I read an article this morning that resonated with me.  It was odd, because it was about a University of Michigan sports coach. As a dedicated Spartan, that's not always easy to reconcile. 

Michigan's softball team lost in the College World Series, and there was understandable disappointment.  I thought coach Carol Hutchins message, though, was spot on: 

“One thing I learned after the national championship, it definitely doesn’t define you,” she said. “If winning defines you, you’re not focused on the right things. I’m defined by all the women that I’ve been able to help grow up and who have impacted my life equally. I define myself by that.

“We’ve won a lot of games here, we’ve lost a lot of games here. It’s a sport. We do the best we can every day.”

Yes. You can't control who you play.  You control how you prepare, and how you try, and how you care.  Sometimes, you can control how you play, but not always who you play against or the tools you have at your disposal.

This is true as a lawyer, too.  You may have bad facts. Or a bad client. Or a whole host of other hurdles. On a bad day (hopefully) you may go up against someone who is just better than you. You can control how you prepare, how hard you work, and how much you care.  The rest, is out of your hands.  

You can't let winning define your worth. If you do, there's a good chance you will underestimate your value when you lose. And overestimate it when you win. A little perspective goes a long way, and odds are, with perspective, as long as you sustain your effort, you have a better chance at winning more often.