What does it do for you?

How to maintain a positive outlook when you are stressed

Is the stress of approaching finals getting to you?  If so, Law School Academic Support Blog has some advice on how to maintain a positive outlook in this challenging time and help others do the same. 

Are you too busy to even consider any positive changes?  In his article “Let Your Subconscious Mind Go to Work for You,” David J. Pollay describes an exercise you can do every morning to harness the power of your subconscious.  It won’t take a lot of time, and the results may be well worth it.

What do you do to manage your stress?

Small steps to a better life

Good changes come in small packages.  We don’t have to spend a lot of time and turn our life upside down to improve it.  Small things often have a big positive impact, and they are easier to stick to.  The challenge is to choose actionable steps or short routines that you can easily weave into the fabric of your day to brighten it up.  They may not solve your problems, but they can make you feel better about yourself and serve as a reminder to take care of your mind, body and spirit.  You can start with just one such life booster and then introduce more at a pace that is comfortable to you.  Here are a few things that I enjoy and you can try too:

• Start your day by stretching for a few minutes.  I like the Sun Salutation sequence. 
• Play your favorite tune as you are getting dressed in the morning, or better yet, sing it.  How about “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” from “Oklahoma” – seems appropriate:

Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day,
I've got a wonderful feeling,
Everything's going my way.

Or choose whatever you like.

• Set times throughout the day to do some deep breathing.  Most of us are shallow breathers.  Deep breathing brings more oxygen to your body and calms you down.
• Choose to add a healthy fruit or vegetable to your daily diet.  Blueberries-brainberries are my choice. 
• Meditate.  It is an amazing practice.  A 15-minute meditation session can bring more insights for me than a full day of hard thinking.   
• Say affirmations or The Serenity Prayer, or simply read poetry.
• Make an effort to connect to your friends or loved ones daily in an easy but meaningful way.  It can be a kind word, a phone call, a short email, a kiss, a note, a home-cooked meal – whatever works in your circumstances.  Send your loving energy with it.
• Take a different perspective on something that tends to bother you or drain your energy.  Adopt a new more productive way to think about it and reinforce this new thinking with repetition. 
• Keep a gratitude journal where you write down all the things you are grateful for.   

Your list may be very different.  The idea is to find something that makes your life better.  What is that one little step you can take today?  Let’s hear from you.

Don't let negativity bring you down

Easier said than done, but read the article "Beware of Garbage Trucks™" by David J. Pollay.  Perhaps, you can also benefit from the lesson he learned "in the back of a New York City taxi cab."

Orientation Series: 21 Steps to Becoming a Better Learner

Step 10:  Finding your sources of motivation

I wish I could fly out of my bed each morning and embrace the day with unwavering enthusiasm.  The reality is that sometimes it happens, other times I need a push.  Law school is often a rollercoaster when it comes to emotions.  One day, you can look around your classroom in amazement that you have made it that far and be excited about your future.  Another day, self-doubt starts eating a hole in your shield of confidence.  When you feel down for whatever reason, it helps to look for internal sources of your motivation.   Here is how to begin:

• Focus on your long-term goals.  Remind yourself why you went to law school in the first place.  Visualize your legal career as you want it to unfold.  If you were to write a script for a movie about yourself, how would you tell your story?  Are you a struggling character right now? 
• Remember what you felt when you found out that you were accepted by the law school of your choice.  Re-live that joy and excitement. 
• Picture yourself five years from now.  What would “You From the Future” tell “You in the Present”? 
• Write down all the things you are grateful for at the moment.  Sometimes, we forget how good our lives are.
• Notice what demotivates you. 
• Talk to people who care about you.  We all need support from time to time.  Even if you are very busy, find time to connect with your family and friends.
• Remind yourself that you are in control of your ship. You have the power to decide where and how fast you go.  Take an action that shows that you are indeed in control. 
• Read autobiographies of people who inspire you. 
• Notice what you tend to do or say to yourself when you lack motivation.  We often choose a behavior because it benefits us in some way even if we are not consciously aware of the benefit.  So next time you procrastinate, identify the upside of your procrastination.  Does it give you a potential justification for failure?  “Had I studied more, I would have done better.”  But because you don’t study hard enough, you always have an excuse of why you don’t do so well.  Face your fears and find a way to deal with them.      
• Sometimes, just doing what must be done is the best way to overcome your blues.  Act your way to success.

What are your sources of motivation?

Orientation Series:  21 Steps to Becoming a Better Learner:
Step 1:  Setting your learning objectives
Step 2:  Taking an inventory of your skills
Step 3:  Taking an Inventory of Your Learning Tools
Step 4:  Finding opportunities for cognitive apprenticeship
Step 5:   Determining the "IIQ" of what you read
Step 6:  Choosing helpful books for law students
Step 7:  “The Three 'P's of Performance” in Action
Step 8:  Tapping into your social networks
Step 9:  Identifying your learning barriers

 

Want Happy News?

Positive Psychology News Daily can be your source of happy reading:

"Positive Psychology News Daily provides the latest news about happiness, the 'science of happiness,' and Positive Psychology.  Our goal is to be your fun, collaborative place for a research-based daily boost of happiness."

For example, the article "Using Your Strengths in the Job Search" by Senia Maymin encourages you to explore the relationship between your strengths and your job.   

"To what extent would you personally agree with this statement:  ‘At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?’   When Gallup asked this question, it found that only 20 percent of those surveyed said they strongly agreed with this phrase. Are you in that 20 percent, or is it maybe time for you to re-craft your job to match what you do best?"

She proceeds to discuss a job search trap that many job candidates fall into.  They often build their job interviews around the skills they demonstrated at their previous jobs.  But this strategy is going to get you more of the same type of work.  If you want a job that uses a different set of strengths, you need to know how to incorporate what excites you into your job search process.  The article has some suggestions for you. 

While we are on the subject of happiness, check out the happiness carnival at Think Happy Thoughts.

Tip Bit #25: Make a list of 5 things that you are excited about

If you need inspiration in your life, check out Pursue the Passion.  Here’s what the creators of the project say about it:

“Pursue the Passion started as a group of three recent college grads who embarked on cross country roadtrips to interview passionate professionals about their career paths. We created this site because we felt that others could benefit from these interviews, and use them to determine a direction to take their careers.”

In addition to great stories, I really like their series “5 Things I’m Excited About on a Friday.”   I think it’s a great way to fuel your passion and remind yourself how exciting you life is.  We all need it from time to time, and Friday just seems like a perfect day for this type of exercise.  The weekend is almost here, so dream a little, let your curiosity run free and find excitement in your life.  What are the 5 things you are excited about this Friday?   I’ll start:

1. I am so excited that I am close to launching my online training course.  It’s going to happen very soon (more on it later).
2. I am excited that the weather is promising to be wonderful this weekend, which means I get to spend more time outdoors, and I like that.
3. I am excited to start reading “The Art of the Start” by Guy Kawasaki that I just got from the library. 
4. I am excited my daughter learned how to stack building blocks.  She was really good at smashing my creations before, but now she can build tall towers on her own.  Silly things can make Mommy happy. 
5. I am excited about my exercise and meditation routine.  I hope I can stick to it.  I want to be able to meditate properly for at least 20 minutes.  Right now, my mind is still dashing from thought to thought and my back starts aching after sitting still for about 10 minutes.  It will get better, right?  Practice, practice, practice.   

Who is next? 

Tip bit # 24: The Crock Pot Learning

The crock pot is a fine invention.  I don’t use it for many things, but boy, do I like the beef stew prepared in the crock pot.  You chop up the veggies and meat, add broth and tomatoes, and then the crock pot magic happens, and 8 hours later, or better yet, overnight, you have a delicious  dish full of flavors with meat melting in your mouth. 

