(This article of mine has been published in examsatoz website)
Lets see two cases:
Case 1: Oh god .Syllabus is huge. To memorise syllabus itself takes one week.Forget about completing entire syllabus.Posts are limited and lakhs compete.Can I do this?.This is not my cup of tea. Lets leave this idea of cracking exam .Let me try other exams
Case 2: Syllabus is very interesting. It covers geography, history, polity ,Economy, current issues etc. Preparing for this exam gives me an immense opportunity to learn many interesting things. Let me enjoy this preparation. Even though lakhs compete ,I have my own strengths.So If I give my best I will succeed.
Now lets analyse two cases:In both cases exam is same. Syllabus is same .Competition is same.What differs case 1 from two is their MINDSET.
Yes Our mind is our bestfriend if we tame it Or else it is going to be our worst enemy.Many experts say that- Winning our own mind is the biggest battle one can win in their life.
Yes everyone says all these. But how to change mindset and prepare is the biggest challenge. Ofcourse its not so easy. It needs some time, effort and patience. Like how we train our muscles to be physically fit we need to train our mind to be mentally strong. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand.
Following are some mental hacks you can apply to bring your mind under your control and make your studies more interesting:
1.ENJOY THE PROCESS:
Don’t feel studying as burden. Instead enjoy knowing more things. Just this small change will have huge impact.
Once you have entered this competitive field ,you have to study .There is no other way. Then why not make studying interesting.So enjoy the process.
2.KNOW YOUR WHY?
If your why is strong then you will get more energy and motivation to study. For instance: You want to work in govt sector for the sake of money, status etc.This motivation lasts for limited time. But if you want to work in govt sector to serve the society then it will motivate you more until u reach your goal
3.MEDITATION
This is age old technique which helps us to bring our kapicitta ( monkey mind) under control .Yes many studies have proven that mind chattering reduces and our focus increases with meditation. It is not a rocket science.Beginners can start with simple guided meditation (so many are available in internet).Doing daily for 15-20min will bring remarkable change in your thoughts.
4.PHYSICAL FITNESS:
Umpteen number of studies have proven that doing any physical activity every day will increase your happy harmones and improve your confidence levels.
U need not train like virat kohli, u can do simple yoga, jogging ,walking etc .We also learn to push ourselves out of our comfortzone.
5.A DAILY ROUTINE:
Having a daily routine ( some timetable and targets) will make you more organized and productive. Make realistic targets and timetable. Study in small chunks. ( 1-2 hr slot at stretch and 10min break is more productive than studying 4-5 hrs at stretch)
Also reward yourself everytime you complete targets. This gives you more motivation.
6. TEST SERIES : When you are unable to make timetable and stick to it, dont worry. You have other alternative too. Better join testseries. This helps you to complete given syllabus in given time and you can test yourself. U can also rectify your mistakes.
7.PEER GROUP:
You can form some small study groups (3-4 serious candidates are enough) . You can keep group targets and do discussions too.
And dont worry if you dont have any peer group .You can solve MCQs online, practice online answer writing in any digital platforms ( Our site also provides them)
8. STAY MOTIVATED:
You can watch toppers success stories or any motivational videos online.
Teamfearless ,telugu geeks are some good youtube channels which gives you good dosage of vitamin-M(Motivation)
If you apply all these principles sincerely you can do Wonders in your life. All the very best for your journey.
Be positive. Stay focussed.
Deepika 