A dear friend of mine from college and I always had the discussion as to what determines success ! Is it all hard work? a specific methodology of working a time bound achievement of small targets? What is it? We finally concluded that success determines success! Meaning you could have done the same things and even better than the ones who succeeded and failed. Others success becomes guide to your success or failure.
I remember telling him that since I started preparing for UPSC from my IIT days – if I didn’t qualify – people would say “what an idiot, he gave so much time still didn’t qualify”. In case I did qualify the same people would say “obviously he had to qualify .. he was so focused and clear of his goals so early in his college life.”.
If your name comes in the list each and everything you have done becomes the right way for many others. If you did not read newspapers and qualified, some aspirants will take cue from that – your schedule will become their schedule, your test series becomes the best in town etc. So a request to all the Winners; be mindful of this. It never helps when an aspirant comes to you and you tell him “ Bhai mera toh aise hi ho gaya.“
Be honest and tell him the long hours you put into work, how your strong motivation helped you go on among other things. Blogs of toppers like Gaurav Agarwal have seriously helped a lot of people, let service begin from home and let it go first to our brethren caught in the mayanagari of UPSC !
For the Learners ( yes you are a learner, not a loser ) , understand there are many variables that go in this exam. Maybe the same work will get you in next year, maybe not. Be brutally honest with yourself and go back to the drawing board. I was reading the autobiography of Sir Alex Ferguson and a line really stuck with me “We didn’t lose the game, we just ran out of time”. Have confidence in your abilities. Luck and time shall be back on your side . Do everything you want to apart from giving up. I assure you this when in services you shall meet some of the most motivated and brilliant individuals who are out there seeking change. Work hard to be a part of your batch – an IAS 2017 batch , an IRS 2018 or IRTS or IPS what you may like. Jannat hamesha marne ke baad hi milti hai, a name in the list awaits for those who pass through these arduous cycles of preparation – of hope and failure !
I came to know this was the last week of Interviews and that took me in a flashback to last year. There are very few friends who actually live the journey with you. In those uncertain times I had a friend who spent more time on forumias than myself to make sure I knew the latest updates and discussions, he cross checked that I submitted all the forms and that my medical was all clear. Spoke with me for hours at times to calm me down. Those hard days in Old Rajinder Nagar and Patel Nagar really brought out the best in my friends, I sincerely hope it does for you as well. .