Why am I talking about the crock pot today?  Because just like you have to trust the crock pot to do its magic, there are times when you have to trust the learning process to get you where you need to be.  A preparation for the bar exam is a case in point.  You do your best listening to the lectures, reading, taking notes, reviewing, practicing, and trust that the magic is going to work and you will pass.  At any given moment, there is a huge amount of information thrown at you.  You don’t want to control every little detail because it’s not possible.  What you want to do is to start doing practice questions right away and keep doing it.  You won’t feel as if you know the law enough, but that’s OK.  You have to trust the process.  Practice teaches your brain to recognize patterns that are tested on the bar exam.  Pattern recognition is central to your success, and you can’t learn it just by reading and memorizing.  If you have to choose between practicing and reading the long outline, practice and review the answers.  And when you feel overwhelmed and insecure of your knowledge, remind yourself to trust the process to do its magic, no matter how slow your progress may seem, it’s just like the crock pot.       

How to turn boring into fun

Let’s admit, sometimes we just have to do the boring stuff and there is no way around it.  Is there a way to sweeten the pill?  Try the following strategies to add excitement to your boring tasks.

1. Use fun tools, gadgets and accessories to do the task.  A nice pen, a sleek black Moleskine, a shiny techno-gadget can have surprising soul-soothing qualities and help to move you along.
2. Schedule some fun to reward yourself for completing the boring project and instead of focusing on how bored you are, visualize the fun part.  The anticipation of the reward is a great mood-booster in itself. 
3. Use the boring task as a procrastination method for something even less exciting.  When do you feel the urge to clean your house?  When you need to study for an exam or write a paper.  What is fun and what is boring is relative. 
4. Approach the boring with the beginner’s mind.  You don’t know that it’s boring.  Is there anything new to learn from this task?  Do it and pay attention as if you were doing it for the first time.  Question how you do things and why.  Have you noticed how kids can be fascinated with most ordinary things?  How they really study an object, poke and prod and test it?  Unleash your own curiosity.
5. Explain what you are doing to a child.  Their questions may force you to look at the situation from a different perspective.  They will make you wonder.
6. Talk to a person who enjoys doing what you consider boring.  Their passion and commitment can make the most ordinary thing look extraordinary.  Enthusiasm is infectious.
7. Role-play and pretend to be somebody who is really good at the task you are about to do.  What makes them so good at it?  Get into their mindset. 
8. Capture the contrast.  Pair up your boring task with an activity that you enjoy.  Brew some good coffee, turn on your favorite CD.  You will feel better.
9. Change the process.  Speed it up or slow it down.  Add a challenge.  Exaggerate or eliminate.  Do things differently. 
10. Fuel your competitive spirit.  Find somebody how has to do the same thing and turn the task into a competition. 
11. Change your physical environment.   If you task is portable, take it to a park, beach, coffee shop.   If you have to stay in the office or at home, change the lighting, turn on a water fountain, buy some flowers, put up a nice painting or poster on the wall.  Look for things that stimulate your senses:  smell good aromas, listen to soothing sounds, divert your eyes to take in beauty.
12. Create a story around your project.  Define your goal.  Find your direction.  Are you a struggling hero in conflict?  Are you bracing yourself for a big obstacle to overcome?  Write the script and make it exciting.
    
    How do you fight boredom?

The Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania

If you want to be successful, you need to know how to leverage your strengths.  Peter Drucker said: "Most people think they know what they are good at. They are usually wrong." A good place to start exploring your talents is the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania:

“Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The Positive Psychology Center promotes research, training, education, and the dissemination of Positive Psychology. This field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.”

The Center offers a variety of scientifically tested questionnaires and surveys, including their VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire that measures 24 character strengths.  The tests are free, but you need to register.  While you are there, check out their newsletters on Authentic Happiness and the list of resources – that’s how I found out about the BBC series "The Happiness Formula."

Tip Bit #19: On art appreciation

It’s Friday.  Maybe, you have just finished your finals and feel tired and a bit empty inside, or perhaps, your exams are not over yet and you have to push yourself to study some more.  Here’s a tip to lift your spirit, reignite your imagination and have some fun without leaving your home.  Visit a virtual art gallery.  You can find a lot of great artists from all over the world on the internet these days.  With a bit of imagination, you can transport yourself to some wonderful places:

Enter a whimsical world of figurative sculptures and art dolls at Art Propensity created by Patricia Anders. 

Pretend you are in a nineteenth century living room of an animal lover and enjoy the portraits of dogs at the William Secord Gallery (I had pleasure to visit the gallery in person – I know one of the dogs in this painting).

Tour isolated villages of the Sierra Madres in Jalisco, Maxico through the works of my artist friend Gene Romero. He has just recently gone virtual!

In mood for some landscapes?  Yuriy Kirsanov, whose photo I chose for this post, will take you to Russia’s countryside.   If you like photography, also check out images at iStockphoto. 

Get inspired by the winners of the Website Design Awards and the 2007 Winter Semi Annual Contest winners of the American Design Awards.

Look under your feet!  You can find amazing pavement drawings by Julian Beever.

Where do you go for art?

Let’s begin! (Part I)

"Too many of us wait to do the perfect thing, with the result we do nothing. The way to get ahead is to start now. While many of us are waiting until conditions are "just right" before we go ahead, others are stumbling along, fortunately ignorant of the dangers that beset them. By the time we are, in our superior wisdom, decided to make a start, we discover that those who have gone fearlessly on before, have, in their blundering way, traveled a considerable distance. If you start now, you will know a lot next year that you don't know now, and that you will not know next year, if you wait. "
The William Feather Magazine

You’ve probably heard the saying “to begin is half the work.”  It is also the hard part of the work.  Have you had trouble starting a thing or two?  Why is it so difficult to begin?  I think, it boils down to anxiety, uncertainty, lack of commitment, risk-avoidance and maybe, a few other things.  What is a good way to begin something?   Here are a few tips to get you ready to cross the start line. 

Start at the end.  That’s right.  Begin by imagining the end result of whatever you want to do.  George Bernard Shaw said: “Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.” If the outcome is compelling enough, the vision will propel you to action. If you can’t see the positive result, it may be a sign that you should not start. 

Take the bate.  Is there a part of the project that looks more appealing to you? Start there if possible.  Find the most exciting thing about the project and go after it.  The energy generated from such beginning will carry over to other less enticing tasks.  If you can’t find anything exciting, once again, it maybe a sign that the thing is not worth doing.  If you really have to do it, pair it up with some unrelated fun.  Make a deal with yourself that you will do the fun part first for a limited amount of time and then, you must do the boring part.  For example, you can watch one movie, but then you must start writing, reading, outlining, or whatever you need to.  That’s the reward upfront approach. The idea here is to put you in a good mood right away and mentally prepare you for other things to come.  This approach may help you if the promise of a future reward doesn’t do the trick.

Transform procrastination into the beginning.  Use your procrastination time to organize your thoughts, create a time-management system for your project, motivate yourself, rehearse ideas.  In other words, procrastinate with purpose.

Set a deadline to begin.  You have to set deadlines to get anything done.  Share your deadline with people.   If you make a public commitment, you are more likely to keep it.

Take small bites.  What exactly qualifies as the beginning?  If you need to write a paper, do you have to write a sentence, a paragraph, or a chapter to begin?  Subdividing your project into small easily manageable parts is a great way to conquer your fears and resistance. 

Enlist the help and support of others.  There is nothing like sharing your misery with somebody else (I am being sarcastic here).   Do you think runners would feel differently when they approached the start line if there were no cheering crowd around?  Surround yourself with energetic, caring and motivating people, and feel a sudden urge to begin. 

How would you begin whatever you need to do right now? 

Today’s tips are general and applicable to a variety of contexts.  It’s just the beginning (pardon the pun).  In Part II, I plan to address some specific situations, for example:

• How do you begin writing a paper?
• How do you being a job interview?
• How do you being a presentation?
• How do you introduce yourself to people?
• How do you begin a cold call?

If you have any advice or a topic to suggest, I’d love to hear from you!
 

Five states of mind

Part of my exercise routine is yoga.  I’ve been doing it at home for years but recently  I’ve decided to join a yoga studio.  As I was researching my options on the web, I came across the article “Witnessing Your Thoughts in Yoga Practice” by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati.  It talks about the importance of observing the “natural flow of the mind” to bring yourself to a peaceful state.  There are five states of mind in the yoga philosophy: 

1.  Kshipta / disturbed.  This is the agitated mind: 

“The ksihipta mind is disturbed, restless, troubled, wandering. This is the least desirable of the states of mind, in which the mind is troubled.”

