How To Keep Yourself Motivated For CAT

Exam hain, toh stress hain - and no matter how on-track you’re, the stress only builds up as the dates close in. There is really no way to avoid it but a little motivation can do just the trick. Here’s a comprehensive list (more like a compilation) of songs, articles, cell-phone apps, TED talks and videos that you can consume for that extra dose of motivation.  

These songs have known to inspire the very spirit in anyone who wants to achieve a goal. While your goal (of getting a 99%ile in CAT) is pretty different from what Rocky Balboa or Karan Shergill were aiming for, nonetheless their struggle and the songs written to bring that out will do you good. In no time you’ll find yourself humming the tune and repeating the lyrics. All said and done, music can be one of the best breaks you can take, especially when you’re drowning in quant.
 

• Eye Of The Tiger
• Remember The Name
• Lakshya
• Zinda
• Titanium

There is a TED talk for everything. Some of them will really call out to you as a student who’s prepping for (what probably is) the most important examination in your career. We’ve put together a list of 4 TED talks among the many that could interest you and help you focus on your goal. This TED talk by Arianna Huffington talks about how a good night’s sleep is correlated with your success. Yes, this video basically tells you to get a good nap even while prepping for CAT. She is the co-founder and former editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post and has authored 13 books. Huffington says that “the way to a more productive, more inspired, more joyful life is getting enough sleep”.

John Doerr has a simple funda - set your goals right. In his TED talk, he speaks about OKR which is short for Objectives and Key Results. He talks about objectives, which is basically stuff you want to accomplish and the key results are how you want to get things done. This according to Doerr is the secret to success.

The Daniel Levitin one is the most needed for us folks. Being a neuroscientist, Daniel knows a lot about how the brain behaves under stress. He talks about cortisol which increases your heart rate and eventually clouds your thinking. His solution to stress: Prospective Hindsight or otherwise known as pre-mortem. Watch this TED talk to figure out how to keep your cool even in the most stressful of situations.

Carol Dweck is a psychologist and a pioneering researcher in the field of motivation. She has given several talks on why people succeed and why they don’t, and she has also written a book called ‘Mindset’ which talks about motivation and ‘growth mindset’. In her TED talk, Carol talks about how it is more important to believe that you can improve your abilities than just believe in your abilities. It is what she calls the growth mindset which lets you perceive failures and setbacks as a part of the learning process.  

Following the TED talks is a commencement speech from Steve Jobs when he addressed Stanford University’ graduating batch of 2005. He speaks to his listeners with great humility and tells them three stories from his life and how they came to define his perception about life and work. He also talks about how things look completely different when seen 10 years down the line which may have not made any sense if you had thought about when you had to make the decision.   

Now, let’s talk about Headspace. This mobile app should be your daily morning routine. You can never go wrong with meditation, but with our attention and focus problems meditating can be quite difficult. To help you with this, here is an app that will schedule your daily sessions to a time you’re most convenient with and once you’ve settled down in your seat, all you need to do is close your eyes and follow the instructions in Andy Puddicombe.

You can also check out this article for the must-watch movies & web series for MBA aspirants and students.

So brace yourself! CAT is just around the corner! Bookmark this article and come back to it everytime you are in the need of that little motivation. Or perhaps, a reason to go on with your prep!   Other Sources Of Motivation -

1. 70%ile To 99+%ile In The VA Section In 60 Days – An Engineer’s Journey
2. On Being A GEM, 3-Year Journey To XLRI, And Yoda
3. SEAL Your Future – How To Prepare For CAT Like The Special Forces
4. 5 Ways To Stay Motivated For CAT And Other MBA Entrance Exams
5. What To Do When You Feel Pre-CAT Jitters? – Tips By An IIM Student