Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Cat Chronicles
The Cat Chronicles
1
The
CAT
Chronicles
sanemailfromamysteriousguycalledk
ehsihbatheemailcontainsthesocalleds
ecretstobeingabletodoingwellintheca
The CAT Chronicles
tandthesesecretsarenowforalltoshare
A journey into the last month of CAT
thesesimppleinsightshelptikudoextre
Abhishek
Thakore
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ecttimethoughherememberstosharet
hesamesecretsthatwerepassedontohi
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utofthisnowinsteadofreadingthisyou
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2
The CAT Chronicles
A
journey
in
the
last
month
of
CAT
Dedicated to
You
Version 1.0
E-‐Book
This
book
is
under
a
Creative
Commons
licence.
You
may
freely
distribute
this
book
for
non
commercial
purposes.
If
you
do
modify
it
or
make
derivative
works,
they
too
should
be
under
the
same
licence.
Preface
I’d love to write a long preface to this book but I will just get to the point.
The
entire
idea
of
‘gyaan’
is
that
it
needs
to
be
applied
for
results.
Else
its
just
a
sheer
waste
of
your
time.
And
that
time,
in
this
last
one
month
of
CAT
is
precious.
Thats it.
Abhishek Thakore
Mumbai
November 2009
Contents
Preface................................................................................................................................................... 3
Ch
1:
The
end......................................................................................................................................... 5
Ch
2:
The
checklist ................................................................................................................................. 6
Ch
3
:
The
Mail ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Ch
4
:
The
Chat....................................................................................................................................... 8
Ch
5
:
Take
what
applies ...................................................................................................................... 10
Ch
6
–
Its
not
only
in
the
head ............................................................................................................. 11
Ch
7
:
The
‘game’
changes
now ........................................................................................................... 12
Ch
8
:
Push
v/s
acceptance .................................................................................................................. 13
Ch
8
:
The
strategy
ahead .................................................................................................................... 14
Ch
9
:
On
the
day
tips........................................................................................................................... 16
Ch
10
:
You
can
do
it!........................................................................................................................... 17
Ch
11:
The
beginning ........................................................................................................................... 18
About
the
book.................................................................................................................................... 19
Epilogue ............................................................................................................................................... 20
The
Inner
Game
of
CAT.................................................................................................................... 20
About
Abhishek
Thakore ..................................................................................................................... 24
About
The
Learning
Company ............................................................................................................. 25
As
he
walked
out
of
the
exam
hall,
Tiku
gave
a
satisfying
look
back
at
the
center.
There
was
a
smile
on
his
face.
The
CAT
was
over
–
at
last!
The effort that he had put in for a long year had at last fructified. Life was good again.
‘Gotta pick up the mobile phone and call up Kutty’ he said
Moving
out
of
his
center
at
Jai
Hind,
he
started
to
walk
towards
his
favourite
marine
drive.
The
afternoon
sun
shone
mercilessly
on
the
stretch.
The
wind
was
cooling.
Phone unavailable.
He was on track to preparation – like any other typical student.
He
opened
his
journal
to
the
first
page
–
he
had
started
to
record
progress
only
after
Kehsihba
had
come
into
his
life.
Nov 1st
He
was
like
a
typical
student.
But
this
was
now
only
a
month
before
CAT
–
and
that
meant
that
he
needed
to
do
something
urgently
to
solve
these
issues!
But
he
was
doing
this
because
his
elder
sister
Aku
had
asked
him
to
do
it.
She
said
that
someone
called
Kehsihba
will
mail
him.
Ch 3 : The Mail
Dear Tiku,
This is Kehsihba. You don’t know me but I am related to you by a chain.
This
chain
is
a
chain
of
people
who
have
passed
on
some
very
important
ideas
to
each
other.
These
ideas
are
called
the
CAT
Chronicles.
I
am
a
first
year
student
at
IIM
Bangalore.
Did
my
commerce
at
NM
College
in
Mumbai
and
took
CAT
right
after
that.
It
was
almost
the
same
time
as
you
are
in
now...just
a
month
before
my
preparations...when
I
was
contacted
by
someone
by
the
name
of
Thakur.
He,
at
that
time
was
a
first
year
IIM
A
student.
And
he
too
found
me
through
a
strange
connection.
At that very critical stage he passed me what he called the CAT Chronicles.
Its a collection of very simple ideas – and yet they are as profound as they are simple.
Add me as a friend on Gtalk and we shall chat about this.
Cheers!
Keh
Ch 4 : The Chat
Keh : Hey hi Tikku, good to see you! So whats up?
Tiku
:
Prep
going
on.
But
before
anything
ahead,
tell
me
how
did
you
spot
me
–
or
rather
how
did
you
select
me
to
speak
about
the
CAT
Chronicles?
I
am
really
curious
to
know....
Keh
:
Heheh....actually
this
is
like
a
kind
of
a
tradition.
These
are
ideas
that
were
penned
down
years
ago
by
some
one
from
IIM
A.
It
is
rumoured
that
it
was
from
the
first
batch
of
IIM
A....I’d
like
to
believe
it
was
CK
Prahlad
who
wrote
these
in
his
days
there...
Keh
:
Well
ever
since
then,
these
ideas
have
been
passed.
There
is
nothing
new
or
exclusive
about
these
ideas.
Yet
the
way
they
are
expressed
in
the
Chronicles
is
unique.
And
every
year
they
are
passed
onto
someone
who
is
preparing
for
CAT....
Tiku : So how do you choose who that person is?
Keh
:
Well
the
way
it
is
instructed
in
the
Chronicles
–
you
acquaint
yourself
with
a
circle
of
people
who
are
taking
the
CAT
attempt.
