Imagine you are just starting to figure out the best way to prepare for CAT, with just over a month to go for CAT2023. Maybe you’ve just joined the best CAT coaching institute, or you feel you haven’t made much progress so far even if you began your CAT preparation classes some time ago. So, in your mind, you are just beginning now and you have a mountain to climb in just over a month’s time. Or a marathon to run, perhaps?
Think similarly even if you are a CAT2024 aspirant. Just that you’ve got months instead of weeks to plan for and make use of.
Imagine you need to run that 42.2 kms in a few weeks (months for CAT2024 aspirants) from now. And that you haven’t run even a km for a while (if you’ve ever run that). How do you start? What will be your plan? How do you get better at it?
Competition makes you feel low?
Do you see a few people who are already completing the marathon equivalent, a few more who can run the half-marathon today, and quite a few who can trot over 10 kms, even more, who can run over 5 kms and so on – get the drift? Those ahead of you are bogging you down and you feel you would be panting in a mere 500 meters. How would you even get to 42.2 kms, let alone do well in it?
You are not alone!
If you feel that way – welcome to the club of 1000s of others who do, and some of whom will not only crack the CAT but also make it to the Top IIMs. I know so many guys and girls just like you every year who just feel stuck in their quest to prepare for CAT around this time and still nail it. And you probably have a start already. The one factor common to such CAT aspirants is their cool approach, their trust in themselves and the daily process of marathon prep – Oops, CAT Prep!
Make big challenges smaller
When you look at huge challenges, the trick invariably lies in percentages and time spent. Even if you start small, but stay at it daily, and ensure some percentage increase on most days, you will get there.
Let’s look at it quantitatively. Even if you begin running 1km now and ensure a 10% increase in the distance you run for every day, in how many (working) days would you get to 42.2 kms? Take a guess before you work it out.
Hint: It’s a 2-digit number 🙂
80? Naah!
60? No!
50? No, but getting closer.
It is 40! Well, 39 if you push yourself just a little extra on the 39th day.
And you would then have a lot of time to improve your timing too.
Well begun is half-done!
The numbers are just to depict a possibility. It would probably happen faster if you get the first 20 odd days right. Think why!!
The important thing to focus upon is that even if you are ‘effectively’ starting now, and keep ensuring some improvement daily, you have a shot as good as anyone else at cracking the CAT. And again, the first 20 days (ie next 20 starting today) could help you make it a great shot!
About the author: Deekshant has sleep-walked through several 100 and 99.9 %iles in practically every section of the CAT. That he is a cricket fan and he writes okay is evident from most of his posts. 1000s of our students swear that he can motivate almost anyone to double his/her percentile through very simple yet powerful inputs. And that’s why every MBAGuru student has direct access to him via mail and Telegram. Oddly, he somehow also finds the time to write songs professionally. And yes … almost missed this … he is an alumnus of IIT Delhi & IIM Cal 