Goal Setting as a Law School Student

Why Set Goals in Law School?

Top-level athletes, successful business-people, government and military leaders, and high achievers in every field use Goal Setting. Goal setting gives you a long-term vision and oftentimes much needed short-term motivation. It allows you to focus your acquisition of knowledge and helps you to organize your time and resources in a way that allows you to make the most of your life.

Setting clearly defined goals allows you to measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals. Every goal that you reach will increase your confidence and allow you to continue to excel in what you put your mind towards doing. You will see progress in something that, at one time, may have seemed like a long, arduous, and almost impossible task. Furthermore, you will notice yourself moving further ahead of your peers and achieving excellence in that which you do. Setting goals psychologically helps you become excited about meeting those goals, and you may even notice that setting goals and working towards them becomes somewhat of an addiction. If you are not used to goal setting methods to get ahead in your life at this point, you will want to seriously apply them now that you are in law school.



I am confident in stating that the top grades in your law school classes and the top jobs will go to those who have set out and worked toward their goals. There is no reason why this cannot be you.
When I entered law school I saw students that seemed more intelligent than me. I honestly wondered how I could hope to compete with many of these individuals. However, I knew that if I wanted to have a chance against them, I would have to have goals that I would work towards. I continued to surprise myself when I would meet one of my goals and create new goals that were built on those previously met goals. Although I did not have a background in law, nor had read books about law school before starting, I held my own against my competition and came out very near the top of my class.

Goal setting is not something that you will just want to use in law school. It will be an integral part of securing a job later on as well as living a successful life. Goal setting can be used in any capacity. No matter what task you have ahead of you, taking the time to take an inventory of the tasks that need to be completed, the results you want to achieve, with the steps to see it through, will help you design the life that you desire.

How to Use Goal Setting In Law School To Your Advantage

• Before you start studying, write down what you hope to achieve during the semester.  For example, do you want to get top 5% grades, do you want to get a summer internship with the DA?  Write those large goals down immediately.
• Create a game plan of the course of study you want to pursue.  Do you want to get a certificate in Business Law?  Are you considering possibly going for an LLM after law school?  Are you focusing on International Law?
• Do you want to transfer?  If so, write that down.  What schools are you looking to transfer to?  Do you want to be in a particular city/state?
• Are there any activities you want to be a part of?  If you are looking to be in Moot Court or Law Review, write this down as well.  

Once you write down the big goals, take some time and create a road map of how you hope to achieve those goals.  You will want to create small goals such as "study for three hours after class daily" or "get to know the Criminal Law professor for a good letter of recommendation."

Here is an example of goal setting in the law school context:

Tips for Effective Goal Setting:

• Keep a "goal notebook" and write down your goals in it immediately.
• Keep track of your progress daily.
• If you mess up or miss a day, don't fret.  Get yourself back on track.
• Don't be afraid to edit or rework your goals.
• Take your goal notebook with you everywhere.  Open it in the morning and mark of what you did in the evening.
• Continue to add new goals and reflect on what you want to achieve.

How I Think, and Why I Think That Way: A Struggling Law Grad's Positive Outlook on Life

Many people wonder why, with almost $300,000 in college debt and no job, how I can not be down in the dumps as they are.  There are many reasons that I am satisfied, and even thrilled, with my life, and I want to share those reasons with my readers.

First, I realize that there is so much opportunity out there for me.  I am still decently young and have a long time ahead of me.  About a decade ago I would have never imagined traveling all over the world.  In fact, I had never left the Northwestern United States where I was raised.  If someone told me I would be traveling to Europe (4x), Africa (2x), Asia (2x) and Central America (4x) in ten years, I would have thought they were crazy.  Yet, the truth was, I longed to travel, and I made it a goal of mine.  In fact, I have found that goal setting has helped me become the person who I have wanted to be and it has allowed me to do so much in life.  Yes, even go to, transfer, and graduate from law school!

Second, I want to say that I realize that there are many ways to get things done.  I can own a home on IBR.  I can purchase inexpensive land.  I can learn to build my own tiny home (see this awesome website: Tiny House Swoon).  There are so many opportunities in life for those who are willing to become creative.

Third, I have always believed in maintaining good health, eating right, and abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.  This includes "mind drugs."  I define "mind drugs" as things that damage how one thinks.  Mind drugs are all over the internet.  Lately, however, I have found myself getting somewhat involved in mind drugs, and I have realized that they do nothing to help me.  Internet forums where people whine and lament about life have no part in a healthy adult outlook.  If you spend time reading websites where people are telling you that you can not succeed no matter what, or that you will fail, you will probably end up failing.  You have to remove yourself from that way of thinking if you want to succeed.  Pure and simple.

Forth, I am a Christian and believe in God.  As such, it would be to spit in His face to not be thankful for the life He has given me.  My life may not be completely perfect, but I have so much to be thankful for.  God has assisted in me traveling the world and I have seen firsthand the lives of other people.  I realize that many people have not seen the struggles that go on in poorer countries, and it is hard for many to realize (or even care) that others have a hard life.  However, the reality is that many U.S. citizens have it exceedingly good and have little to no cause to complain.  I do not believe that a student debtor who went to law school has any cause to complain upon graduation day.  In fact, to do so is incredibly selfish and even somewhat vile.  Of course, I have found that too many people only care about themselves and can not appreciate how well they have it in life.  Complaining on the internet, sadly, has become a sport for some, and I honestly, with all my heart, hope that some of these people can one day make it off of the couch and see the world that is beyond their living room.

I have many goals for the future and I am very excited about them.  This blog will continue to share how I go about reaching those goals while being thankful for and using my law school education.  We have been taught so much in law school and I can not let all that go to waste.  And further, I must remember that those who are vocal about and angry at law school are only a very small minority.  Most law school graduates seem very happy about their choice to go to law school, and I am sure they will continue to be, as long as they stay away from toxic sites such as the ones that I used to frequent.

Perhaps after I am finished with my current book I will write a book on why law school can be a good investment and how a positive outlook in life will help a law school grad.  Until then, please keep reading this blog and e-mail me any questions you have.  Thank you.