Earlier this week, I spent an insane amount of time looking at my feed critiquing all the things I’m not doing well as an influencer—how I could improve the quality of my content, how I should get more new equipment etc. To be transparent, that then spiraled into a session of pinpointing any and all the things that I feel I should be doing better in, from school to relationships, to my makeup technique and really anything in between. I have high expectations for myself. That’s not new. But there are healthy and unhealthy ways to go about self-improvement. I was dangerously tip-toeing on the line of unhealthy self-criticism. On top of that, I caught on that the first year of law school, wasn’t necessarily made to make students feel confident. Thank God I snapped out of it, and decided that a perfect way to ease up on myself was to remind myself of the things I do well.
There are a number of reasons it can be beneficial to sit down and think about or write down the things you do well. For one, it’s the perfect confidence boost when you’re in doubt or need of a reminder. Second, knowledge of the things you do well can help you down the line when you’re making life changing decisions about your career. More and more, I’m seeking awareness of where the things I do well, intersect with and the things that excite me. Earlier this year I shared a list of the things law school made me realize I’m bad at, but now, and with the utmost humility, it’s time for a list of things that law school made me remember I’m good at.
I’m Good At Telling My Story
Law school has made me realize that I don’t care much for arguing as much as I do for crafting a narrative. Don’t get me wrong, I can make an argument when it’s necessary. Law school is the right move for me. But I’ve remembered how exciting it was, as a history teacher, to teach a story about this nation’s history. As a blogger and content creator, I love sharing my story with anyone interested in hearing about it. I enjoy serving on panels and participating in Q&As . All of those things make me realize that I have a knack for sharing my story. Indeed, a large component of the argument’s lawyers make involve framing a narrative and crafting their own version of the facts. So this skill can come in handy not only as I hope to expand my online presence, but in a legal career as well.
I’m Good At Balancing and Prioritizing Responsibilities
I came into law school knowing that I would have a lot on my plate. At the same time, I came in with a clear understanding of what was important to me: my faith, my family, my education, and my blog. It’s certainly been hard work, but I think I’ve been able to balance all of these priorities while also being realistic about what I can handle. At times, it’s meant scaling back on the blog posts and photoshoots, even though deep down I wanted produce content at the same level I did before law school. There have definitely been other sacrifices too, but it has also been clear to me that I’ve managed to prioritize what’s important to me.
I’m Good At Minding My Business
No but seriously, all jokes aside. I hope you don’t think law school is immune from the occasional bout of drama. On top of that, it can be really easy to get caught up in what or how other people are doing. Through it all, I know I’ve managed to tune out the noise, and stay focused on what I came here to do. That’s what matters to me.
I’m Good At Decorating and Designing
This one doesn’t really have anything to do with law school, but through moving into my law school apartment I had the opportunity to take a lackluster room to the next level. Using Pinterest and home decor accounts on Instagram, I was able to create my “happy place.” Now I’m more aware of the fact that I have an eye for aesthetics and I’m beyond excited for any post-law school apartment and house interior decorating.
Notice that none of these have any direct or obvious association to being a lawyer. Does that mean I’ll become a motivational speaker, author, interior designer, and attorney? Not necessarily (but also never say never.) The good thing is I can move with an awareness of what I do well so that I don’t pigeonhole myself into one field, or exclude myself from bringing my full set of skills and interests to a job. After all, being multi-faceted can only help me, right?
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU’VE RECENTLY REALIZED OR REMEMBERED YOU’RE GOOD AT?
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4: 10
