The New England Patriots have been the most successful NFL franchise in the last ten years. One phrase the team believes in is, “Don’t believe the hype,” as evidenced by being posted throughout their stadium. For all the media hype and whimsy around what this team accomplishes, players in the locker room are constantly reminded not to get caught up in the hype and hype around what they set out to do. every year. Instead, they must stay focused and follow their second motto, “Do your job.”
This is exactly the blueprint to follow for preparing for your bar exam:
Don’t believe the hype. Do your work.
I’m sure that throughout your law school career, you’ve been told how terrifyingly scary the bar exam is. You heard all the negative statements, the half-truths and everything surrounding the bar. Yes, the bar is challenging, but as you may have already heard,
“Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react.”
It’s all about attitude and mindset.
The same is true for the bar exam. At the end of the day, for all the talk about the bar, it’s still just an exam. What will help is a good preparation plan or schedule and staying focused on the task at hand. Don’t let the exam live above you. You are meant to be here and you are supposed to pass the exam. It’s not that fun, but it’s not that bad either.
Instead of engaging in bar talk and all the ‘woe is me’ talk, focus on doing your homework. When you hear a “woe is me” conversation, walk away. “Woe is Me” is for ESPN analysts and Monday-morning quarterbacks who like to analyze, re-analyze and over-analyze.
You are a player on the field. Focus on your work. When you slip up, own up to the mistake, laugh at it, know what you’ll do next time, go ahead and put it out of your mind. This is what distinguishes ‘greatness’ from ‘goodness’: attitude.
Do your best, don’t believe the hype and do your job.
Good luck in passing your bar exam!
“This name appears on the pass list.”