2.  Mudha / dull.  You may be in this state of mind when you feel lethargic and sluggish.

“The mudha mind is stupefied, dull, heavy, forgetful.”

3.  Vikshipta / distracted.  This is the state of mind that lacks consistent focus.   

“The Vikshipta mind in daily life can concentrate on this or that project, though it might wander here and there, or be pulled off course by some other person or outside influence, or by a rising memory.”

4.  Ekagra / focused.  This is the mind of the focused attention. 

“When the mind is one-pointed, other internal and external activities are simply not a distraction.  The person with a one-pointed mind just carries on with the matters at hand, undisturbed, unaffected, and uninvolved with those other stimuli.”

5.  Nirrudah / mastered.  This is the ultimate state of mind in the yoga system, distinguished by control and stillness. 

“It is not that the thought patterns are not there, or are suppressed, but that attention moves inward, or beyond the stream of inner impressions. In that deep stillness, there is a mastery over the process of mind. It is that mastery that is meant by Nirrudah.” 

When you learn something new, the last two are the desired states of mind because they allow you to concentrate better and be more perceptive.  I am starting to pay attention to my state of mind. When I feel the need to quiet my mind, I do deep breathing exercises or meditate.

What state of mind are you in? 

On job search and networking

Are you looking for a job?  Do you want to learn the skill of business development and networking?   Today’s round-up is for you:

Law Career Blog offers job hunting advice for 3Ls and recent grads.  I like the suggestion of being proactive, flexible and creative in your job search.  Some students buy into others’ vision of how things should be and adopt the victim’s mentality when things don’t turn out that way.  How do you make the best with what you have?  It takes courage, creativity and consistent work.  You begin by valuing what you have to offer because if you don’t value yourself, you can’t show your worth to others.  Take the challenge and write your own life story, don’t let others write it for you.  The upside is that you can learn so much more about yourself and your true aspirations in the process.   I suggest you sit down and make a list titled "Here's why I am so awesome!"  Place this list where you can see and read it often.  Strive to add new things to it each day as you go about your search for business.   

Do you want to know nine essential characteristics for making partner?  Inside Practice offers an excerpt from "Making Partner: A Guide for Law Firm Associates" by John R. Sapp.  Among those characteristics are “Maturity: You are in control of your life” and “Entrepreneurial attitude: You think like an owner rather than an employee.”  Now is the time to start working on those skills.  And if you already possess them, maybe you don’t need an employer.  Build A Solo Practice, LLC will help your to plan your own business venture. 

Here are a few nuts and bolts of networking.  Business Writing teaches you How to Ask a Stranger for a Favor and offers Great Tips for Email.  If you want advice on phone networking, listen to Escape from Cubicle Nation podcast Networking tip:  Use the phone! Finally, is your body language congruent with the words you speak?  Read about 18 ways to improve your body language from The Positivity Blog.

Happy hunting and gathering!

Tip Bit #17: Find out what demotivates you

We often look for motivation and overlook things that demotivate us.  Motivation is not just about the presence of goals, purpose, energy and will.  It is also about the absence of certain things.  What are those things that kill your motivation?  Where do you look for them? 

Your surroundings.  Clutter demotivates me even though I have to admit that my now 16-month-old baby desensitized me a bit to this aspect of my environment.  A pile of blocks on the floor, a stack of old magazines to tear up and various squeaking things under my feet seem like a good bargain for a half-hour of uninterrupted work.  Is there anything in your surroundings that demotivates you? Any annoying noises?  An uncomfortable chair?

People.  Negative people have a great ability to demotivate, and so do rude people.  Limit your exposure to them if you can.   

Low energy level.  It’s hard to get excited about anything if you don’t have the energy.  Shortage of sleep and exercise, illness, poor diet can all contribute to the lack of energy and motivation.   Even eating a heavy meal can make you sluggish.

Stress and anxiety.  While short-term stress can add to your motivation, prolonged stress will most definitely diminish it.  And even though there are people who are motivated by fear, many of us find anxiety and negative thoughts demotivating.   

Your leisurely pursuits.  I am careful about what I watch and read.  There are many things out there that put me in a sulky mood.  On the other hand, being outdoors makes me more enthusiastic about things I need to do. 

What demotivates you? 

How do you deal with fear?

Whether we like it or not, fear is part of our life, and it is often part of the learning process.  When we learn new things, we challenge ourselves, we venture outside our comfort zone, we grow, change, and redefine who we are.  That’s when we become scared.  What if I am not smart and capable enough to do it?  What would others think of me if I fail?  What would they say if I follow my gut instinct and not what everybody else says I should do?  How will I handle rejection?  Can I be financially secure?  How we respond to those fears has a huge impact on our success in life, happiness, and peace of mind.  So how do you deal with fear?

Do you feel that you must overcome your fear?  Is it stopping you from achieving more in life?  If so, read 5 life-changing keys to overcoming your fear at the Positivity Blog. 

“Can We Control Our Fears?”  Sevil Duvarci and Denis Paré tackle this question from the neuroscientists’ perspective. A recently published study suggests that “the expression of learned fear is flexible and subject to modulation by the prelimbic cortex, depending on the circumstances; our expression of learned fears is less rigid and less automatic than the expression of innate fears, which are beyond the reach of the cortex.”

Perhaps, you welcome fear.  You may even believe that if you don’t feel fear, you are not doing enough.  Fear may propel you to action.  Is Fear Actually An Asset?  It may well be according to Success from the Nest.  Get to know your fear and learn from it.    

Do you share your fear with others or do you hide it?  Executive Coach Doug Sundheim believes that revealing our vulnerabilities to others may strengthen our relationships and generate good energy.   He shares his 5-step approach at Fast Company Expert Blogs.  Interestingly, neuroscientists also tell us that social contact reduces the brain response to threat. 

Would you agree that fear is in the fabric of the law practice?  Lawyers work with people’s fears.  Sometimes, they alleviate fears, for example, when they do  a title search for the clients who want to purchase a home.  Other times, they seem to generate more fears:  just read the "default" language in a promissory note.  And then, there are circumstances when they have to say to their clients that it’s OK to be afraid and help them through their fears.   Do you acknowledge your clients’ fears?  Or would you rather shun the emotions and stick to business only?  What role does fear play in your practice?

Tip Bit #16: “Punch it, Chewie!”

Today’s tip comes courtesy of The Happiness Project.  When I read Gretchen Rubin’s One big tip for changing the way you think on the use of catchphrases, I just had to share it because I am also a believer in brief, zesty expressions that can motivate and inspire.  They are like little verbal energy bursts.  Their brevity makes them more effective because your subconscious mind doesn't have time to “argue” with the message, like it may in case of longer affirmations.  So next time your self-doubt sets in, turn off the negative thought flow with one of these phrases.  Gretchen’s post has a list of her favorites.  I like “Punch it, Chewie!” from Star Wars, which is my equivalent of “Let’s do it!”  And when I look for a solution, I remind myself:  “The answer is closer than you think.”  What are your favorite expressions?

Tip bit #15: Think Big

We often get so busy with our everyday routines that we rarely take the opportunity to  step back and think big about what we should be doing.  Today’s tip encourages you to do just that – think big:

Have a big vision.  To get inspired, listen to Big Vision Podcast:  Interviews with Individuals & Organizations Creating Positive Change.  Here’s the impressive list of interviewees.

Set big goals and participate in the “Gotta’ Get Goals” campaign. 

Ask big questions.  Read Chris Cree's question at Liz Strauss’ Successful Blog. 

Learn from big personalities.  By “big personalities” I mean experts in your field.  If you were given an opportunity to meet, take a seminar from or become an apprentice to any person of your choice, who would that be and why?    Do you know when and where you can hear this person speak? 

Create big value.  Whatever you do, define your value proposition.  Larry Bodine’s LawMarketing Blog has tips on how to articulate the value proposition for the legal services you offer.

Live big!

Three types of thinking in action

To continue with my “Thought-Full Series”, I though I would highlight a few examples of analytical, practical and creative thinking in action. 

