Whatever is my destiny, that will happen.
But what I will place my neck on the line for; what I will climb vertical glaciers for; what I will push for till my last iota of strength; what I will die to make myself eligible for; what I will get lost in the depths of Shraddha for; what I will ultra-ultra-ultra-sharpen my focus to the finest level possible for - this is what I have the power to control.
This one thing, for which I will fight right till the very very end; the one thing for which I will push till the ends of the world; the one thing for which I will go the depths of the ocean called focus; the one thing for which I shall concentrate sharper than the butcher's knife; the one thing for which I will get lost in the abyss of fervour;
This is the one thing for which I will work, never compromising, and ever steadfast.
O Lord, Father mine, I offer this to you - all that I do in my pursuit, I will do in an equanimous manner, considering it as your work. Bless me with your grace, such that this effort might take place to the most consecrated level possible. Let it be your work, and mine. Whatever your Will be, so shall the outcome be. Yet, let your kind grace move me ahead in my work, filling me with ardour, zeal and the strength to say no to those things which ought to be rejected, and the determination to keep moving forward at all times, and to never let go even when all seems lost. Kind Father, thou art the way, the light and the truth. Place me ever by your side, teaching me to trust your will, and your omniscient knowledge. I believe that whatever is your will, is for my best good. Father, let your Grace be with me.
This one thing which I have spoken about, is this - an AIEEE rank of below 1000. Wether I will get there or not, the Lord alone will decide. But that I will even pass through hell to make myself eligible 100% for my goal - this, is decided. With your grace, Father.
---
There seems to be a great importance given to a balanced diet, regular exercise and workouts, and consistency in work.
I shall pay utmost importance to these factors.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
What will I need ?
From what I've deduced till now, I will majorly require two things - Focus and Stamina.
With focus, comes knowledge. With Stamina, comes an ability to concentrate at a razor sharp level for prolonged periods of time.
How can I build these two?
Focus - Withdraw yourself into yourself. Lose a sense of everything else - forget about everything - your friends, any movies, or outings, or anything else. Just forget about Everything else. Just forget it. Start musing in the depths of solitude; Deep within yourself, away from all the bustling sounds and activities of everyday's mundane life, you live, lost in the depths of your focus.
Stamina - A balanced diet, a good workout schedule, and studying with the aim of building stamina. Try to concentrate to your fullest possible overall. Exert yourself to the required level. Push yourself. This is the way you will actually push your abilities. Concentrate at a level of 80% while u study. All the time you study. There is no average-formulation in this. 80%, at all times. Increase the time you study as much as you can. As a rule, extend the average time, every 1-2 weeks, by about 1/2 an hour to 1 hour. Use your discretion, and proactivity.
Meditation: I will meditate 4 times a day, for 15 minutes at a time. During this time, I will exert myself to a concentration level of 100%. Every nerve-cell, every particulate element of my brain - Everything, should be concentrated on my breath. Everything. A 100% exertion.
I will also spend 10 minutes in Prayer, every single day, during the evenings.
I will aim to wake up by 5 AM every single day, and kick-start my day with the workout. After that I will jump into my studies.
Also, I will try my best to sit at the table while I study.
Astalavista'.
From what I've deduced till now, I will majorly require two things - Focus and Stamina.
With focus, comes knowledge. With Stamina, comes an ability to concentrate at a razor sharp level for prolonged periods of time.
How can I build these two?
Focus - Withdraw yourself into yourself. Lose a sense of everything else - forget about everything - your friends, any movies, or outings, or anything else. Just forget about Everything else. Just forget it. Start musing in the depths of solitude; Deep within yourself, away from all the bustling sounds and activities of everyday's mundane life, you live, lost in the depths of your focus.
Stamina - A balanced diet, a good workout schedule, and studying with the aim of building stamina. Try to concentrate to your fullest possible overall. Exert yourself to the required level. Push yourself. This is the way you will actually push your abilities. Concentrate at a level of 80% while u study. All the time you study. There is no average-formulation in this. 80%, at all times. Increase the time you study as much as you can. As a rule, extend the average time, every 1-2 weeks, by about 1/2 an hour to 1 hour. Use your discretion, and proactivity.
Meditation: I will meditate 4 times a day, for 15 minutes at a time. During this time, I will exert myself to a concentration level of 100%. Every nerve-cell, every particulate element of my brain - Everything, should be concentrated on my breath. Everything. A 100% exertion.
I will also spend 10 minutes in Prayer, every single day, during the evenings.
I will aim to wake up by 5 AM every single day, and kick-start my day with the workout. After that I will jump into my studies.
Also, I will try my best to sit at the table while I study.
Astalavista'.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Adjusting my Focus.
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.
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.
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?
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