The beginning of the middle

Settling in and finding your race pace

2024 May

As we enter the month of May, we enter the time of year where the challenge really begins and our resilience, grit and determination are tested. If we are going to achieve the goals we set in January, we will need to rely on more than enthusiasm and an infusion of new years’ motivation. That excitement and energy was used to get us to this point, but it carries us no further now. The beauty and grace of spring, with its renewal, rebirth and regeneration has also passed, although it gave us an extra push forward. We are now in the “beginning of the middle” of the year. This is a long six-month period from spring through summer where we settle in toward achieving our goals. It’s the time for steady, consistent effort before we enter “Q4” and can draw upon mantras like “finish strong.” Enter running metaphor.

There’s running

When I was in college, I took up distance running. Initially, I did it to lose weight and gain self-confidence. After all, the competition at Pepperdine University in Malibu was stiff and I needed to look my best. To my satisfaction, running delivered what it promised. I successfully lost fifty pounds and looked and felt great. Actually, it delivered far more than initially advertised. It became an outlet for me not only to sweat, burn calories, and get some fresh air, sunshine, and vitamin D, it also became a way for me to clear my mind, solve problems, challenge myself and grow. Most importantly, running taught me how to develop staying power. You see, in the weight room at the gym you can turn on your favorite song, hype yourself up, and perform 10 quick repetitions of bench presses while you’re in the moment and hyped. Running a marathon, however, requires a completely different mindset. There’s no such thing as running a hyped marathon. It doesn’t exist. There’s just simply not enough norepinephrine in the body to deliver three or four continuous hours of adrenaline.

…And there’s running a marathon

Having previously completed a few triathlons at the sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman distances, I decided to sign up for a full marathon. It was an ambitious goal for me, but it seemed achievable. And so, it began. I trained in Malibu, running along Pacific Coast Highway and the lesser-traveled Old Malibu Road. Initially, I would run down off campus along Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu Seafood and back – about five miles roundtrip. Eventually, I was able to run to Geoffrey’s Restaurant and back – about eight miles roundtrip. As I continued training, my runs extended further until eventually I was running to Zuma Beach and back – about 15 miles roundtrip. Through it all, I learned how to settle into my own pace, get comfortable being uncomfortable, and endure the mental suffering that can accompany long runs, tired legs and sore feet. I learned about “going out too strong” and not preparing enough before a run with hydration or food. And I learned to balance rest and recovery against pushing for more gains through additional training sessions. All of which are lessons that can be applied to other life pursuits and our careers.

Go Big: At the beginning of the middle

So, what’s the application? The moral of the story is simply this: At the beginning of the year, OCTLA set an ambitious goal to “Go Big.” The mantra was simple and memorable. We put specificity to this goal with a three-part agenda laid out at our January Installation and Awards Ceremony. We set out to: 1) increase commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, 2) increase jury trial experience, and 3) put the right people into public office.

We got off to a great start. And now, we’ve settled in and are finding our race pace. We are taking consistent steps to increase our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. For example, beyond just creating a diversity statement, we have put words into action. We had an all-female panel at our April MCLE seminar on CTAPP compliance; we co-sponsored the Annual Judicial Reception with the Orange County Asian American Bar Association (OCAABA) in April and we are co-sponsoring the Orange County Bar Association’s (OCBA) annual Summer Social on June 6th. Similarly, our members have been in trial often this year, battling large corporations and insurance companies, and the large law firms they hire. They continue to secure justice for our clients and fight for what’s right one trial at a time. Finally, we are executing our plan to put the right people in public office. Many of the consumer-friendly candidates we have supported have made it through the primaries and now prepare for the general election in November.

As we enter the “beginning of the middle” of the year, let us settle in, find a pace that’s maintainable and exert consistent effort toward achieving our goals.