I'm writing this post to help me determine and adjust my focus so that I can move ahead and accelerate to great speeds on the journey to my goal.
This is my goal - Securing an All India Rank of below 1000 in AIEEE, 2008.
To do this, I plan on completing my portions completely by Mid-February (say around 20th maybe).
There are 35 chapters in Mathematics. My strategy for Mathematics will be mainly to just focus on devouring the chapters, one after the other. There is no approximate time-limit or anything set for a chapter, or a set of chapters. I'm confident that I'll complete the whole thing, 100%, by the stipulated target.
The most scoring subject is Chemistry, where my aim will be to get 95% of the questions in the examination correct. This will greatly depend on my knowledge and strength in Organic Chemistry and knowing the overall theory perfectly. So this means I'll plan on first devouring the whole NCERT text book one chapter after the other, including organic chemistry; but I'll concentrate far higher on the organic part in both the NCERT and Modern Abc text books. As for solving the objectives, I will use either the Page Material or find a book for it. As soon as I do find the book, I'll update you guys. But overall, theory seems to have a great importance.
The Physics part of the exam will be the part which will require maximum concentration. It will put the exam-taker's concentration levels to a great test. For physics, I'm most likely going to read theory from the NCERT text books for 1 hour everyday, and solve the objectives from Ladiwala and the Page Material. I'm looking at a practical scoring aim of 75% of the problems in Physics.
This is the plan. I'll record my results in this week and update you guys.
I'm looking at kick-starting this journey off with 7 days with a minimum of 6 hours each on an average, and if possible 8 hours towards the end of the week. I'm looking at touching an average of 10 hours a day for November and 14 hours a day for December, and maintain 14 hours thru Jan and Mid-feb.
Astlavista.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Goals -
From now on, these are my goals.
Academic:
- Score 2250+ on the SAT Reasoning Test
- Secure <1900 All India, in AIEEE and thereby get a seat in IIIT, Hyderabad.
Health:
- Develop an allround diet and fitness regime
- Follow the diet and fitness regime, and feel the energy flow
- Develop an excellent posture and great fitness
Mental:
- Get to a level where I can meditate for 1.5 hrs at a stretch, in 6 months
- Maintain a level of focus and concentration
Academic:
- Score 2250+ on the SAT Reasoning Test
- Secure <1900 All India, in AIEEE and thereby get a seat in IIIT, Hyderabad.
Health:
- Develop an allround diet and fitness regime
- Follow the diet and fitness regime, and feel the energy flow
- Develop an excellent posture and great fitness
Mental:
- Get to a level where I can meditate for 1.5 hrs at a stretch, in 6 months
- Maintain a level of focus and concentration
Sunday, September 16, 2007
A physical ascent to focus.
A physical ascent to focus.
How is it, that one develops this immense focus that defines a person? How can a person grow to a level of focus and then further reach the levels of SuperFocus? How can one immerse oneself into his work intensely?
Certain things seem to enhance the growth and sustainment of focus(not just basic, but even higher levels of focus). These include a constant dwelling on the objects of focus, a largely physical lack of mental interruptions, an inbuilt response-system in your head which prevents mental distractions, and a tremendous drive which grows with time. The drive isn't necessarily intense right in the beginning. It grows and grows proportionally to its exercise. It is not an instantaneous drive that we speak of, but a sustained 24-long drive. A drive which drives you, all the time. The way braces work for our teeth - applying a latent pressure in the direction of duty. It moves you at every instant, pushing you towards your goal, inch by inch. It grows and grows. It is a drive which starts to define you. It doesn't cease to exist when the immediate or final goal is reached, but continues and becomes a part of your lifestyle.
One is to support his growing focus with action. This is the water, this is its food. Your focus thrives on action. Give it the nutrients of your action, and its sustainment gets accelerated. It strengthens, and grows. Action seems to be the primary, life-sustaining elixir for your focus. Action, Action, Action. Act on your work. Mechanically start the engine of your creativity. The work shall flow, and along with it, so shall you.
A lack of interruptions is necessary for a continued state of flow. A complete physical isolation, though achievable, is pretty difficult to maintain for long periods of time. Some physical distractions are bound to come, unless you have the stellar opportunity of complete physical isolation. But the more major and important thing, is a lack of mental interruptions. And what is the best way to prevent those mental interruptions? By remaining lost in your work for longer and longer hours, so that the mindset of concentration on the task in right in front of you, and at hand, grows and spreads into your whole day. Condition your mind to think solely about the destination and the path. Nothing else. It by-default rejects the creation of any other thoughts.
Calm yourself. Quieten yourself.
Quiet.
