Dream about your success only if you can work towards achieving it
This is a slightly longish post, meant for three kinds of people...
- Those who made it:
Wanted to congratulate all of you who made it to the final list of SBI PO. Really overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who did it from here. You made us proud. Really excited! Wish you guys all the very best in life. And pardon me if I couldn't respond individually to some of your messages. All our good wishes are there with you. Stay blessed! Help your friends here if you can find some time...
- Those who narrowly missed:
My heart goes out to all those who missed it narrowly this time, and there seem to be so many like that. But isn't that bound to happen in an exam as competitive as this one? Don't worry! Next time it will be your turn. The only thing you should remember now is that you were so very close to making it. You regret it and that’s alright, but that also should remind you that you are still so far ahead of the competition. Just take some time off from your routine studies, contemplate, and figure out if there's something that you could have done differently to get a few more marks.
Enough mourning! Get ready to strike back with vengeance now. And yes, remember what Rocky Balboa says, "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you got to be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!”
- Those who still have some ground to cover:
So many of you have been asking me in the last couple of days about the strategy to crack the exam. And, frankly, I am at a loss for words, because of the sheer innocence with which the question is asked. There is no strategy really that I can give you in a couple of lines, or in a couple of paragraphs even. It's a process, works differently for different people. I get astonished when I see "the experts" writing extensive and extremely prescriptive strategies, work plans and schedules with such meticulousness even a cardiac surgeon won't show after opening the heart of a 70-year-old. It doesn't work like that. You, only you yourself can figure out what's going to work for you. Others can help, but don't look for spoon-feeding. And yes, one thing is certain. If you don't plan well, don't intend to apply yourself, keep looking for just toppers' shortcuts, or not prepared to work hard, even Donald Trump cannot help you.
You are smart, gifted people. Get up and get going. If your friends here can do it, so can you. But remember what Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” We are all very different intrinsically. Identify your strengths and make the most of them. Identify your weaknesses and try to fix them to some extent at least. That will be enough most of the times.
One last thing! This is the YouTube playlist people keep discussing about here. If you are new to this preparation or are completely disillusioned now, you don't know what to do, start from the first session. Do it like real classes (we don't run shows), follow the advice, work hard, and give it your best shot. We have nothing else to share with you in terms of inputs. And believe me this is all what you need to know. Beyond this, it's just your hard work that's going to pay off...
Don't just dream about success, work for it!