You have heard of Tupperware parties.  How about using the same business model in the practice of law?  In the article “Where There’s a Will…”appearing in the April issue of the ABA Journal, Jill Schachner Chanen profiles Massachusetts attorney James Haroutunian, who launched “Have Kids, Will Party” after watching his wife successfully selling jewelry at the home-based jewelry parties.   Just like with other home-based parties, the "Have Kids, Will Party" host invites a group of young parents with basic estate planning needs.  Before the party, they fill out the questionnaire, have phone conversations with the attorney, who then drafts the legal documents and sends them to the clients for review.  As the party goes on, the attorney meets with each client in private and executes the documents.  With the growing interest, James Haroutunian is considering a franchise for the will-signing party.

Think you can’t have it all?  Think again.  In the April issue of the Young Lawyer, Colin T. Darke talks about how to “Feed Your Creative Side.”   The recipe comes from young attorney Marie Hejl who hosts a broadcast cooking show that airs on over 70 stations around the world.  And you thought you were busy.  In her interview, she reveals that her “passion outside of the law” helps to advance her communication skills and meet many different people in business and legal communities.  And that’s good for business.

As these stories show, you don’t have to follow the beaten path.  Be passionate, be creative, be smart, and you can create your own recipe for success.  Do you agree? 

Willful thinking: the “Gotta’ Get Goals” project

I was tagged by Stephanie West Allen of Idealawg to participate in Alex Shalman's "Gotta' Get Goals" project:

In a new blog post, list and write about the top 5 to 10 goals that you gotta’ get so that you can truly say you have achieved your wildest dreams in life. These have to be your best, most exclusive, and over-the-top goals that you can pick off your goals list.

Stephanie’s email created a chain of serendipity as the night before I was reviewing my list of 100 goals that I made after reading The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Leslie Hewitt.  The review, in turn, was prompted by the talk by Dax Moy on the Anatomy of a goal that I recently listened to.   He reminded me of the importance of identifying why I wanted to achieve my goals and the price I was willing to pay for it because goals come with a price tag.   

I like the idea of letting my goals “age” like Champaign concealed from the world in dark cellars so that when the time is right, they can come to life with a celebratory pop and a splash of energy.  That’s why I have taken liberty to cloak my goals in the quotations I like, instead of revealing them outright.  Being indicative of my goals, these quotations inspire me and remind me why I do what I do.  They are part of my vision board.  I had fun selecting them and I hope you enjoy reading them.

1. “We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.”
   - Peter Drucker
2. “There are three ingredients to the good life: learning, earning, and yearning.”
   - Christopher Morley
3. “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
   - Frederick Buechner
4. “Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after.”
   - Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift From the Sea
5. "The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating – in work, in play, in love." - Anne Morriss
6. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”
   - Anaïs Nin
7. “Each day comes bearing its own gifts.  Untie the ribbons.”
   - Ruth Ann Schabacker
8. “You have been given 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say ‘thank you?’"
   - William A. Ward
9. “If we want to simplify and deepen our lives, we must simplify and deepen our minds. When we become more centered, clear, spacious, caring, and open, there is suddenly much more room in our frenetic lives for both others and ourselves.”
   - Lama Surya Das
10. The Law of Least Effort..."Today, accept people, situations, circumstances, and events as they occur. Take responsibility for your situation and for all those events seen as problems. Relinquish the need to defend your point of view."
    - Deepak Chopra, Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

If you want to share your goals with us, consider yourself tagged!

Tip Bit #13: On reflective learning

People like to be in control of what they do.  It applies to learning as  well.  One way to make your learning experience more meaningful to you is to take time to reflect on the learning process itself.  Imagine that you want to go to Paris for vacation.  To see the city, you can either choose to go on a group tour with a guide or you can create your individual sightseeing agenda.  If it’s your first time in Paris, you don’t know anybody there and you don't speak French, a guided tour may be your best option:  you will be shown all the main points of interest and receive the basic information about the places.   However, if you are familiar with the city enough to decide what to see and how to organize your trip, you can create much more personal and meaningful experiences in Paris. 

How does it apply to learning?  Law school is in many ways like a guided tour with a busy schedule.  But when you get off the bus and have some free time, consider a few questions to orient yourself towards better learning experience.  What kinds of questions should you be asking?  Here are some examples for a weekly review:

1. What confused you most in class this week?
2. What is the best way to resolve your confusion?
3. What key ideas and information did you learn?
4. What was the most important idea you learned this week?
5. What surprised, dismayed, delighted you most in class this week?
6. How does your learning relate to the larger context of your life and work goals?
7. Have you learned any practical skills, ideas, tools, techniques that you can easily apply to real-life situations?
8. Have you learned anything new about yourself, your interests, feelings, values?
9. What helped your learning?
10. What interfered with your learning?
11. What should you do more of?  What should you do less of?
12. What is one thing (skill, habit, activity) you want to focus on next week?

Capture the contrast

Life is full of contrast.  We don’t always like it, but the contrast keeps the  current of life flowing, forcing us to change, adapt, move forward.  There is no “hot” without “cold."  The balance of sweet and sour gives flavor to our food.  We can’t feel joy unless we know sadness.   Sometimes, the only way to discover what makes us happy is to experience what makes us unhappy.  How can we harness this power of contrast and bring more momentum and clarity to our everyday routines?  Here are a few things to consider:

• If you have to do something that you don’t like doing, pair it up with an activity that you enjoy.  Maybe, a cup of good coffee will help you through a boring part of the textbook, just like a good CD makes a long drive more bearable. 
• Reward yourself after you have accomplished a project that felt more like punishment. Come up with a reward before you begin the unpleasant task.  That way you have something to look forward to and keep you motivated.   
• Play Devil’s Advocate.  When you prepare an argument, always consider the opposing points of view.  You will discover the weaknesses of your position before your opponents have a change to point them out. 
• Stretch yourself by experimenting with the ways you do things.  If you read slowly, try speed-reading.  If you are used to typing up your notes, leave your computer at home and take notes by hand.  If you are usually quiet in class, force yourself to ask more questions.  Reflect on how it feels to do the opposite and how it affects the process and the outcomes. 
• When you read a text in legalese, translate it into plain English to aid comprehension and practice effective writing.      
• If you are quick to jump to conclusions, stop and ask how one could reach the opposite conclusion. 
• When you evaluate a legal opinion, ask yourself what would have happened if the court had decided differently.  Think in terms of precedent, policy, outcomes. 
• When you consider career paths or job offers, visualize yourself doing the opposite of what your initial choice would be.  Notice how it feels and how your body reacts.  Do the same exercise with the other options.    
• If you have failed at something, ask yourself:  “What can I learn from this experience that will help me succeed in the future?”
• Counteract the negative self-talk with positive affirmations. 
• If you are angry, think of kindness.  If you are frustrated because you didn’t get what you wanted, express gratitude for what you have.  Start giving in order to receive. 

How else can you use contrast to your benefit? 

Tip Bit #12: Three easy ways to recharge yourself

One thing I am learning to do as I work is to recognize the point when I begin feeling fatigued and take a quick step to recharge.   If you spend long hours studying or working, watch for the following signs:

• You begin yawning.
• It becomes hard to concentrate.
• You space out for a few seconds.
• You rub your eyes.
• You body feels stiff.

Aren’t you getting tired just after reading these symptoms?  When you start feeling this way, try the following easy steps to break the cycle of fatigue. 

1. Take 10 deep breaths.  We are all guilty of shallow breathing.  When you are hunched over a book or the keyboard, you can’t fully expand the lungs.  Also, when people feel stressed, they tend to take short, rapid breaths.  When you feel tired, take deep, relaxing breaths to bring more oxygen to your body.  Are you feeling better already?
2. Now it is time to stretch.  I like the Yoga Triangle Pose because it gives a good stretch to my whole body and releases the tension from the lower back.  Because it is a standing posture, I don’t even need a mat.  You can find the instructions and tutorial animation at the ABC-of-Yoga website.  As with any stretch, go slow and stop if you feel any pain.  The website describes many other poses, so you can choose the ones that you are comfortable with.  The tiredness starts to melt away.
3. Finally, drink a glass of iced water with lemon.  Thirst causes fatigue.  The cold water wakes me up (and burns a few calories, as a bonus).   The fresh smell of lemon is invigorating.