How is it, that one develops this immense focus that defines a person? How can a person grow to a level of focus and then further reach the levels of SuperFocus? How can one immerse oneself into his work intensely?
Certain things seem to enhance the growth and sustainment of focus(not just basic, but even higher levels of focus). These include a constant dwelling on the objects of focus, a largely physical lack of mental interruptions, an inbuilt response-system in your head which prevents mental distractions, and a tremendous drive which grows with time. The drive isn't necessarily intense right in the beginning. It grows and grows proportionally to its exercise. It is not an instantaneous drive that we speak of, but a sustained 24-long drive. A drive which drives you, all the time. The way braces work for our teeth - applying a latent pressure in the direction of duty. It moves you at every instant, pushing you towards your goal, inch by inch. It grows and grows. It is a drive which starts to define you. It doesn't cease to exist when the immediate or final goal is reached, but continues and becomes a part of your lifestyle.
One is to support his growing focus with action. This is the water, this is its food. Your focus thrives on action. Give it the nutrients of your action, and its sustainment gets accelerated. It strengthens, and grows. Action seems to be the primary, life-sustaining elixir for your focus. Action, Action, Action. Act on your work. Mechanically start the engine of your creativity. The work shall flow, and along with it, so shall you.
A lack of interruptions is necessary for a continued state of flow. A complete physical isolation, though achievable, is pretty difficult to maintain for long periods of time. Some physical distractions are bound to come, unless you have the stellar opportunity of complete physical isolation. But the more major and important thing, is a lack of mental interruptions. And what is the best way to prevent those mental interruptions? By remaining lost in your work for longer and longer hours, so that the mindset of concentration on the task in right in front of you, and at hand, grows and spreads into your whole day. Condition your mind to think solely about the destination and the path. Nothing else. It by-default rejects the creation of any other thoughts.
Calm yourself. Quieten yourself.
Quiet.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Focus
Focus.
What is this one word, which makes me lost in a world of deep thought? What does it mean, in essence? How do we get to that level of focus, and then to the desired levels of Super-focus?
What are the ascents and descents?
Focus seems to be a concentration - a latent, constant, mental, physical concentration on what you want to focus on. A state of constant concentration on the destination, and the path. A concentration that is pretty hard to even initiate in the beginning, but one which adds more and more strength to you. Focus seems to be a state of mind. A state of mind in which every there is no scope for any decision which causes you to act outside your field of duty. It seems to overrule everything that hinders speed on the path to the destination.
It seems to be sustained by growing periods of intense concentration. It grows and grows, and then the continuous concentration power increases. You immerse yourself in your work, and relax only for the sake of relaxation - in order to give your mind and body the rest they need. Every time a distraction comes, you immerse yourself in your work more deeply. You push deeper and deeper, into the quietude of the depths of your mind.
To delve deep into the calm, undisturbed, intense depths of focus; to remain in the light, transparent, revitalizing water; and to delve deeper and deeper - this seems to be the state that strongly pulls me towards itself. Lost in your work, you become one with the Present - losing all sense, except the task in front of you. You become more and more intensely focussed and further strengthen your concentration and focus.
In racing games like 'Nfs: Most Wanted', there's a certain thing called the "Nitro" boost. Your car emits a blast of nitrous oxide, which gives you rocketing speed. Instantaneously. And in your period of nitrous boost, your surroundings blur. You're moving ahead in such levels of speed, that the objects at the side of the road - the trees, the buildings, the cars, the telephone booths; literally everything - blurs. You can see something similar to a time-drag. As if the inertia of those objects holds them back even as they get pulled by your tremendous speed. I don't know if you're a gamer, and if you know at all, about Nfs. But there' is a striking similarity between a sustained state of focus, and the scenario I just described. In fact, to me, both things are the same. While in a state of sustained focus, you're the car. Everything around you are the objects around the road. The road is the path of action and duty. So when you're immersed in your work so intensely, you lose sense of everything around the path. Everything else loses its clarity. Solely the path, and your destination. Everything else is a blurred vision, not worthy of your full attention, or even partial attention.
It is these intense levels of focus that are really worth being called levels of focus. Rest all is imagining that you're focussing.
SuperFocus. A word that I use to describe the highest levels of focus. SuperFocus.
To describe SuperFocus, SuperFocus is a sustained level of intense focus, for extremely long periods of time. Your levels of focus are so high, that your time of intense focus encroaches into eveything else. Your focus, becomes like a 'Yajna'. In the literal sense, it means "religious sacrifice", but in the way I understand it, 'Yajna' is like a consecration of all actions - every single one, done as an offering to the Divine. SuperFocus, in my view, doesn't go to such high levels when the destination is a physical goal. Yet, if the goal is a manifold one, it manifests in beautiful ways.
