A POOL OF SMALL WINS

look at some sentences that can be cliche to you 

बूँद-बूँद से घड़ा भरता है

बस-कि दुश्वार है हर काम का आसाँ होना

आदमी को भी मुयस्सर नहीं इंसाँ होना

धीरे-धीरे रे मना, धीरे सब कुछ होय । 

माली सींचे सौ घड़ा, ऋतु आए फल होय ॥

चले तो कट ही जाएगा सफ़र आहिस्ता आहिस्ता

its not the tough path you have to follow rather 

it is the right path you have to follow, 

but sometimes we confuse tough path as the right path

slow and steady wins the race....

look at these sentences and derive the meaning you want to.

want to achieve something big in life 

what to do , how to do 

the world tells you to so do rigorous work , be a tougher one and what not 

but here is the life boat that i get after thinking and wasting my mental health energy and time and even having anxiety for not fulfilling that social parameter of hustling 24*7

choose small targets , make sure to complete them , make this as habit over a long period of time , increase this very slowly slowly 

and how you choose small targets ..by choosing a target ...giving time to complete it ... failing to complete it...rise again ..set target again ...try again and try once more 

but here is the question that keeps in your head 

is there any guarantee to this method ? why to choose this ? 

There is no guarantee of anything that will work in future time . literally nothing. 

So why to choose this ?

because for doing something for a long period of time to achieve something ...you need patience not speed

everyday comes with its own challenges and you expect yourself to be always 100%

on everyday there is some or other challenge...just trying everyday even after failing so much ...gives confidence and peace. peace as such that you have done at least something ...it provides me hope . and this sense is what keeps you going over a longer period of time and that leads to compounding and that why it matters.

afterall, i dont have any proof till now ...its a shot in dark but this shot aligns myself . it doesnt give me unnecessary mental, emotional turbulence and headaches . the other methods dont align myself and give me mental turbulences and headaches.

Now let's talk about the tougher way 

You have your own easy method but upsc cse is tough and it needs tougher way, not the easy way then answer some questions 

: is tough way guarantee it ? 

No , but I think so ...do I have any own proof ...no then atleast this simple way gives me hope .

: tough way does not suit me right now ...I will get tough eventually or may be not...I don't know 

: maybe I don't have enough brain or mental strength for cse with this tough way...upsc only done with the tough way not the easy way? 

I don't know until I try cse with my simpler method.

: so why to choose this easy method... because it atleast give me hope and peace that I completed today targets and could clear upsc cse ...it gives me hope that cse is matter of time ...if not today then tomorrow, if not cse then other jobs ...but atleast I will land somewhere because efforts never go in vain.

So at the end I don't know which way work for me but atleast something gives me hope,  which is good for me as...hope is that life boat.

There is a thought that lingers me everytime

 

I don't give my best today with this simpler method 

...first of all what do you mean by best ...

For me best is when I get tired both physically and mentally after my day ends by studying.

...

But the actual scene is it's not one day thing...it's a long process... sustainable betterment and "ultimately being best at time when you need it utmost "is the key. 

Another thought that keeps persisted 

What is enough, how to decide how much target is enough to fulfill in the day, where to draw the line of how much to do ? With this upsc cse ?

Let me answer it by a dialogue from movie 

धंधा कोई छोटा बड़ा नहीं होता और धंधे से बड़ा कोई धर्म नहीं होता

Same goes for 

कोई टारगेट छोटा बड़ा नहीं होता और टारगेट से बड़ा कोई इच्छा नहीं होती 

So the answer is first of all there is no shame in small target ...even it's doesn't matter if it small or big...small and big are both relative bro...what maybe small to you, maybe big for someone else or vice versa

And how to decide whether I give enough time to study or not i.e. how to decide the target...even how small it is or big it is 

The criteria must be that I should be sane , mentally healthy and most importantly happy after completing my target and even possess mental strength for the next day to carry on ...as I said I don't have to best today rather I have to be best on the utmost time .

Because at the end of day, upsc cse is merely a job, less and more. job is important...doing job is necessary...if not cse then something other... don't be mad for cse ...even the job is important in life...the most important thing in life is life itself...being best at academic still a criteria...but the ultimate criteria of life is sanity, mental health and happiness....so rather than focusing too much on targets...don't let them ruin your life. 

Another thought that persists is 

I felt like loser due to small targets...

Bro...loser is the one who ran away from battlefield...you are not loser bhai, you are warrior against adversity...and all this is small or big dilemma does not matter until you are there and fighting...even iota for it. Embrace your fight.

This is core philosophical part but still I have something to do to manage this feeling of loser or failure...

Whenever such thought persists, test yourself...give a mock test, write some questions of mock test... practice some previous year questions ...and see where are you right now ...and try again and again ...

There is a lie that all the world keeps telling and that is upsc clearing people study 24 by 7.