These little interventions are easy to do and don’t take much time.  If you can’t take a nap or get to the gym, they can be your next best thing and a healthy alternative to reaching for more coffee and a cookie (I am writing this for myself and I should tape this to my coffee-maker).  What do you think?  Do you have any tips for a quick energy boost?  Please share them with the rest of us! 

The leftovers guide to productivity

As I was cleaning out my refrigerator yesterday, I couldn’t help but wonder about the similarities in the ways we deal with the leftovers and the ways we approach our projects.  What do you do with your leftovers?

• Do you finish them even though the food may have lost its initial appeal?
• Do you re-work them into something new and delicious?
• Do you put them into the fridge and forget about them until a rather peculiar smell reminds you to check on your biological experiment?
• Do you throw out the leftovers right away because you know that you won’t be eating them again?

Now, it’s time to see how you handle your projects.

1. Do you always finish what you have started even if you are not as excited about the project as you were at the beginning?   If so, you certainly have the self-discipline and good planning skills.  And you probably accomplish a lot.  As long as you choose your projects wisely and don’t compromise on your taste, you are in good shape.  One thing for you to remember is that some projects, just like the leftovers, have an expiration date:  if a project goes bad, don’t be afraid to toss it. 
2. Are you one of those lucky people who know how to breathe life into an old project?  You know where to look for inspiration to keep your projects alive and exciting.  You are flexible and you are not afraid to make changes as you go.  The only word of caution for you is not to lose the essence of your projects.  There is only so much you can do with the leftovers.  Sometimes, it is better to start from scratch.   
3. Do you tend to start projects and then put them “on hold” when something better or more important comes along?  Do you have a long to-do list that keeps running through your mind?  Then, your head is probably full of mental “leftovers.”  Schedule regular times to clear you head by deciding what to toss, what to work on right away, and what to “freeze” till sometime in the future.  Planning and prioritizing will save your energy and make you more productive.
4. Do you have trouble completing your projects?  Maybe, you have many interests and you are very enthusiastic to try out new things, but you get bored easily.   As a result, you struggle to stay focused.  Try “freezing” some of you "leftover" projects for future use and re-working the others.  Find sources of motivation to stick with the project at hand.  Circulate several projects so that you can easily switch from one to another when you get frustrated.  Revisit your inventory of "frozen leftovers" periodically to see when it is a good time to thaw them.  While variety is good, you don’t want to be wasteful. 

On rejuvenation

I just got back from Nashville, Tennessee; it was 70°F there and it made me realize how much I was looking forward to Spring.  I want to shake off the heavy coats and winter slumber.  I like Spring’s vigor, freshness, and the sunny disposition.  It is easier to get up early, there seems to be more hours in the day, and the air is full of good energy.   

Students enjoy their Spring Break around this time.  It may be a good opportunity to rejuvenate your spirit.  Do you feel tired and sluggish after long winter months?  What will it take to bring your life forces back?  As you celebrate the arrival of Spring, choose a few ways to nurture and nourish your body and mind:

• Get out in the sun (don’t forget the sunscreen) and take longer walks to breathe in fresh air, smell the early flowers, and clear your head. 
• Release emotional toxicity with the 7-step process from Deepak Chopra.
• Get a massage.
• Drink green or white tea to flush the toxins out of your body.  I recently bought this new LIPTON White Tea with Island Mango and Peach, and I love it.
• Set a goal of eating a minimum of two pieces of fresh fruit every day.  Joe’s goals will help you to stay on track.
• Find time to call your friend with whom you haven’t spoken for a while.
• Incorporate at least some of these 52 Proven Stress Reducers into your life.
• Find an art exhibition that you would like to visit in your area and go. 
• Create a Spring reading list that includes books that you don’t have to read but really want to. 
• Find time to appreciate what you have in life by recording your thoughts in a gratitude journal. 
• Bid farewell to snow by making a snowman with your kids, classmates or co-workers, like these lawyers from a federal agency in Washington, D.C. did as part of their humor training.  Sounds silly?  That’s the point!  Lighten up and laugh!
• Get inspired with 10 Timeless Lessons From Dalai Lama, discussed by the Ririan Project.
• Start recording your favorite quotations.  I like this one by Anaïs Nin:  “There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”   

What do you need to blossom?

8 things that kill learning

Do you know what stands in the way of your learning?  There are many barriers to learning.  Difference people face different challenges.  As you are trying to identify yours, consider the following common enemies of learning:

1. Prolonged stress or depression can affect your memory.  People who are under a lot of stress or suffer from depression show elevated levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that appears to shrink the hippocampus, a part of the brain associated with memory and other cognitive functions.   
2. Lack of sleep can also impair memory and alertness.  Sleep allows us to consolidate memories, find creative solutions to problems, re-energize.  Don’t sacrifice sleep if you want to learn.
3. Negative attitude towards learning can sabotage your efforts.  Maybe, school was hard for you and you convinced yourself that you were not up to the task.  Perhaps, you study only for external recognition, such as a degree, certification, or promotion, and you don’t value the process itself.  Or you feel guilty that you have been a student for far too long instead of making money in the real world.  What are your mental roadblocks to learning? 
4. Irrelevance derails the learning process.  Would you rather learn one hundred made-up words that have no use in real life or one hundred words of Italian if you know that you will go to Italy in a month?   There are lots of things that compete for our attention at any given moment.  The information that is relevant to us and that we can apply in the real world has a higher chance of making it into our long-term memory.  Sometimes, the trick is to figure out how to make the material that you are studying relevant to your goals. 
5. Too much explanation or too little explanation can inhibit learning.  Learning happens in stages.  When you are given lots of detail up front when you have not had a change to get the basics, you are likely to feel overwhelmed.  In addition, our brains are wired to solve problems.  We tend to remember things better if we have struggled to find the answer ourselves.  That’s why it may be counterproductive to start reading treatises and outlines before you have had a chance to grapple with the issues on your own.  On the other hand, the lack of explanation can leave us confused because we haven’t found a way to link the new information to what we already know.   As many things in life, it is a matter of balance. 
6. Poor time management jeopardizes your learning objectives.  Learning requires the time commitment not only to acquire new information, but also to review regularly the old material.  You must develop a studying schedule and stick to it. 
7. Lack of feedback hinders learning.  If you don’t get feedback, you can’t learn from your past actions and you can’t measure your progress. 
8. Lack of support creates anxiety that’s not good for learning.  We learn better in collaborative environments than in highly competitive ones.  If you are afraid of making a mistake or being ridiculed, you won’t take risks and you won’t learn.

What kills your learning? 

Learn to fall forward

I saw a TV commercial yesterday that used the phrase to “fall forward” as a metaphor for learning from your experiences.  I liked the association.  When you deal with your share of disappointments in law school, it helps to keep in mind that you are learning to fall forward.  If you play it safe, you eliminate opportunities for learning.  It can be scary to fall, you can get injured.  Lawyers may even be more risk-averse than the general population because the nature of their profession demands caution.  But since some falls are inevitable, you may as well learn how to fall forward in law school, which is a safer environment than the real-world legal practice.  So, how do you learn to fall forward?

• Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks when you can get a high potential pay-off.  It may be worthwhile to join a law review or a moot court competition even if it means that you will have less time to prepare for your classes.  The pay-off is the skills you develop participating in those activities that make you more desirable to the employers.
• Take challenging classes in the areas that are new to you. Stepping outside your comfort zone will increase you learning opportunities. Consider taking classes in other programs that are relevant to the area of practice you want to pursue.
• Make sure you expose yourself to the teaching styles of different professors.
• Ask questions in class if you don’t understand something. 
• Get as much feedback as you can by voicing your opinions and comments in class and talking to the professors during office hours.   
• Look for internship opportunities.  Practice your job interviewing skills.
• Ask people whose opinions you respect to become your mentors.  If they say they can’t for some reason, ask them to refer you to somebody else who may be in a position to mentor you.
• Participate in study-abroad programs to learn more about the legal systems of other countries and enhance your cross-cultural communication skills.
• Learn to network by attending conferences, bar association functions and reaching out to others.
• Hone your people skills by enrolling in a legal clinic or volunteering.  Learn how to deal with difficult people.
• Don’t be afraid to negotiate better deals for yourself. 
• Don’t try to hide mistakes.  Acknowledge them and take responsibility for correcting them.    
• Treat mistakes as learning opportunities.  Determine what went wrong, what you should do to avoid the same pitfall in the future, incorporate the changes and move forward.   

