Yesterday something strange happened and I wanted to share this with you.
A student called me after his NEET PG results . His rank was abysmal and he was determined to CRACK NEETPG in the next attempt . Not to mention that he already had dropped 1 Year after his internship.
As usual I asked for his plan.
And his plan included studying for 10-12 Hrs a day with 1 MCQ Review Book per subject and revising and everything that seemed perfect.
Then I asked my second question. How is this plan different from the plan he made after his last NEET PG attempt.
His reply was very intuitive. His Plan was exactly the same last year too but he could not follow it because of XYZ reasons. But this time it will be different and he will definitely work hard and clear NEET.
Well . Does this not happen to all of us ??
After exams or results we are very “high” on motivation and plan seemingly perfect plans . But there is only one problem. We are never able to execute our plans.
Is there a problem with us ?
Or is there a problem with the plan ?
I will take you through my experience of 16 Years on this Topic
Well there has been several psychological studies concluding that we tend to overestimate our capabilities and underestimate the challenges.
And hence when we are planning we are not planning we are actually making plans which are very difficult for us to follow even for the BEST VERSION of ourselves.
And Hence we are POISED for absolute failure right from the Planning stage itself.
Now Here is something which I have found not only very Practical but also very useful.
Start SLOW –
Lower your STANDARDS.
Dont Set the Bar so high that for yourselves that you find it difficult to reach it. In fact set the bar so low that you are able to achieve it easily and the feeling of completion and achievement will give you substantial KICK to keep you positively motivated and moving forward.
Remember in PG entrance its the MOMENTUM that matters.
Which means that it is of no use if you study 12 Hrs for 3 consecutive days and then are frustrated and under pressure in next 2-3 days with almost ZERO productivity.
So Here is a SIMPLE RULE.
If you Feel you can study for 12 Hrs then plan your day for only 6 Hrs.
If you feel you can study for 4 Hrs then Plan only for 2 Hrs
If you feel you can revise 1 Entire chapter in 1 Hrs then allot 2 Hrs and break the Entire chapter into 4-6 Smaller parts each no more than 20-25 Minutes.
I know the very obvious doubt in your mind. You will feel that already the time for PG preparation and even after studying for 12 Hrs you are not able to complete the syllabus then how the HELL can you think of even getting near to completion by studying 6 Hrs a day.
Now this is most important aspect you need to understand.
Any Competitive Exam is a Psychological Game. No number of Hrs can guarantee success if you are not in complete mental control of the Game.
So Here is what happens You plan for 12 Hrs . You Finish 8 Hrs You feel Like a LOSER (Mentally Exhausted)
You plan for 6 Hrs you complete 6 Hrs feel awesome like a winner and soon without realizing you will even start doing 2 More hrs (Equal to 8 Hrs and you feel the winner). Even if you do not do those extra 2 Hrs still the feeling of completion and in control is what is going to keep you charged up.
So – Start SLOW . Lower Your Standards.
I would really like to know if you agree with me or nor or you have something to add.