Dear Future Self,
You made it! You're a 1L. You've been waiting for this for a long time! Isn't it great?
What do you mean, no? You're overworked and overwhelmed and you miss having money and free time? Well, suck it up. Never satisfied, are you, Future Self?
You're probably hearing advice about getting away from school once in a while, and taking time out for yourself, and not getting too caught up in the competition. But let's be honest here: we both know you're a slacker. You love using mental health as an excuse for procrastination. You have never, ever gotten caught up in competition. When you're running a race and you see the finish line up ahead, you may be the only person in the world whose impulse is to slow down. (Hey, you know you'll make it to the end; what's another minute or two?)
So I'm going to give you the opposite advice. Compete. Be ambitious for a change. Does everyone else want to get in the top 10% and make Law Review? Want that too. You're entering a field where, like it or not, status and prestige and the right credentials are important. You need to develop some semblance of a killer instinct. It doesn't mean you have to turn into one of those people you can't stand. It just means you have to throw yourself into the fray a little.
Don't rationalize that it's not worth the amount of work required, and that you'd rather be happy and sane than get whatever carrot it is that everyone's chasing. Try. If you don't succeed, that's okay. If you really, honestly don't want it -- well, I don't trust you to be honest about that, because when everyone is swarming towards the free food or to meet the famous guy or to get into the club, your gut reaction is to run the other way. So just do it. If you succeed, then you can decide that you don't want it.
Those other people? The ones who heed the advice to relax and don't do the writing competition because it's too much work and turn down the firm job to pursue their dreams? They're not you. They made a conscious decision based on what was best for them. You tend to make decisions based on what's easiest. Remember, it's not the same thing.
Okay, I'll stop lecturing you now. Hey, are you sticking your tongue out at me? Stop that!
Love,
Your Past Self
