08 May 2023
Have you ever stopped to think how much of our lives depend on how we perform in a relatively short time? Academic exams, driving tests, and job interviews are all potentially significant events that last an hour, maybe two.
Once you’ve considered that, then consider how much of an impact what you achieve in that small amount of time can have on your future: University placement, qualification, earnings, home, mortgage, motivation, personal happiness, family life, better car. The potential impact is endless.
If you consider the potential outcomes of what you have to achieve in a limited time, and the fantastic results that achievement can have on your life, then you’ll think carefully about what you need to do in that hour or so.
No matter how stressful those events feel and how much it feels like you cannot see the other side of them, you will come out the other side one way or another, and you have to ask yourself how you want to come out the other side. Do you want to emerge victorious, knowing you have achieved the best result you possibly could have, or are you prepared to not live up to your potential on this occasion and perhaps regret it later?
If you’re faced with a situation that can significantly affect your life, then take the time to prepare. Putting in the hard work beforehand will give you the best chance of success, whether that means studying for an upcoming exam or preparing for a job interview. It may feel like it is only the hour or two that matters, but you can equip yourself with a better chance of success by doing what you can to stack the deck in your favour beforehand.
When you get to that vital hour or two, you will know how much work you have done to prepare. If you haven’t prepared to win, you must be prepared to lose. That can be hard to hear but it is true. A win and a loss can look different to individuals, though, and this is something that is worth remembering.
If you have a natural aptitude for mathematics, you may find a win easier to come by, and it may look different from a win for another student. Your success may be getting an A in your maths exam, their victory may be passing maths at all, as that is what they need to do to get into their chosen university course.
Everything in life is subjective, with no one route to success, and as long as you give yourself the best possible chance of walking away with a win, that is the best that any of us can do. Design your life how you want to and prepare hard for anything important to you, whether that is an exam, a job interview or a marriage proposal. Make the time that you have count and try to never let yourself down through lack of effort.