I can counter it on many levels 

First of all, what they conclude about that person is always post success in exam...never before the exam. its human bias in the finest form...people tend to see the person differently after the success in exam ...that's why people say...tu badal gya h ...but in reality the thing that changes is how they see that person before and after the  exam.

Secondly...I can count and remind myself many,many and many persons who don't study 24 by 7 and still clear it ...they even watch movies, series and anime and even had relationships...even some of those whom I know personally also...

Thirdly, the person who qualified exam tend to focus more on quality rather than quantity...so it's not feasible for any person to study 24 by 7 and give always quality...it's not humanely possible...

And at end ...there are 1000 people selected every year with having different approaches...so trust yourself and go ahead with your way.

 

And a genuine life advice regarding study, 

Life is not a single event...as today I'm writing this, while being in hospital for my mother's aid.

You could pass any exam and still fail in life, there is no need to think that only 1 thing decides your whole life...there are many things in life. One single thing can be important in your life but it can't be solely important in your life.So don't get attached to one single thing that decides your whole life...for a good life , you have to adopt muti stakeholders approach in your life.

But bro of you can't attach to one thing, how could you clear cse ?

By attaching to it softly, by taking it a little seriously, taking it lightly but still taking it...there are many things in life...there is constant hustle of life itself and you have to work on something despite these hustle and hardships...and that done through easy way, little efforts, trying to do things but not that seriously always... 

That's why pratyush pandey said that he never get so much free time for upsc cse and he still clears it.

ये daily वाला struggle चलता रहेगा but cse bhi chalta रहेगा...कभी slow कभी तेज... कभी setbacks...और फिर से कपड़े झटकार कर फिर से चालू ।

Rise once again !!

It's something like ... हल्का हाथ रखना है लेकिन रखे रखना जरूर है 

That's why it is said that ... बूंद बूंद से घड़ा भरता है

 

and leave everything that left up to god...its all their choice.

Thus, set a bare minimum Target in a day, try to complete it, if after completing it, you want to study more, you think you can study more for today ...then study and that's bonus ...but remember bare minimum Target of daily...

And if for some day, you don't have mood to study...even don't have  iota of mood to study. ..then don't study and leave things up to God and relax 

And if you want to complete goals and study more ...don't complain about wasting time ...just study and don't waste time.

And if you want to relax...forget study and don't complain about study

Complain when you want to study, but can't somehow...but that's still okay...it's life and it's upto god choice.

# 

Is this okay ?

I'm 22 and I live in my house with 2min. Distance from library.

Even my family is too supportive from my childhood 

but 

Meri Zindagi main kuch na kuch chalta rehta h ...kabhi kuch toh kabhi kuch...uss sab ke beech main , main padta hun...kabhi kam kabhi zyada...but aaj tak koi perfect day nhi aaya h 

I saw people who just eat sleep study and repeat...even there are many topper who feel that they become just eat sleep study and repeat...and they have almost better days as they live like a saint...na kisi se koi matlab...bass padhai padhai padhai...

I don't know ...is this okay or am I lagging behind...iss sab ke bich mein bada pareshan rehta hun..ki main hi lag kar rha hun...baaki sab ka accha chal rha hai...and they will clear the exams and I will not...

# answer : it is okay  💯 

Forget time and study 

# have faith , and it will work 

there is one special message i want to give to myself, regarding it 

हर दिन ऐसा लगेगा की आज कुछ अधूरा छूट गया है 

पहली बात तो 80 % हो जाए काम काफी है 

दूसरी बात कुछ भी हो कैसा भी खराब दिन हो चाहे 10 मिनट ही पढ़ पाए तो पढ़ 

तीसरा बात ज्यादातर दिन ऐसे ही चलेंगे इसलिए कभी हिम्मत नहीं हारनी है, पढ़ना है तो चाहे थोड़ा पढ़ो पर पढ़ो 

और चौथी बात हफ्तों में खुद को मापो न की हर एक दिन । 

Rather than winning and seizing the whole day, try to do small wins , try to do 1 chapter on given time , do multiple small wins..and consistently it will compounds. Mean to say study target wise , not time wise.

If you don't have mood to study...just don't study...do something else...and if you got mood ...study in small targets .

# how to deal with fatigue, how to take breaks, how to deal with exhaustion and how to deal with loneliness and boredom during cse preparation 

  step 1 : accept it. don't postpone it...that i will look towars this thing after sometime... don't do this...and it will not get away automatically.

 step 2:  mix up things,  read something different , change subject, watch videos instaed of reading, or read instaed of watching, practice some pyq, see some mock test, practice some answer writing, read altogether different subject as maths. 

step 3: do not force yourself to study . its okay to not being perfect. plan your day with your capabilities not the ideal capabilities. 

step 4  : leave study for sometime, do other things as  walk, talk, eat something favourite, watch some movie, series ; don't bother for place of study as whether library or home ; catch up with some friends  , call someone, get small chores done, play some sports , play some music,get a scooty ride and sleep.

i can't work in targets.