Test tip
February is almost behind us. Time for a break from the GMAT grind. Have a really big delta between where you are scoring and where you want to be? Time to re-evaluate.
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Here are some questions worth asking:
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* What wins have I had, both big and small?
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* Which ones added the biggest benefit to my progress?
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* What was a waste of my resources?
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* How can these be categorized and, thus, condensed down to a handful of key areas?
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* What are some measurable ways I can make progress in each of these areas in the next 3 months?
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Application tip
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Quick Q&A - MBA interview round
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What are your thoughts around how to respond to the question of "What other schools are you applying to? Do I go the vague route of "other top ten schools mostly on the northeast" or do I actually answer honestly?
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A: List the few chosen schools that are valuable enough to leave a great company and fast track experience. No need to say all the schools if some are "safety" schools . . . but you should already know my thoughts on applying to safety schools (hint: don't!).
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Confession.
I have a confession, I enjoy testing theories quickly - I'm not super concerned about stability - especially mine. Some may call that a good trait, others find it discombobulating. Since it is wildly impractical to start a ton of small companies and manage every detail in parallel . . . I turn to the Universal Paperclip game to feed my need.
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Wishful thinking.
How much does wishful thinking help?
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Whether you're mid-MBA or thinking about Graduate School, you may let your mind wander to dreams of greatness post Masters program....
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Life is better, work is cooler, you know all rainbows, sunshine and stuff.
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But is indulging in future fantasy helpful?
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Believe or not, someone studied that. For all the talk about inducing positive fantasies to carry you to success, turns out the science points in a different direction. Positive fantasies allow people to mentally indulge in a desired future.
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Whereas previous research found that spontaneously generated positive fantasies about the future predict poor achievement, we examined the effect of experimentally induced positive fantasies about the future. The present four experiments identify low energy, measured by physiological and behavioral indicators, as a mechanism by which positive fantasies translate into poor achievement.
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Induced positive fantasies resulted in less energy than fantasies that questioned the desired future (Study 1), negative fantasies (Study 2), or neutral fantasies (Study 3). Additionally, positive fantasies yielded a larger decrease in energy when they pertained to a more rather than a less pressing need (Study 4). Results indicate that one reason positive fantasies predict poor achievement is because they do not generate energy to pursue the desired future. No matter what that insta feed says, science says no-go.
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In brief, the more you fantasize about something you "need" the more likely you will have poor achievement in that area, and if you must fantasize, consider questioning the desired outcome.
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