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Pushing away habits.
By late February we've often pushed aside resolutions and new habits that just wouldn't stick. That's not bad. It's more productive to push away a habit that you aren't really going to make stick rather than give it half-hearted effort.
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Beware the tendency to over-analyze your schedule to cram in a new habit. I've certainly tried to over the years, but micromanaging my calendar is harder than it needs to be and misses the point.
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When stressed or constrained, you will devolve to the level of your systems and processes. So build better systems and processes!
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Nick Metzler coded his time in 15min segments for an entire year. It's an instructive read.
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Test tip
GMAT TIP - It bears repeating, apply round 1 unless you have a super compelling reason to apply Round 3. But if you are the right person for a particular school, don't hesitate to apply in Round 3.
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Thinking about throwing a Hail Mary for Round 3?
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Seriously, why would you do that?
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It means you aren't clear that business school is right for you, you're running away from something (bad job), or that you have been rejected elsewhere. It's really bad optics.
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Are you downgrading your dreams? If you've been rejected in rounds 1 and 2, be honest with yourself about why.
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You may need to do different work before you go back to school - in order to be a good candidate. Or you may need to retake the GMAT (after 4 tries, stop. Just stop.). Or ??? It isn't worth the effort to apply when you haven't understood the reasons for rejection. Dig into that first.
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Application tip
Wondering about your GMAT score?
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- Search Prepwise.com for your specific scaled scores (such as Q45 V38), I've answered thousands of individual student requests. High likelihood you'll find your score breakdown.
- Be aware that your weakest scaled score determines the top score you can obtain. For example, if either scaled score is below 35, you cannot get above 700 no matter how perfect your other scaled score is. Your weak link determines your score.
- Plan to do study sprints rather than drag the process over 9 months. A study sprint might mean 4 hours a day for 3 weeks or 2 hours a day M-F with 8 hours on S.
- Give yourself one day a week away from the books.
- Exercise and eat well. Staying physically active helps your brain process and recover. Give yourself a good (daily) sweat. It doesn't take hours at the gym. A 20 minute interval workout or calisthenics get the job done efficiently. Even more crunched, do some jumping jacks. Heart rate up, good. Now get back to work!
- Focus on GMAC materials when you use practice questions and practice tests. The GMAC writes the GMAT. I recommend GMATprep software and Question Pack 1 - they change the names of these things from time to time and they bury them on the site so ... You are looking for the free mba.com (2) tests software and QP1 is $30 with 400 "never before released" GMAT questions. Never before 2011 that is.
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What matters to you?
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February is almost closed. When I get bogged down in day-to-day stuff, I try to step back in order to ask myself, "Am I doing what I'll wish I had been doing a year from now?" What matters to you? Remember, Well Done is often better than Well Said.
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is far too common and easily avoided. The student who can reflect, come up lacking, but still move forward will never fail permanently.
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