Learning takes courage.  What else can you do right now that may look risky and uncomfortable but has a potential to bring a large pay-off for your future?   

Tip Bit #8: How Your Past Successes Can Cause You To Fail

"Things happen according to the ordinary course of nature and the ordinary habits of life."
California Civil Code, Maxims of Jurisprudence

“It may look like a crisis, but it’s only the end of an illusion.”
Gerald M. Weinberg, The Secrets of Consulting

People don’t like to change, but circumstances do.  Our current behavior is conditioned by our past successes:  we adopted what worked for us before.  The danger is that our past successes can become foundations of our future failures.  How so?  Past successes create the illusions of certainty, stability, continuity.  When the circumstances change, as they often do, we fail to adapt.  It’s like going to law school with a bag of undergraduate tricks.  We use familiar patterns of behavior in unfamiliar territories when, instead, we need a paradigm shift. 

Why not step back and ask yourself:  Is there a different way to think about this?  Am I moving forward or running in circles?  Are any of my habits holing me back?  What should I be doing differently?  It’s especially useful to do such review when you face changes in your life, like deciding on a career path, starting law school, or getting a job.  Open your mind to new ways of thinking and succeeding.  Are you ready for a paradigm shift? 

Do you smell success?

Matthew Stibbe of Bad Language shares great tips on How to learn things.  He must know a thing or two about learning:  he used the techniques to learn Dutch, prepare for a test in medieval history, and study for his commercial pilot’s license.  Many thanks to Raymond Ward for letting me know about this site.  Smell-coding intrigued me so much that I decided to visit The Sense of Smell Institute to investigate the olfactory function further. 

It turns out that the smell-coding technique involves associative learning – a process by which you link one item, in this case the subject matter you are studying, to another item – a particular aroma.  Later, when you need to recall the material you were studying, you help your memory by smelling the aroma associated with that material. 

I've also found out that people form strong associations between odors and emotions that they experience when they are exposed to the odors.  The odor can elicit the corresponding emotion, so be aware of the effect of aromas on your mood.  This effect can be either positive or negative.  For example, if you experienced frustration while learning how to swim in a swimming pool, you may have associated the smell of chlorine in the water with the emotion of frustration.  Later, if you are exposed to chlorinated water, the smell can make you feel frustrated.  On the other hand, if you have personally meaningful smells that make you happy, relaxed, focused, etc., you can use those smells to trigger the desired emotions. 

Essential oils can also enhance performance.  For instance, citrus smells promote mental awareness and concentration, so try using orange or lemon oil when you study.  Peppermint improves the performance of clerical tasks by increasing attention.  Lavender will calm your nerves, smell it when you need to make a presentation in front of a large group.  The perfume of cacao activates the production of endorphins that make us happy, so we can pass on that chocolate bar (well…I am not sure about that, the more the merrier).  Rose essence gives the sense of harmony and security. Check out the Alphabet of Smell to find out more about the meaning of various aromas.

Have you had any experience with aromatherapy?  Does it help you to work, learn, relax?  Share your comments!

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

It’s cold here.  The wind sends chills right through my bones.   Normally, I enjoy walking, I try to walk to places whenever I can, but on a day like this, I would not venture outside but for my two dogs that need to be walked.  The dogs don’t care about the weather, they want their walks, so it must be done.  This brings me to a question I have for you today:  What would it take for you to move a task from the “may-be” category to the “must-be-done” category?  If the syllabus says you have to read Chapter 8 by tomorrow, does it make it a must?  What about a gut feeling that you may be called on in class?  Or do you have enough self-discipline so that if you decide that something is important, you will do it no matter what? 

When I walk the dogs on a nice day, I am motivated by pleasure.  I truly enjoy the process:  I like the outdoors, my eyes appreciate the beauty and variety in nature, I have time to think without interruptions.  This is an example of intrinsic motivation.  On the other hand, when it is too cold to enjoy the outdoors, my motivation becomes extrinsic, and it’s not as much fun anymore.  Understanding the interaction between your extrinsic and intrinsic motivation is important if you want to develop good habits and achieve results.  Intrinsic motivation is usually more powerful because it is driven by your goals, desires, personality.  Here are a few steps that can help you create intrinsic motivation:

• Set goals and rewards that are meaningful to you.
• Understand how a particular task contributes to a valuable outcome.
• Engage your imagination and emotions when you think about what you want to accomplish.  Re-create the image of success in your mind every time you need extra motivation to do a task.
• Approach each task with curiosity and the beginner’s mind.  Look for new things to learn even when you engage in a familiar activity.
• Try changing a perspective if you feel bored.  Ask the question: “What would _______ think or do about it?”  Insert a person, organization, profession in the blank.
• If you have a role model, ask yourself how your role model would approach the situation you are in.  Get into their mind.
• Embrace the uncertainty.  Do you ever wonder how people can spend hours pulling a lever of a slot machine?  It is the uncertainty of the outcome that keeps them interested.  The uncertainty increases the production of the neuromodulator dopamine, which is responsible for a focused attention and more pleasurable experience.  Imagine what would happen if you were to get a regular salary for pulling the same lever but no chance of a random win. You’d be bored to death very soon.  Uncertainty keeps the excitement alive. 

To find out more about different types of motivation, check out What’s the Motivation by Daily PlanIt. 

And I am off walking the dogs.

Related post:
What is your motivation direction?

Music to your brain

How does music affect you?  Do you have a favorite CD that lifts your mood whenever you play it?  Do you have special tunes that energize you or help you sleep?  When I was an expecting mom, I read all sorts of articles on the effect of music on the baby’s development and we played music a lot in our house, but I still was amazed to discover how enthusiastically my child responded to music early on.  She started swaying and ‘dancing’ when she heard her favorite songs even before she could walk.  And she exhibited preferences for upbeat tunes.
 
So why are so many of us deeply touched by music?  Daniel Levitin, a professional musician and neuroscientist sheds some light on the mystery of music in his book This Is Your Brain on Music:  The Science of a Human Obsession.   Brain imaging done on people as they listened to music showed that music activated various parts of the brain related to planning, expectation, language, motivation, pleasure.  Music elevates dopamine levels, much like narcotics and antidepressants do.  Levitin also believes that music promotes cognitive development. 

Do you want to explore what is music to your brain?  You don’t have to go far these days.  Pandora  of the Music Genome Project will create a personal radio station for you, playing tunes that you are likely to enjoy, when you indicate your favorite artists or songs.  You can also get free classical music recordings via podcast.  Interested in meditation music or brain wave therapy?  Brain Sync has a collection of CDs and audio programs for you.  It also offers a free 10-minute guided meditation if you want to take a little break from your computer. 

The Secret Society of Happy Lawyers

The Idealawg and Life at the Bar are conspiring to start The Secret Society of Happy Lawyers, but it looks like some secrets may soon come out.  How about opening the VALVE of Happiness as a rite of initiation?   The VALVE is a code that stands for:

• Vision.  Happy lawyers have a vision of a better world and a better Self.
• Attitude.  Happy lawyers have an attitude that enables them to meet daily challenges with courage and grace.
• Love.  Happy lawyers share love for people that inspires their service.
• Values.  Happy lawyers have values that guide their choices.
• Energy.  Happy lawyers have energy that propels them to do the best work they can.

Are you ready to open your VALVE of Happiness?

Related post:
Happy hour for lawyers:  interview with Alexander Kjerulf, Chief Happiness Officer

Get excited!

