Leave no room for a back-up
“Ever since I was a kid, I wanted a white Ambassador car with a laal batti on it. There are daily instances which make me realize that the world out there needs me. For example; my domestic help has a lot of problems related to things like ration card, aadhar card. She has to go to the bank and do things herself because her husband is an alcoholic and does nothing, that is when I realized that how important it is for these people to have an easy access to the government services because this is the unorganized sector. I also realized that if you want to help someone, you need to have the capacity to help someone.This is what keeps me motivated.
It is quite challenging for me to live a restricted life away from home, all alone with no roommates. There are times when I don’t even want to step out of the house or talk to anyone. Those are the times when I ask myself about what I want in life, and why am I putting in so much effort, After coming this far, why make all the effort go in vain. Why not just do it already. Preparation has driven me to a point where I have become a loner. I enjoy solitude more because I think nobody will understand the amount of pressure I feel.
Until last year, I always thought of a back-up before the exam. Seeing myself fail in something I always wanted to do, the fear of getting self-disappointed would creep in. That was the reason I used to focus on Plan B more because I used to feel that if this time I fail, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. But this year I realized that I am focussing on Plan B and getting scared of Plan A and there is nothing worse than being scared of your own dream. I was watching Batman the other day, and there is a scene in the movie where Christian Bale has to climb up a well and there is a person who tells him that as long as you keep holding that rope, you will keep falling and will not be able to make that jump, because you are afraid. So this year I do not have a plan B.”
Top Tips
1) You have to plan your own schedule: If you think that there are coaching institutes out there which can provide you with a schedule and set things in order, they won’t. You have to sit down, be strict with yourself. You will start to see small little changes in yourself every day which will keep you motivated.
2) You do not have to be too harsh on yourself. Being strict and being harsh are two different things. Do not grill yourself for not being able to do something because ultimately, you should have absolute faith in yourself.
3) We are all young, we have friends, some may have relationships and other personal issues in life, but we need to strike a balance between personal life and career because, at the end of the day, all your friends will have a life of their own. Nothing comes above academics.
4) Always have one stress buster; for me, it is hitting the gym. I work out for one and half hours to get recharged. You need to understand that you have to be exclusive for yourself first, then you have an entire lifetime for whatever you want to do.
— Neha Chandna | UPSC Aspirant | Delhi
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