All of us have been in the lockdown for more than two months now. The experiences of every students these days are similar. They have been seeing the same people 24 hours a day for weeks at a time. This mirrors our current reality during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live your life like an officer: Get into a “Mission mindset”. Your mission is to get into the Armed Forces as an Officer. Common themes such as routine (get up early), sticking to a timetable, exercise, and hobby (getting in some quiet time) must be incorporated for assured success.
- It is important to separate between personal and study area. Our crew quarters are where we would sleep and put our personal effects. It is important not to return there until you go to sleep. The lines of demarcation are essential. Study only in a space or designate a few places in your house that is for studies. Change the place you were studying every two hours. Find your connection to nature through the windows every hour by taking break of 5 minutes.
- There are many distractions. Keep your phone on silent mode and switch on data only twice a day for short period.
- Get up at the same time every day and follow a routine. Shower get dressed and start your day. This is a physiological signal to your body that you are pivoting to do studies.
- While studying, the days can get very long. Your timetable and the variety of subjects will keep the focus to the goal. Make it a competition to do better each day.
- Keep some time for hobby/leisure when you can clear your brain - think, just sit, listen to music. Find your stress relief. Mine is exercise for fitness.
- Confidence is key, but not overconfidence. Do not let fear and doubt creep in.
- It has been said that time is money. That proverb understates the case. Time is a great deal more than money. If you have time, you can obtain money-usually. But…you cannot buy yourself a minute more time. You have to live on these 24 hours of time. It’s right use…is a matter of the highest urgency.
- I strongly encourage you to pursue your dreams, does not matter even if you fail. When we listen to the regrets of the elderly and dying, they invariably lament on what they neglected to do, not what they did. It is, however, the trying which matters, the journey which fulfils us.