You’ve probably heard the saying: if you don’t like the results, do something different.  Well… sometimes, things that you least expect to help you produce surprisingly positive outcomes.  I’ve recently read two posts that seem to support this phenomenon. 

Lifehack featured the post How to Get Started on Anything from Smart Graduate School Applications.   It discusses how sipping coffee motivates the author to begin a task that is not very appealing otherwise.  The positive emotion generated by the coffee spills over to the project at hand.  So, next time you need to start on something boring, trick your brain first by doing something that gets you excited. Your attitude towards the task may improve as a result.   

The second post deals with the effect of emotional words on memory.  According to ScienceBlogs,  If You Want Someone to Remember What You Said, Cuss.  Experiments show that we remember swear and taboo words better than neutral words.  More importantly, the emotional words enhance memory of the context in which they are used, so it appears that we remember the boring stuff better if it is sprinkled with words that trigger shock or surprise.  If there is any study group out there that decides to try this one out, let me know if it works. 

Do you have similar tricks that enhance your learning?  I’d love to hear them.

Lawyers appreciate mentorship

An appreciation storm is taking over the legal blogosphere thanks to the efforts of Stephanie West Allen of Idealawg and Julie Fleming Brown of Life at the Bar. I got swept away by the idea.  Here’s my contribution.

Lawyers appreciate mentorship, especially young lawyers.  Practice of law is challenging.  The mental, physical and emotional demands of the legal career can be high.  Much has been written recently about the fact that law schools don’t prepare students enough for the reality of legal practice.  That’s why lawyers appreciate the guidance, care and wisdom of their mentors.  Counsels need good counsel.  They appreciate the time that mentors take from their busy schedules to teach, lead, encourage, inspire, and pass on the highest standards of work and ethics to the younger generation of attorneys.  This season, we take time to give thanks to people who touch our lives in a meaningful way.  So much of the law practice is about finding meaning in words, actions, events, relationships.  Our mentors help us to find meaning in our work and lives, so let’s not forget to show our gratitude to our mentors, and let’s take this spirit of appreciation into the upcoming year.

How to take exams with the champion’s mindset

No more time for whining and complaining.  The exams are here.  What do you  need to do your best?  You need the winning mindset.  And who knows more about winning than athletes?  Much like law students, athletes endure grueling schedules, successes and setbacks, the pressure to perform and manage expectations of their coaches, families, sponsors.  How do they mentally prepare for the competitions?  According to Dr. Aimee Kimball, director of mental training at UPMS Sports Medicine: “Mental training gives athletes the knowledge and ability to control their thinking and emotions, and in turn, their performance.”  Law students can also benefit from mental training techniques.

• Visualization is one of the main techniques used by the athletes to create a successful course of events in their minds.  According to the MIT research, it does not make much difference to the brain whether you see the real thing or imagine it:  the brain responds in a similar pattern.  Imagine how you want the day of the test to unfold.  Picture yourself entering the classroom, you are composed and confident. You read the questions and know how to approach them.  You are able to recall the information with ease.  You manage time well.  Imagine the sense of relief and satisfaction when the test is over.   Use as many senses as you can to make the image real in your mind.
• Remembering your previous best performance can help you to replicate the experience.  Remember the details of that peak performance.  How did you feel? How did you handle challenges?  The task is to recreate the mindset that led you to succeed.  Once you have it, come up with a trigger word to anchor your experience.  Use this trigger word to snap you back into the winning mentality when you need it.  Repeat it to overcome the negative self-talk.
• Creating a ritual can help you to focus and stay in control.  Exams are nerve-racking because we don’t know what to expect.  Simple routines, including some breathing exercises, meditation, listening to a favorite song, can calm your mind.
• Develop the right attitude.  Aligning your expectations with reality is an important step to avoid excessive stress and frustration.   You can’t expect perfection every time.  How you respond to what happens matters more than the happening itself.  Set personal and meaningful goals to measure your own progress and commit to them.  Control what you can and don’t stress about the uncontrollable.
• Increase your energy level.  You can’t have the focus and mental alertness that you need for the peak performance if you lack energy.   If you want to do well, you need to watch your diet, find time to exercise and get enough sleep.  Easier said than done, but those who manage to do it consistently will be higher on that curve.
• Increase your efforts.  Step it up a notch to build up some intensity before the test week.  Do practice questions with time constraints.  Set a schedule for review.  Get into the rhythm. It’s like flexing your brain before the important event.
• Make it through the test “one play at a time.”  Don’t let one difficult question throw you off for the rest of the test.  Stay focused on the task at hand.  Set a pace, and when the time allocated to the question is up, move on. 

Do you have any mental training tips to share?  Please leave a comment. 

Law school rhymes

Apparently, I’ve read too many nursery rhymes to my almost one-year-old daughter.  Those poems and songs keep circulating in my head.  Yesterday, we read a cute book by Elizabeth Verdick entitled Tailes Are Not for Pulling.  We’ve got two dogs in the house, so we decided to instill good pet habits early. The rhymes were stuck in my head for a while, and I had to do something about it.  Pardon my venture into law school rhyming, here’s is my law exam advice:

Law tests are not for stressing;

Multiple choice is not for guessing;

Essays are not for confusing;

Errors are not for excusing;

Issues are not for ignoring;

Test time is not for snoring;

Rules are not for misstating;

Facts are not for creating;

Professors are not for complaining;

Frustration is not for explaining;

Answers are not for comparing;

Grades are not for despairing.

Good luck on your tests!

New Year? Resolutions?

Do you have any professional habits that you are not quite pleased with?  Now is the time to take a closer look at your values, goals, projects and decide which ones you want to keep and which to toss in the upcoming year.  I know, it’s easier to make New Year’s resolutions than to follow through with them.  However, as the saying goes, if you don’t like the results, you better start doing something different. Do you share any of the dubious traits below that afflict the legal profession?  If so, how are they working for you?

• Over-commitment.   In the world where billable hours rule, what lawyer is not guilty of an extra-heavy work load? When does much work become too much?  Only you can tell, and it’s worth, at least, thinking about.
• Prolonged stress.   Stress is OK once in a while, but the long-term stress can damage your immune system, cause anxiety and depression and lead to a burn-out. Stress also affects you intellectual competence and learning.  To assess your stress level and find out about stress management techniques, check out the stress management resources from Mind Tools.
• Are you a control freak?  Do you have a need to be right all the time?  Do you feel you know what’s best for your family and friends?  Do you have to do all the important work yourself or check and re-check everybody else’s work?  If so, you may appear quite annoying to others, and it may affect your relationships. In addition, you probably have a hard time relaxing.  Try to be kind instead of being right.
• Combativeness.  Arguing and assigning blame is what lawyers do for a living.  Sometimes, it is difficult to suppress the urge to argue in other aspects of our lives.  A good start is to build awareness of our tendencies and notice the triggers.
• Negativity.  Lawyers are on the lookout for everything that can go wrong, that’s what makes them good lawyers.  What’s bad is when they are so focused on the negative beyond their jobs that they can’t see the bright side of life.  It turns out that happy people may even be more productive, according to Get Happy!! and Work Better from Productivity Goal.  A gratitude journal may help you to cultivate a more positive outlook (see my post on Gratitude).
• Communicating in Legalese.  Please be advised that the aforementioned habit can be hazardous to other people’s brains.  Hyperlinked please find a very helpful post entitled Unlearning bad habits from the (new) legal writer.  Plain English is en vogue.  

What habits do you want to unlearn? Comments are always welcome!

Juggle your way to a better brain

I am not talking about the metaphoric juggling of all the things you need to do in law school or law practice.  I am talking about the actual physical act of juggling. Scientific studies suggest that juggling causes an increase in grey matter in certain parts of the brain responsible for advanced mental functions. When we are busy, we often abandon physical exercise to free that time for our studies or work, but physical movement is crucial for learning.  Neurophysiologist and educator Dr. Carla Hannaford presents more evidence that movement improves mental capabilities in her book Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head.  It is especially true for somatic learners, as I mentioned in my related post on multiple intelligences.

