Learnings from My Gap (Drop) Year | Part II
Right Metrics, Pragmatism and Routine.
Previous article in the series:
The enumeration continues from the preceding article.
4. Right Metrics
Have your own personal definition of success.
We all know everyone has a unique question paper in this exam called life. But when each one of us has a different paper, each one of needs different marking schemes too, no?
In any pursuit, it helps to have your own tangible definition of what success means to you. That’s all the more important because society would always tend to measure you by readily available metrics — scores on a specific test, your job level, the cars you own, etc.
I had quite clearly delineated what success in the drop year would mean for me. The mantra was simple, consistency over the end result — if I was happy with the average of all the mock test scores I got over the following year, that would be enough for me.
The final exam wasn’t that special to me. It was just another one in the string of tests I was scheduled to give that year. For me, the most important exam was always the next one — performing well in the next exam was all that mattered.
And of course, the year wasn’t a fairy-tale. There were ups and downs. Somewhere in the middle, I even got my lowest ever score in a mock test, a score so low it could have obliterated my self-confidence. But focussing on the yearly average really helped. I believe it’s a ridiculous idea to base your self-esteem on just a single day’s performance.
Define what success means to you, before others define it on your behalf.
5. Pragmatism
Idealism without pragmatism is downright ineffective.
For all the high motivational thinking, I could not hide away from the ground reality. After my first attempt at the examination, I knew, and knew for sure that my favourite subjects, mathematics and physics, would only get me so far. For any substantial improvement, I’d have to improve a lot in my most detested subject, Chemistry.
So, as much as I hated admitting it, the truth was plain and simple — dedicate time to studying Chemistry, or be ready for a similar score the next year. I can’t over emphasise how much I hated (and still do) the subject. I’d happily clean toilets rather than study Chemistry (provided I were paid the same for both).
But the realist in me quickly came to terms with the situation at hand – only Chemistry could fetch me a rank good enough to get a seat in Computer Science. And there was no looking back after that. I studied the subject like anything, by-hearting all the exceptions of exceptions of exceptions the dumb subject has to offer, solving the same mundane numerical problems over and over again till I could literally carry out the steps even in my sleep.
Studying chemistry so intimately was horrifying, to say the least. The only analogue I can think of is — being a straight guy, but being forced to watch gay porn on repeat every day. It’s not something you get used to over time. You hate it as much on the 100th day as you did on the first day.
But the bottom line is — it was absolutely worth it. Chemistry attributed to a whopping 85% of the additional marks I scored on the second attempt, an improvement sufficient enough to fetch me the required rank.
In life, some things just need to be get done with. No matter how much you hate that job, shut up and do it anyway.
6. Routine
A good routine frees up an enormous amount of time and space for you.
Now, I’m not going to preach as to why a routine is better than frequent randomisations. Choosing between the two is an individual’s choice, and there is no thumb rule. What I want to stress on, however, is the power of a well-planned routine.
While we often associate routine with boredom, restrictions and torture, it can be liberating in its own profound ways. Having fixed slots for sleep, food, study/work and recreation helps your mind and body stay attuned to your wishes effortlessly. Your body knows when to release which enzymes, and your brain knows exactly when you’ll demand the most out of it.
It’s only when you’ve got these basics running smoothly do you get the time and space for true creativity. As human beings, we are all subject to a basic circadian rhythm. The more we respect it, the easier life turns out to be.
Each day of my drop year was about following a set routine to the T. And I can confidently say it was anything but boring. It wasn’t the case that I was always super busy with one thing or the other, I did have my rest slots. It’s just that those rest slots were also planned to the T. If your routine is hectic, it probably won’t last long.
By enabling you to handle the mundane in autopilot mode, a good routine allows you to focus on the more important and interesting things, at your peak mental and physical prowess.
But as we all know, forging a routine is easier said than done. It requires a great deal of determination, focus and patience. And that is exactly what the next article in the series would be about, besides being my most personal article ever. Stay tuned!
Till then, take care and thanks for giving this a read!