At the moment, since I am concerned only with the physical goal aspect of SuperFocus, I would like to write about that. I shall write about the physical aspect of SuperFocus in my next post.
Till then, Sayonara. :-)
What is this one word, which makes me lost in a world of deep thought? What does it mean, in essence? How do we get to that level of focus, and then to the desired levels of Super-focus?
What are the ascents and descents?
Focus seems to be a concentration - a latent, constant, mental, physical concentration on what you want to focus on. A state of constant concentration on the destination, and the path. A concentration that is pretty hard to even initiate in the beginning, but one which adds more and more strength to you. Focus seems to be a state of mind. A state of mind in which every there is no scope for any decision which causes you to act outside your field of duty. It seems to overrule everything that hinders speed on the path to the destination.
It seems to be sustained by growing periods of intense concentration. It grows and grows, and then the continuous concentration power increases. You immerse yourself in your work, and relax only for the sake of relaxation - in order to give your mind and body the rest they need. Every time a distraction comes, you immerse yourself in your work more deeply. You push deeper and deeper, into the quietude of the depths of your mind.
To delve deep into the calm, undisturbed, intense depths of focus; to remain in the light, transparent, revitalizing water; and to delve deeper and deeper - this seems to be the state that strongly pulls me towards itself. Lost in your work, you become one with the Present - losing all sense, except the task in front of you. You become more and more intensely focussed and further strengthen your concentration and focus.
In racing games like 'Nfs: Most Wanted', there's a certain thing called the "Nitro" boost. Your car emits a blast of nitrous oxide, which gives you rocketing speed. Instantaneously. And in your period of nitrous boost, your surroundings blur. You're moving ahead in such levels of speed, that the objects at the side of the road - the trees, the buildings, the cars, the telephone booths; literally everything - blurs. You can see something similar to a time-drag. As if the inertia of those objects holds them back even as they get pulled by your tremendous speed. I don't know if you're a gamer, and if you know at all, about Nfs. But there' is a striking similarity between a sustained state of focus, and the scenario I just described. In fact, to me, both things are the same. While in a state of sustained focus, you're the car. Everything around you are the objects around the road. The road is the path of action and duty. So when you're immersed in your work so intensely, you lose sense of everything around the path. Everything else loses its clarity. Solely the path, and your destination. Everything else is a blurred vision, not worthy of your full attention, or even partial attention.
It is these intense levels of focus that are really worth being called levels of focus. Rest all is imagining that you're focussing.
SuperFocus. A word that I use to describe the highest levels of focus. SuperFocus.
To describe SuperFocus, SuperFocus is a sustained level of intense focus, for extremely long periods of time. Your levels of focus are so high, that your time of intense focus encroaches into eveything else. Your focus, becomes like a 'Yajna'. In the literal sense, it means "religious sacrifice", but in the way I understand it, 'Yajna' is like a consecration of all actions - every single one, done as an offering to the Divine. SuperFocus, in my view, doesn't go to such high levels when the destination is a physical goal. Yet, if the goal is a manifold one, it manifests in beautiful ways.
At the moment, since I am concerned only with the physical goal aspect of SuperFocus, I would like to write about that. I shall write about the physical aspect of SuperFocus in my next post.
Till then, Sayonara. :-)
Thursday, September 13, 2007
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
When the going gets tough.......the tough get going....!
This is the truth that time has proven again and again. In fact, the situations getting immensely hard to handle, are a sign of your internal hardness. The more testing circumstances become, the more strong you become within.
For any great thing to be done on this earth, there is always resistance. A tremendous amount of resistance usually. TRemendous. But then, what great deed was done, without overcoming herculean opposition?
This is the truth that time has proven again and again. In fact, the situations getting immensely hard to handle, are a sign of your internal hardness. The more testing circumstances become, the more strong you become within.
For any great thing to be done on this earth, there is always resistance. A tremendous amount of resistance usually. TRemendous. But then, what great deed was done, without overcoming herculean opposition?
Gonna be posting every single day frm now on.
Hey All!
Frm now on, I'll be posting on this blog every sIngle day. Everyday. May not be what u guys may expect as such, but i will definitely write everyday. Hehe.
I know this is a lamely small post in length, but dunt worry, i'll keep building on that level onto higher avenues. :)
Study Well Everyone.
Luvv ya'!
Tata fr now. :D
Frm now on, I'll be posting on this blog every sIngle day. Everyday. May not be what u guys may expect as such, but i will definitely write everyday. Hehe.
I know this is a lamely small post in length, but dunt worry, i'll keep building on that level onto higher avenues. :)
Study Well Everyone.
Luvv ya'!