I encourage you to take your first step to a better brain.  Get away from your computer or books for ten minutes, pick up a couple of oranges or some juggling balls, if you've got them, and juggle.  You'll have fun, laugh at yourself, release stress, re-energize your body and mind, and set a process into motion to grow that grey matter in your brain.  Need more inspiration?  Check out the Just Your Average Joggler blog or watch the video of Chris Bliss juggling.

What is your motivation direction?

Here’s a test for you.   Picture yourself standing between two doors. The sign on door # 1 reads:  

Peace of mind:

• Studying is no longer stressful and you don’t feel swamped with all the reading, briefing, outlining, moot court, and other law school activities.
• You look forward to the Socratic method questioning in class.
• You never leave the classroom confused and discouraged.
• You don’t have to spend more money on yet another study aid only to discover that there is no time to read it.
• You receive regular supportive feedback on your progress.
• You feel calm and confident before an exam.

The sign on door #2 reads:

Excitement:

• Learning is fun.
• You are in control of your studies and even have time to relax and catch up with your friends.
• You finally know what it means to think like a lawyer.
• You are able to spot the issues and recall relevant information easily under the pressure.
• You can learn better and ignite your creativity by collaborating and playing games with your classmates.
• You are motivated to do your best and succeed every day.

Where do you go?  Do you find that one sign resonates more with you than the other? Are you drawn towards “peace of mind” or “excitement”? 

According to the authors of NLP: The New Technology of Achievement, we can be motivated either “toward” what we want or “away from” what we don’t want. People use both motivation directions but they can prefer one over the other.  Some people are more motivated by images of accomplishments, success, pleasure, while others are more motivated by avoidance of loss, pain, fear, failure.  Both types of motivation can be effective.  The “toward” motivation tends to be more goal-oriented while the “away” motivation is more about identifying and solving problems.  It is useful to know your motivation direction if you want to motivate yourself deliberately, and you may have more success motivation others if you can figure out how their motivation works.  Since lawyers are good at identifying problems, I wonder if a larger percentage of them prefers the “away from” motivation.  Understandably, the language people use can sometimes tell us about their preferred motivation direction.  Next time you talk to somebody about why they want to do something, listen in.   

Studying is your business

Have you just returned from the Thanksgiving break?  Are you struggling to get back into the work mood?  One way to adjust your mindset is to remind yourself that studying is your business and your investment.  Here are a few suggestions on how to make it grow:

• Treat studying as your work and show up.  Set the hours when you need to study, eliminate the distractions and focus on the subject matter at hand.
• Every business should have a business plan.  What’s yours?  Identify your short-term and long-term goals.  Adjust your curriculum accordingly.  Choose extracurriculum activities that help to develop the skills needed for your mission.  Set up a system to account for your progress:  grades are one way to measure your success but you can develop more intrinsic assessments as well.  Make revisions of your plan as necessary.  Make your plan the driving force of your learning experience.
• Try the inbox / outbox system when you study.  The inbox contains all the information you need to go through:  your reading materials, research, class notes, etc.  Your outbox is the knowledge product that you create based on the information from your inbox.  This includes outlines, case briefs, papers, memos, etc.  The trick is to establish a healthy flow between your inbox and outbox.  If you read a case, brief it.  When you cover a topic in your textbook, outline it.  If you do research, make notes, create mindmap, summaries – something tangible that you can refer to in the future.  You can use a two-column table to track the flow:  one column is for the inbox, the other – for the outbox. Your homework assignments fill the inbox, and you take it from there.
• Treat your school deadlines the same way you would treat your work deadlines.  Your studying habits will eventually transfer into your work habits.
• Collaborate with others.  At work, we consult our boss, colleagues, mentors, experts if we have a question or want to get feedback on our ideas. Schools have great resources available to students:  professors, librarians, support programs, career services are all there to help.  Establish good working relationships with these people, grow your “know-who” and gain access to the wealth of experience and wisdom they possess.  These contacts are also useful when you need reference letters or just simple advice.  And don’t forget your classmates.  Students come from various backgrounds and walks of life. You can learn a lot from each other if you care to ask.    

Can you find any other parallels between studying and business?  Share your insight, leave a comment.         

Gratitude

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”  William Arthur Ward

Gratitude is powerful.  Research has suggested that feelings of gratitude may be beneficial to emotional well-being.  I want to get into the habit of jotting down the things I am grateful for on a regular basis.  Thanksgiving seems like an appropriate day to start a gratitude journal.  Share your thankfulness and happiness to bring more energy and determination into your life.    
   

The power of words can be captured in “Five Minute Motivators” developed by John Richardson of Success Begins Today.  Here are my motivational verbs for the holidays:

What are yours?

We come in contact with lots of people during the holidays, and sometimes you may not feel so grateful.  Remember to use good tone in any situation.  There are a lot of benefits to good tone according to Brain Based Business. Bad tone, on the other hand, is harmful to learning capabilities. 

Here’s what I’d like to see during the holidays in the streets, at the airports and malls.

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you celebrating!  Thank you for reading.

P.S. For last-minute tips on everything Thanksgiving, check out Thanksgiving How To Guides from lifehack.org.   

Lessons learned

“Some of the best lessons we ever learn we learn from our mistakes and failures. The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future.” Tyron Edwards (1809-1894).

Everybody experiences setbacks in law school.  What makes a difference is how you handle them.  Successful people know how to turn their failures and mistakes into learning opportunities.  In fact, the word ‘failure’ is not even in their vocabulary. The trick is to own up to your mistake, determine what you need to do differently, overcome the negative emotions and change the detrimental behavior. Admission of a mistake may be a hard thing to do for a lawyer as we are in business of assigning blame, but accepting responsibility is the first step to understanding and learning. If you are not satisfied with your grade, create an opportunity to improve and do better next time.  Here are a few questions and suggestions for your post action review:

• Do you have the necessary information to evaluate your exam experience?  Sometimes, it is hard to be objective when emotions are involved.  Focus on turning the situation into a positive plan of action.  Talk to your professor to get additional feedback. 
• Were you satisfied with how you prepared for the exam?  Was the grade a surprise? 
• What were your goals for the exam? Which of those goals were not achieved?  Don’t set your goals in terms of getting a particular grade or passing the exam.  Think about the skills that are required of you to do well on the test and set your goals around the activities that help you to develop those skills.  You want precise and measurable goals.  If studying with flashcards helps you to learn the law, put it as your goal to have 100% of the answers correct for each topic you study.
• What was your weakest spot?  Did you miss most of the points because you did not know the law, or you could not apply the law to the facts in a logical fashion, or because you ran out of time?  Adjust your goals to address the weak spots.
• Are you going to make any changes in the way you study for the next exam?  The time is scarce in law school.  You need to know which study methods work for you and which don’t.  Spend your time on what works. 
• How was your physical and mental composure during the test? Is it time to learn some stress management techniques?  Would you benefit from a better support network?
• Were you able to capitalize on your learning style during the preparation stage and the test itself?  Why not?  How can you change that?
• Make a list of the resources you need to do better.  Should you join a study group or is your time better spent on practicing with CALI?
• More importantly, if you feel down, focus on a bigger picture:  how would it make you feel to accomplish what you started and be able to do what you love?  Here is a visualization exercise:  Imagine yourself 5 years from now, being successful in what you do.  You are a mentor to a young L1 who is eager to know how you got to that point in your life.  Looking back on your path, what would you tell him?  Create your own story of success.

Is there anything you can add to this “turning point” list?  As always, I’d love to hear from you.

Baby steps

This morning, I watched my 10-month-old daughter do her “I-am-training-to-walk” routine.  Holding on to the side of her pack-and-play, she would lower to the mat and then pull herself up into the standing position.  Occasionally, she would let go of one hand trying to grab a toy and keep her balance at the same time.  She tumbled and cried for help a few times, but she kept doing the routine over and over again.  She practiced.

 

Practice is what we do in law school.  It’s practice before the actual practice of law.  We need the persistence of a baby to master the profession despite setbacks, disappointing grades, stressful schedules, strained relationships. George Leonard in his book Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment writes that people who are masters in their fields love to practice:  “Mastery is staying on the path.”  So, hang in there! Persistence is all you need to practice.  And rest assured that you have it in you – you were a baby once.