Law Schools

How Perfectionism Hurts Law Students

Some ways to turn the volume down on your own perfectionism.

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According to good old Merriam-Webster, perfectionism is defined as “a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable.” When I put myself back in my 1L shoes, this definition describes almost all of my classmates. Sure, there was always that one slacker who rarely came to class and didn’t seem to care that much. But for the most part, we were a bunch of highly caffeinated overachievers in a race to the top.

Many of us had these perfectionist tendencies long before law school, and they were probably a driving force in our decision to attend law school. Law school will shine a very, very bright light on these tendencies. First, there is the whole “graded on a curve” thing, which, by definition, creates a competitive environment. Next, there is a massive amount of student loan debt — meaning there is a lot on the line if you fail. Finally, there is a crazy small job market to worry about.

It makes complete sense that these stressful situations bring out the perfectionism in full force. However, the same habits and routines that can drive you to be great can also hold you back if you are not careful. Be diligent to avoid falling into the following perfectionism pitfalls.

Decreased Productivity

When everything has to be perfect, it takes much longer to accomplish each task. In case you didn’t know this, you need to manage a lot as a law student. From briefing cases to taking final exams and everything in between, the average law student spends 50+ hours on law school-related tasks a week. That doesn’t even include extracurricular activities or hunting for internships.

Think about it. If you refuse to move on from any given task until it is 100% perfect, you will never move past task number one. I see this problem arise frequently with students as it relates to final exams and bar exam preparation. A key part of preparing for both types of tests is doing a critical number of practice questions. However, students get so hung up on making the “perfect” outline that they never get to the practice questions at all. A more helpful approach is to create a usable, helpful outline that is missing some things but allows you to spend time completing practice questions.

Procrastination

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Perfectionism’s ugly step-sister is procrastination. Here is how it works. Since your standards are extremely high and difficult, if not impossible, to reach, you become completely overwhelmed and decide not to do anything at all. I know, this seems incredibly counterproductive and counterintuitive. However, it happens all. the. time.

It is important to learn the ways in which you procrastinate. Procrastination can be a sneaky little devil. For example, my favorite way to procrastinate is to write my to-do list, then rewrite it, and then rewrite it again. I get bonus points if I categorize and color code. On the surface, this seems like an important, nay, productive thing to do. However, I’ve come to learn that this actually means I’m avoiding doing something else. There is some project, paper, or article that I am hiding from.

When this happens, I employ my “next smallest step” trick. This is a simple, yet effective, step out of procrastination and towards productivity. I look at the things I have to do, determine what the quickest win is, and do it immediately. I use the momentum from my “productivity high” to get started on the next task. Before I know it, I have created a positive productivity snowball and ended my procrastination.

Crushed Creativity

When you are constantly worried about everything being perfect, it becomes incredibly hard to think outside the box. If all you can focus on is creating the best brief or writing the best memo, you may be missing an important learning opportunity. There is more than one way to write a good brief, memo, or outline for that matter. If you are so fixated on getting to a “perfect looking one,” you are cutting off the possibility of finding a better, and perhaps easier, way of doing things.  

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So, the next time you feel like you are banging your head against a wall trying to learn something, take a step back. Ask yourself, “Is this the best way for me to learn this information?” Reevaluate your system. It might not be, and likely isn’t, that there is something wrong with you. There may just be an error in your approach.

Low Self-Esteem

If nothing you do is ever good enough, it is pretty hard to feel good about yourself, right? All of the other pitfalls join forces to become the mega, super, ultimate pitfall of lack of confidence and low self-esteem. You start to equate your own self-worth with your academic achievements, and every perceived failure in school means that you yourself are a failure. This is a really dangerous path to go down.

If you notice that your inner dialogue has gotten negative (i.e., “I’m not good enough,” I’m not smart enough,” “I’m lazy”), I highly suggest creating a “Me Chart.” This is a quick, easy, and fun (read: it involves coloring) activity that can snap you back to reality. Start with a unlined sheet of paper and draw a large circle on it. Next, create a pie chart with all the different parts of “you.” For example, if I were filling out my “Me Chart,” I would have a piece for wife, daughter, teacher, friend, Harry Potter fan, etc. (You know, all the important stuff). This is a nice reminder that we are so much more than our academic accomplishments.

Lack of Energy  

The entire cycle of setting ridiculous standards, not meeting them, feeling sh*tty, doing nothing, feeling sh*ttier, picking yourself up, and starting again is freaking exhausting. All of a sudden, an entire day is gone, and all you’ve got to show for it is a couple of pages of Contracts notes. Trust me, I know this feeling all too well. It is incredibly frustrating because you were “working” all day and you are so tired, yet somehow nothing got accomplished.

I call this the hamster wheel problem. Appropriately named because you are quite literally going around in circles and getting nowhere. In order to move forward, you’ve got to jump off the wheel. First, you’ve got to recognize that you are caught in this cycle. Next, forgive yourself and take a break. Allow yourself some time to rest, so you can come back strong. Finally, go back to my “next smallest task” tip above — it will get your energy back on track with some positive traction.

As a recovering perfectionist, I can attest that it takes hard work to avoid these traps. But I promise you it is worth it. You will get more done, have less stress, and generally feel better about yourself. It takes some time and effort to develop any new habit, so be patient with yourself as you implement these strategies.

Kerriann Stout is a millennial law school professor and founder of Vinco (a bar exam coaching company) who is generationally trapped between her students and colleagues. Kerriann has helped hundreds of students survive law school and the bar exam with less stress and more confidence. She lives, works, and writes in the northeast. You can reach her by email at info@vincoprep.com.

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