Lenn Chongloi, CEO, TECHKNOWLOGIZ
For all of us, it is not just important but imperative to realize that there is a genius/ personal power with in us which can make us do things beyond the realm of possibility for most people. Most do not discover that the mind is powerful and limitless - capable of achieving the unthinkable feat and overcoming hurdles which for layman falls under domain of called the "impossible". The possibility of expanding the mental capability or leveraging the mental horizon is limitless. The assumption that the mind is inelastic and limited is not always true. But only a few fortunate minds discover its limitless capability.

Genius of the ilk of Einstein is said to have used only 10% of his brain, think of the possibility of leveraging the rest 90%. And if you are among the few to have already found the mind to be otherwise from the general conception of the mind having fixed limit or capacity! You are fortunate, for those who haven’t; this article could help you see the mind in a different light! For starters, I would suggest you set an impossible target of reading book (DD BASU constitution of India or one of your course books) in one day flat! 16 hours nonstop reading! Sounds crazy but experiences and research findings shows it’s possible and many have done it! Exams, such as the one’s in top B schools’ such as IIMS & FMS etc , leave most students with little or no time for preparation, at most they hardly get a day to complete preparation for a course paper, still most come out good in their exams. Be adventurous enough to try something you have never thought possible or do a new thing to kindle your hidden ipower.

Now, let us explore how mental capabilities extend to limitlessness. Some exams really test your mental capabilities and once you break the barrier and come out successful leaves you confident of breaking the mental barrier again and again; something akin to breaking the gravitational pull when an astronaut leaving for space experienced. If you have a positive attitude and think “I CAN”; sure enough, you are already on your way to accomplish what you once feel was an impossible task. And having gone through this process of learning, you gain an insight into the hidden mind power and learn a trick or two on effective and efficient learning methods! In other words its means you learn more in less time. Let me try to put in place a few necessary external drivers that enable one to reach a threshold level of mental performance.
. A very demanding situation say an exam – the stakes
are high, failure would mean irreparable loss of reputation
or career.
. The WILL to make it or Will to succeed
. An environment conducive, otherwise create supportive or enabling environments
. Adequate rest to renew or refresh your mind and body, for example Catnaps in between study since you will need to study for a longer stretch
. Set goals & target higher than previous achieved goals, but make it SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound! This period of high mental performance has been a phenomenon most students and learners experience; however, to sustain that level of peak level of performance in normal situation is difficult. But somehow if researchers could find a way to attain perpetual high level of mental alertness and capacity that student experience during exams when they are capable of absorbing, learning, retaining at the faster pace under the influence of external drivers above in contrast to learning rates under normal times when most students finds it difficult to go through a chapter and retained the same; the way we learn and civilization itself would make a quantum leap. Under trying circumstance students have even completed a whole book! And sportsmen have been reported to raise the level of performance on the D-day or a finale. Think about it. Some attribute it to rising hormone levels or simply inspiration - the will to achieve. Findings from a research project in human psychology have shown most persons use less than 10% of his brain in his lifetime. Genius of the like of Einstein used a little more than 10%. The crux of the matter is how much percentage of the brain you and I use.

Observations on people under trying circumstance shows that unused parts of the brain gets activated and unharness potential finds an outlet which enable persons to overcome obstacles and mental barrier previously felt. Of course, a little luck and the Omnipotent God’s help counts a lot more than we realized. Therefore, prayer for the devoted and concentration techniques used by skeptics have help a lot many to regain and remain focused towards the goal and trudge through the arduous journey with hope and positive attitude and eventually make the seemingly impossible, possible. So, cross your fingers and a say a little prayer, it wouldn’t hurt you.

Analyzing why we limit our mental capabilities and set a limit to what is possible and what is not could possibly stem out from our prior experiences and observations; and the formal ways of learning. Criticism on our present formal rigid mode of learning also called formal education have killed the thinking man instead it has become an industrial machine churning out identical clones with similar thought patterns and ways of life only fit for industrial set ups or the matrix world with structures we know today. Most students are made to go through formal courses in pursuit of specialization, which has resulted in lost of their freedom to pursue their interest and attain the potential within! Blindly following the formal forms of learning could lead to loss of the indomitable spirit of “I CAN” which we believe is the basic ingredient in one’s success in life. Some prefer to call the “I Can spirit” as CONFIDENCE powered by inspiration. We urge student still pursuing their studies to think on what’s the problem they want to solve and choose their area of specialization or course with that in mind; and for once, try out divergent and creative thinking! For all of you who would be sitting for the competitive exams such as Mains 2010, TECH Chapaz Resource Team extends our best wishes. Some tried and tested tips listed below could be valuable in your preparation for the exam and especially for those who have very less time for preparations, forget your worries and try
this for better results.
1. Scan contents, main meanings
2. Know the terms/glossary
3. Always study actively what can it do for me (Valuedadd service)
4. Make brief notes on important points
5. Read through summary n think on what you read! (for eleventh hr. students)
And more …. Be an ACTIVE LEARNER! find your own techniques, it’s a unique way – the “Do” as in
Taekwon –do- … you own unique self-discovered approach combined with learning style incorporating
some of the tried and tested methodology.