Do you apply lessons you learned playing sports to your work in law?
This month in the ABA Journal, legal writing expert Bryan Garner talks about the golf instruction he received as a youth by Harvey Penick—author of Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book Lessons And Teachings From A Lifetime In Golf.
Penick “was the gentlest imaginable coach, always saying, ‘Why don’t you try this?’ or ‘Why don’t you try that?’” Garner writes. “I often use Penick’s approach in my teaching of legal writing. To litigators who draft pleadings, I’ll say: ‘Why don’t you try saying coolly and calmly on the first page why you should win?’ Then I’ll add: ‘Please omit any implication that your adversary is a dunderhead or a wretch. Just use the logic of your argument.’”
So this week, we’d like to ask you: Do you apply lessons you learned playing sports to your work in law? Do you, like Garner, take cues from the skillful approach of a onetime coach? Did you learn to not be overwhelmed by high-pressure situations? Have you become adept at taking care of yourself to maximize performance—or adept at managing time to balance your training with your work?
Answer in the comments.
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