From the Yld President

• Year: 2025
• Citation: Vol. 30 No. 3 Pg. 0010
• Pages: 0010

From the YLD President No. Vol. 30 No. 3 Pg. 10 Georgia Bar Journal February, 2025

Run Your Own Race

KENNETH MITCHELL JR. YLD President State Bar of Georgia kenneth.mitchelltacobbcounty.org

Recently, I had a conversation with a friend about the challenges they were facing in their career. They were discouraged that they were not where they thought they should be and contemplated whether they should be doing more. In thinking of how to respond, I was reminded of something my college track coach used to tell us before big competitions: Run your own race. This advice seems so simple, yet it can be hard to do. During a race, a runner faces many distractions. But the one who reaches the finish line first is usually the one who stays focused on their lane and avoids thinking about what their competitors are doing. This is similar to the practice of law.

Lawyers, especially young lawyers, can get discouraged by comparing themselves with other attorneys. But they do not know where that other attorney is in their "race," nor what obstacles they endured. This is why, as lawyers, we must be mindful to run our own race. Lawyers can run their own race by setting goals, setting a pace, avoiding distractions and finishing strong.

Set a Goal

One of the most important ways to run your own race is to have a goal. In track, a competitor's goal is to reach the finish line. Whether they finish first or attain a personal best time, the goal is to reach the finish line. In law, lawyers have goals like winning a big trial, making partner, being a...