Tata fr now. :D
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Some Changes;
Today, in the wake of new realisations, and a forward & zero-based thinking, I've decided on some things to do, and some things to not do.
It seems verily, that I must enter into some "sacred blocks" of time, sometimes extending even upto 6-7 hours at a shot. Concentration seems to be a major requirement. So when I'm channeling myself into one of these "sacred blocks" of time, I guess I become close to inaccessible.
My phone has become a major menace to me - sometimes trying to disrupt my focus, and further irritating me with its horrible keypad. =D So I've decided to give it some rest for a few months. Bills seem to rocket sky-high. That also is a concern. So the newest trend in the world of Aditya is to either keep the phone switched off, or on silent the whole day, and respond only to family calls (which are a way of tracking me, which i hate, lol) or extremely urgent calls.
I usually am online almost close to 24/7. But I guess that is about to change. I'm gonna be online approximately for 1 hour everyday if my time and mood permit, and in all probability, the whole day on sundays.
Earlier, I had planned on becoming a biphasic sleeper, and was adapting pretty well, except that this stupid cold came along. So now the new rule is, wake up at 6. If ur intensely sleepy, sleep. try to sleep after 1:30 or so. thats it. need-based. completely. Sleep whenever u need to in the night. and so on. but then i guess i will most likely take a nap almost everyday in the night.
Another thing i've found a little bugging is my fitness levels. I've decided to embark on a walk every single day, first thing in the morning when i get up, for like 45 mins. :-) I guess that should act like a nice stimulant for the whole day. :)
Lots of water, some nice juice, and stuff too would enhance the overall quality of the day! Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. Light meals overall, nice rehydration - super cool..! B-)
I'd even train myself to sit with my back completely straight and upright, to walk with my shoulders unsagged, and learn to put weight on my heels instead of my toes while walking. Excellent! :D
In the evenings, a nice dose of meditation for half an hour should also be awesome. Some meditation to improve concentration, to relax my mind, to keep me going. :-) Awesome! :D Apart from this, I guess I'll add my mp3 player with the soothing songs which i love, like the Fur Elise, or some songs from Guru, Yanni, Beethoven, and some carnatic Krithis! :)
Wowie. ;D I luvvv this. ;D
Nice blocks of uninterrupted, happy study time to focus 100% of my grey matter, nice relaxation in the evening, my muscles nicely stretched out and exercised in the morning, and an awesome diet which includes lots of juices. Awwwwwsssuummmmm!!!! ;D
It seems verily, that I must enter into some "sacred blocks" of time, sometimes extending even upto 6-7 hours at a shot. Concentration seems to be a major requirement. So when I'm channeling myself into one of these "sacred blocks" of time, I guess I become close to inaccessible.
My phone has become a major menace to me - sometimes trying to disrupt my focus, and further irritating me with its horrible keypad. =D So I've decided to give it some rest for a few months. Bills seem to rocket sky-high. That also is a concern. So the newest trend in the world of Aditya is to either keep the phone switched off, or on silent the whole day, and respond only to family calls (which are a way of tracking me, which i hate, lol) or extremely urgent calls.
I usually am online almost close to 24/7. But I guess that is about to change. I'm gonna be online approximately for 1 hour everyday if my time and mood permit, and in all probability, the whole day on sundays.
Earlier, I had planned on becoming a biphasic sleeper, and was adapting pretty well, except that this stupid cold came along. So now the new rule is, wake up at 6. If ur intensely sleepy, sleep. try to sleep after 1:30 or so. thats it. need-based. completely. Sleep whenever u need to in the night. and so on. but then i guess i will most likely take a nap almost everyday in the night.
Another thing i've found a little bugging is my fitness levels. I've decided to embark on a walk every single day, first thing in the morning when i get up, for like 45 mins. :-) I guess that should act like a nice stimulant for the whole day. :)
Lots of water, some nice juice, and stuff too would enhance the overall quality of the day! Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. Light meals overall, nice rehydration - super cool..! B-)
I'd even train myself to sit with my back completely straight and upright, to walk with my shoulders unsagged, and learn to put weight on my heels instead of my toes while walking. Excellent! :D
In the evenings, a nice dose of meditation for half an hour should also be awesome. Some meditation to improve concentration, to relax my mind, to keep me going. :-) Awesome! :D Apart from this, I guess I'll add my mp3 player with the soothing songs which i love, like the Fur Elise, or some songs from Guru, Yanni, Beethoven, and some carnatic Krithis! :)
Wowie. ;D I luvvv this. ;D
Nice blocks of uninterrupted, happy study time to focus 100% of my grey matter, nice relaxation in the evening, my muscles nicely stretched out and exercised in the morning, and an awesome diet which includes lots of juices. Awwwwwsssuummmmm!!!! ;D
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