On your journey, try to be present in the moment without obsessing about the past or worrying about the future. Be in the moment. Do not judge. You can’t change what happened in the past and you can’t control what will happen in the future. When facing a challenge, don’t engage in speculation, you know, the “what if’s”. “What if X happens? What if Y happens?” The X and Y are usually bad or negative things.
Examples of my “what ifs” when training for the marathon included: “What if I can’t finish the marathon? What if I get hurt? What if I can’t raise the funds I need? What if I am the last person to cross the finish line? What if I get sick while running? What if I get injured and don’t even make it to the start line?”
Some examples of “what ifs” in law school may include: “What if I get called on in class and don’t know the answer? What if I am not in a study group? What if I fail my exam? What if I freeze when giving my oral argument? What if I don’t make law review?” What if I don’t pass the bar? What if I can’t find a job?”
To realize how many times you go down this rabbit hole of “what if’s,” put a “what if” jar on your counter and every time you say “what if [negative thought]. . .” put a dollar in the jar. After a week or a month, see how much you have put in the jar. This visual concrete reminder will show you if you are focusing on the present. Then ask yourself whether the “what ifs” stopped you from doing something or facing a challenge. If it did, put that money towards your journey (new running clothes, school supplies, etc.) and take the first step and get going.
When training for my first marathon I often asked people, “what do you think about while you are running for such a long time?” I discovered once I ran and pushed beyond my threshold that one of the best parts of long-distance running was not thinking about anything. It felt like you took an eraser and wiped your mind clear of thoughts and just ran. It was like a massage for your mind. It was rejuvenating and miles would tick away without noticing. This state of mindfulness did not always occur when I was running but on the days it did it was wonderful. Don’t look at how far you have to go or look behind you. Instead just keep moving.
Part of focusing on the present is being intentional about what you do. Set your intention at the outset when trying to reach a goal. Instead of aimlessly or mindlessly going through the motions, write down your intention. You are more likely to achieve your goal if you set your intention before embarking on your journey.
The more specific, measurable, attainable, and timely your intention, the more likely you are to achieve it. I would become overwhelmed if I thought of running 26.2 miles, but I could instead focus on one mile at a time, one training run at a time. For law school, don’t focus on passing the bar when it is your first week of law school. Instead, take it one day at a time, setting your intention for Orientation, then your first class, your first week, your first year, etc. You can also set your intention each day for each class. When working on a writing a paper, set your intention each time you sit down to work on it. Also, don’t forget to set your intention for how you will foster your wellbeing each day, week, etc.
Identify and eliminate distractions that prevent you from being present in the moment. For example, when running, even if it is only for a few minutes, try being in the moment, not listening to music, but rather taking in the scenery, listening to your feet hit the ground and your breath. In law school when working on a paper or studying for an exam, put away anything that is distracting, such as your cell phone, and shut off any alerts or notifications. Even having your cell phone on your desk can be distracting and leak mental focus. Students are always amazed how much they get done when they remove their distraction and focus on one task.