Do not compare yourself to others. In the movie, Miracle on Ice, the U.S. Hockey Team won the Olympic gold medal in 1980. Before playing the Russian Team, the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey head coach, Herb Brooks, told his team to “play your game.” The same is true for running a marathon or going to law school.
It is easy to get discouraged when I see someone much younger or older than me sprint by me in a race or on a training run, looking like they are not even breaking a sweat. Then I remind myself to run my race at my pace. Do what works for you. Don’t worry about what others are eating, drinking, or how fast they are running. Those things may not work for you. Whether you finish first or last, you get the same medal at the end of the marathon. Many runners commonly fear coming in last. They still finished. Focus on finishing your race.
In law school, it is common to get swept up in worrying about what others are doing and wondering if you are doing it right. For example, a student sitting in front of you may have color-coded case briefs, the student next you has a hundred page outline, and the one behind you has read all the cases assigned for that whole week. What works for someone else may not work for you. Some may say they study more than others. You may feel tempted to wonder why some students made it onto the law review and others didn’t, why some got offers from firms after their summer associate position and others didn’t, why some got clerkships, why some won oral advocacy awards.
Everyone’s journey is different. Your completion of your journey is a personal achievement. Focus on doing your best. Comparing yourself to others, whether it be in a race or at work, school, or any setting, may lead you to unhappiness, discontent, jealousy, and a myriad of other negative emotions. Using someone as inspiration is good, but do not beat yourself up because you don’t feel like you measure up. We all have different strengths and styles. Own yours. Don’t compare yourself to others and don’t worry about what others think about you.
Give it your best effort, leave it all out there, and you will not have any regrets. Some days you have a good run or a good class and somedays you have a bad one. The most important thing is to keep going!