OK, who here hates needles?
I went for a checkup the other day where they pulled multiple vials of blood from me. People usually say to look away from the needle, right? That’s what I’ve done all my life, but I don’t get this chance very often since getting a checkup is such a rare occasion… (sorry Mom)
So I decided to stare at the needle this time.
Was it at least a little anxiety-inducing to it pointing at my open elbow pit (is that what it’s called)? Sure… But it turns out it’s a lot more interesting to look and see what actually happens when they poke your veins (and nurses love my veins).
Is this similar to what you feel when the bar exam is looming over you? No matter what you do, the bar exam relentlessly insists on getting closer and closer as you get more and more nervous.
But the more you LEAN INTO the fear, the pain, the frustration, the nervousness, whatever… the more you realize it’s actually not that bad.
In other words, don’t wait until the fear is gone. If you stay stagnant and idle, you’ll get more anxious. Act while you feel fear. Feel the fear, but do it anyway. Being aggressive overcomes fear.
Then, not only will you survive the challenge, you’ll gain something through the challenge, much like a hydra.
When you start to pay attention, you’ll notice there are many fascinating ways to improve your mental game. This gives you better control or “domestication” of your mind, your emotions, and your behavior.
And that is supremely powerful for a bar taker.
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Your fellow bar takers would agree…
Like one of my readers, Elaine, says, “The mind is 50% of this exam. It has to be in the right frame. . . . The mind is powerful.”
Or how about this, from Olivia? “I think some of my failures were heavily based on my negative attitude and constant self-deprecation.”
Likewise, TLS user “lnu1992” says, “A person’s ability to handle the anxiety and stress of the exam is also huge. Even though I was a top student, I blanked during parts of the exam.”
One more…
Tom (a serial repeater who passed the recent July California bar, 40.7% pass rate) told me about how “an attitude of going after the prey, being the one who’s hunting, not hunted, is very important. Not like, oh my god, I hope I don’t see this question. No, I hope I see the question. I hope you’ll bring it on.”
He, too, adopted a mindset of upfront preparation and leaning into the challenge.
Very interesting!
It might not even be a stretch to say that your competition isn’t other bar takers — but rather your ability to handle the high-stakes nature of the bar exam, the knowledge you neglect to learn, your ego, your procrastination, your lack of motivation, and the constant battle with your willpower.
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As you continue with your bar studies, it becomes evident that mastery over your mindset is a critical component to your performance.
But no one tells you how to stay sane beyond “visualize the goal,” “you got this,” or “just breathe” (that last one is probably the best idea here tbh).
You’ve been on your own — until now.
Last week, I hinted at “something good” that I have for you. It’s something I’ve tested with groups of other bar takers and refined over the past year. Finally, I’m ready to share this with you for the first time.
I’m thrilled to present a brand-new resource for bar takers:
Mental Engines
Mental Engines is a mindset support program for bar takers who want to stay grounded using mental frameworks to tackle difficult emotions that can come before, during, and after the bar exam.
If you’re tired of that sinking feeling and self-doubting voice saying “I’m gonna get this wrong too”… Overwhelmed, paralyzed, floundering…
I studied and curated everything I learned about managing one’s thoughts and organizing one’s emotions when it comes to bar preparation.
No, it’s not about visualizing and meditating about love and forgiveness. If you’re here for that, just leave.
These are hard-earned practical lessons that I personally learned from my own repeater experience (and beyond). Some of them are exactly what I use now to be able to balance my full-time job as a patent attorney and the one-man show that is Make This Your Last Time.
Have you heard the expression, “How you do anything is how you do everything”?
I stand behind the expression and would add to that: How you think is how you do.
Here’s a tiny sneak peek at what you’ll discover across 8 modules and dozens of text and audio lessons about how you can apply them to your bar preparation (full details here):
- How to preempt burnout while enjoying your bar studies — you can make this automatic (Module 2 Lesson 2)
- The #1 predictor of your energy and focus (Module 3 Lesson 2)
- How to practically guarantee focus without relying on constant willpower (Module 3 Lesson 3)
- The principle that allows you to figure anything out (Module 6 Lesson 4)
- What you’re probably looking for instead of “confidence” (Module 4 Lesson 7)
- A thought that can keep you stuck (and miserable) until you change it (Module 5 Lesson 2)
- How to find instant calmness instead of frazzled and frantic reactions (Module 4 Lesson 4)
- [Advanced] Want to get something done? Here’s how to make it happen (I hate this one because it works so well) (Module 7 Lesson 2)
- [Advanced] I will also destroy any and all of your excuses (Module 7 Lesson 4)
These are bite-sized lessons that you can take advantage of for as little as 10 minutes a day. I made this with your busy schedule and personal challenges in mind.
Are you a WEIRDO if you invest in improving your mindset? I don’t think so.
We invest in our education (law school, bar prep, books).
To ground our mind, we might go on vacation (post-bar trip anyone?), raise a pet, volunteer or donate, visit nature, take a yoga class, get a massage, make your kids do extracurriculars for college, go on meditation retreats (never mind, that one is kinda weird)…
We invest in other areas of our life (food, fitness, networking, socializing, spiritual practice, convenience, productivity, learning skills, etc.). Not just in terms of money either — ironically, money may be the smallest type of investment you can make.
Why not upgrade the very engine that drives our every action — the software in our brain — especially if we are going to be members of a profession that is dependent on our ability to think and handle responsibilities under pressure?
Like the Performance Test, this sort of thing gets neglected and flies under the radar. Like people who unironically enjoy lawyer jokes, you don’t care about it until you need it. “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”—Mike Tyson
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“I heard this millions of times before the exam, but I didn’t quite believe it until I experienced it myself . . . . On the exam day, when I lost cool and confidence, I would completely forget even the easiest rules. But when I regained my composure and treated answering the essays like telling the graders a story, everything flew so naturally and easily.”—Lillian
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Truly, the mind is (at least) 50% of the exam. Passing the bar exam is merely proof that you did the preparation right. 90% of the work is done before you ever set foot in the exam hall.
And it makes sense. You’re a candidate to become a professional thinker, preparer, and problem solver.
I always tell people who are on the fence about any of my premium offerings to try it. Actually trying it out for a few weeks is the best way to see for yourself if Mental Engines can help. What if just one “mental engine” enabled you to feel less stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious?
What is that peace of mind worth to you in this critical part of your journey?
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One of the things you’ll learn inside Mental Engines is that elimination is one way to progress. Even if it turns out this isn’t helping you at all, or you already know all this (which btw isn’t a very useful way to think), you can move on guilt-free. You’ve reduced the clutter of options.
Remember, “the mind is 50% of this exam.” No one is stopping you from giving yourself every advantage.
Join Mental Engines today and gain dozens of insights about the mental side of bar prep that not even your tutor can help you with:
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You’ll get an arsenal of mental blueprints, audio lessons, and action steps to enable you to approach bar prep (and beyond) from a completely different vantage point — all without having to spend tons of time.
See you inside.
Brian
PS: You’ve seen those people in law school. They’re cool and methodical under pressure, and success seems to follow them wherever they go. Do you see them saying they’ll “figure it out later” or “just deal with it,” or do you see them taking decisive action?
A rare opportunity has presented itself to you because there’s nothing like this out there for bar takers. It’s my obligation and duty to encourage you to take this opportunity so that you can do your best work.
Join Mental Engines, and give yourself the gift of more resilience, focus, and optimism to tackle this beast known as the bar exam.
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