I'm back...

Life became extremely busy and I dropped off the blog cliff. But, I'm back and halfway through law school! I thought it would be fitting to share some of the tidbits that have helped me navigate law school thus far.

Time Blocking

I have found myself with an abnormal amount of commitments and it's essential that I block my time and plan well. First, I have a master template for each week that includes what I will accomplish each day of the week. For example, every Sunday, I read and prepare for Monday and Tuesday. Each Thursday afternoon I have time blocked out to create my template for the coming week. I take from the syllabus each days reading and create my weekly schedule. It's magical.

Daily To Do Lists

I love to do lists. Like live for them! However, I often create a huge to do list that seems never ending that keeps me from ever stopping and relaxing. So, I create a to do list for everyday of the week that is realistic for that particular day. Last semester, my Tuesdays were nuts and I literally had no extra time between class, work, and family. Tuesdays to do list was light and doable! When I complete my list for the day I feel free to take a hot bath or listen to one of my beloved audio books that I'm currently listening to.

Crazy Sticky Notes

I often feel inadequate and like nobody is getting the best of me. My solution to this is semi-psycho sticky notes on my bathroom mirror. Each sticky note says a role that I play like mom, wife, employee, research assistant, friend, sister...and the list goes on. Each morning while I'm getting ready for the day, I pick one to focus on. Nothing huge but just something to invest in that role. Some mornings I send a quick text to my sister wishing her a great day with some fun emojis. Other mornings I choose to slip a note on a napkin in my kids lunch. It just helps to balance all the important things that seem to naturally fall to the side when life is full.

Choose Positive...every damn day!

Getting to go to law school is a huge privilege and honor. At the end of the day, complaining doesn't help anything, a waste of valuable energy, and is just plain annoying. I'm not suggesting that there aren't times when bursting into tears or venting isn't warranted (or necessary) but not as often as you carry heavy case books, try to look amazing with way too much dry shampoo, or being the positive one with grace and sass.

I can't wait to share with you my favorite meals and tricks from meal planning Sundays!

Stay Spunky! xxx

Legally Spunky

Welcome! I'm excited to share my experiences as I navigate the journey of law school and my life. My hope is that this will be a place of encouragement, information, and a way to capture my experiences. I begin my first year of law school in exactly 18 days!

I am 39 years old, a wife, a mom of 3 boys, a sister, a daughter, and a friend. One of my favorite parts of the law school admissions process was writing my personal statement. It was a profound way to reflect on my past, present, and future. I think sharing my personal statement is a great way to give some insight into who I am and what got me to this point...a rising 1L.

It’s been almost ten years since I found myself in uncharted territory. I was about to turn 30 years old; I had two young boys and minimal work experience after choosing to be a stay at home mom for several years prior. I was staring at the face of divorce and the need to return to the workforce. With a small amount of past work history, I looked for a position that supported my experience and accepted a position as an Executive Assistant to a Financial Advisor. I quickly learned that I could not continue in a role like this. It was neither financially adequate nor challenging enough for me. I needed to move up…and quickly. With the minimal amount of experience the position had given me, I accepted an administrative role on a team at a large financial brokerage firm. I was highly under qualified, but I was confident that I could add value to the team. As time passed, I continued to grow and worked for months preparing to further my career by obtaining my General Securities Representative License.  I take pride in passing the Series 7 exam as well as the Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination (Series 63). This accomplishment took my career to the next level. I accepted a position at a new firm and I have continued to grow and learn.

I was determined to create a life for myself and my children and worked diligently each day as I demonstrated I could handle my new position. I have a strong desire to show my three boys what determined work ethic looks like. It was at that point that I saw the value of setting goals. Every year since then I have taken the time to write down my annual goals and have come farther than I ever thought I could. I worked tirelessly to move from a 900 square foot apartment to purchasing my own home. I struggled to provide my children with necessities, and now I’m able to offer them a life I’m very proud of. I remarried in July of 2008, and I am grateful for my husband, a man who supports my aspirations and my children as if they were his own. I progressed in a relatively short time from entry level positions to being a valuable part of a thriving team at a large brokerage firm. I am proud of this journey and how it has shaped me.

Even after achieving the aforementioned, I found myself at another impasse. My role on my team has limitations, I found myself not realizing my full potential, and discovered my lack of passion for the financial industry. As I contemplated options for my future, I felt trapped by not having a college degree. That was it, my next goal! In February 2014, I enrolled in an online University with the intention of obtaining my Bachelor’s degree to expand my career options as I continued to work full time. As I began the program, the classes were exciting, and I was able to move along in the process at a much faster pace than I had anticipated. Suddenly my long time desire to be an attorney didn’t seem out of reach. I quickly began to wonder, could law school be my next attainable goal?

I was rejuvenated at the realization that this could be possible. I began my research to see if my dream could become a reality. I created a timeline and the steps to get from that day to the end goal of being an attorney. I did a cost calculator to evaluate my investment compared to my anticipated return. I met with several attorneys that were at different stages in their career to help give me a realistic picture of what to expect. After this enlightening time, I knew that this was right for me and my next move, my next goal and my next dream realized. Intention is the starting point of every dream and I intend to help people in the most challenging times of their lives as an attorney.

My journey that is often reserved for people much younger than myself has been a true adventure of experiences, enlightenment, and excitement. I’m grateful for each turn along the way as they have helped mold me into a determined, resourceful and motivated person with a clarity of purpose and intention.