Get
some
idea
about
them,
and
how
they
are
performing.
From
those,
pass
it
onto
any
one
person
who
your
gut
feel
points
out
to.
Tiku
:
Hmm....life
changing
secrets
hyped
as
‘Chronicles’
huh?
What
if
I
tell
you
that
I
don’t
need
them
–
either
ways
if
i
am
going
to
make
it
i
will
and
if
i
am
not
going
to
make
it
i
wont...
Keh
:
Sure,
suit
yourself.
I
am
forbidden
to
offer
it
to
anyone
else
–
so
if
it
doesn’t
get
passed
it
dies.
For
every
year
since
these
started
out
these
were
passed
–
and
were
graciously
accepted
too.
You
don’t
need
to
take
them
though.
But
remember
at
the
same
time
that
these
are
not
some
secret
formula
that
will
transform
you
overnight
into
a
CAT
champion.
In
fact
the
Chronicles
themselves
say
that
change
doesn’t
happen
overnight.
However what these will do is to help you – right now.
Keh
:
Yes.
A
month
before.
Thats
when
they
are
meant
to
be
passed
on.
Anything
earlier
doesn’t
work
and
anything
later
is
pointless
Tiku
:
So
why
create
this
hype
of
Chronicles
and
stuff?
Why
not
just
write
a
newspaper
article
and
get
done
with
it?
Keh
:
Maybe
because
CKP
believed
in
branding
and
exclusivity!
Well
seriously
speaking
these
ideas
do
not
resonate
with
everybody
–
coz
not
all
are
responsible
enough
to
handle
the
ideas
it
speaks
about.
You
are
totally
free
to
speak
about
these
ideas
to
others
–
knowledge
is
to
be
shared.
They
are
shared
as
chronicles
and
passed
on
to
someone
deserving
(or
who
I
believe
is
deserving!)
is
so
that
they
are
preserved
and
passed
on....
Tiku : Okay kewl I get it. So whats the deal now?
Keh
:
Nothing
much.
I
pass
you
the
Chronicles.
You
read
them.
You
apply
what
makes
sense
to
you.
You
discard
the
rest.
You
speak
to
people
about
it.
And
when
you
make
it
next
year
to
your
dream
business
school,
choose
a
worthy
suitor
and
pass
it
onto
him.
Tiku : Ah! So the secret formula to make it to IIM B?
Keh
:
Not
really!
Not
necessary
that
you
get
into
the
best
B
School
in
the
country...but
you
will
surely
get
into
what
you
truly
deserve
–
these
Chronicles
will
streamline
your
attempt
and
give
you
that
push
which
you
need.
I
believe
in
you.
And
hence
this
knowledge
is
yours
to
keep
Tiku
:
Hmmm...great!
So
that
makes
sense....I
have
made
a
list
of
my
issues
–
do
you
want
me
to
share
them
with
you?
Keh:
No
that
was
for
your
own
reference...
keep
it
with
you
and
see
how
these
chronicles
work
on
those
Tiku : Well thanks – so how will you pass it to me
Keh
:
I
will
send
it
to
you
by
email
–
as
an
attachment
with
a
password.
You
will
receive
the
password
by
SMS.
Tiku : well you are making it sound totally mumbo jumbo cryptic
Tiku
:
Great!
Keh
:
So
cool
then...stay
in
touch
by
email...and
apply
them!
Tiku
unzipped
the
attachment
he
received.
It
opened
into
multiple
word
documents.
He
opened
the
one
marked
01.doc
“As you come closer to CAT, the amount of advice thrown at you will increase...dramatically...
There
will
be
news
articles,
friends,
family
members,
teachers,
siblings,
b
school
grads
and
everyone
around....
And then your situation actually makes sure that you will try and act on each one of them.
Advice
however
is
quite
a
retrospective
insight.
People
do
what
they
do
and
then
try
to
provide
explanations
for
what
happened
–
that’s
what
advice
boils
down
to.
So
the
basic
idea
is
to
be
very
careful
with
what
you
apply.
If
you
keep
listening
to
and
trying
out
different
suggestions,
you
will
keep
swinging
like
a
pendulum.
By this time you should have had a fair idea of what works for you and what doesn’t.
And
what
works
for
you
will
not
be
a
long
list
–
it
will
only
be
one
or
two
things,
and
those
things
only
you
know.
Its
useful
to
read
‘topper
speak’
–
what
people
who
cracked
CAT
did.
But
what
they
did
worked
for
them.
Its
totally
not
necessary
that
it
should
work
for
you
at
all.
Its
like
this.
Someone
could
say
that
‘I
scratched
my
nose
with
my
left
hand
each
time
I
took
the
paper’.
The
cause
effect
relationship
may
appear
but
may
not
be
true
at
all.
Atleast,
you
scratching
your
nose
with
your
left
hand
will
not
work!
There
are
two
ways
you
can
try
to
understand
what
is
working
for
you
–
one
is
using
your
gut
feel.
Ask
yourself
what
you
feel
comfortable
with.
What
strategy
seems
to
be
working.
The other way is to go by data – look at your actual performance to understand what is happening.
Remember to filter all that you hear, see and read from the lens of common sense”
CAT is not what happens in your head alone. It is what happens in your gut.
The
motivation
for
CAT
will
keep
moving
–
it
will
keep
dwindling
and
rising.
But
what
will
retain
it
is
the
constant
desire
to
make
it
there.
If your motivation is fluctuating it only means that your vision for yourself is not clear.
Instead
of
beating
yourself
up,
try
and
find
out
why
your
motivation
has
dwindled.
Refocus
on
what
is
your
vision
for
yourself.
What
will
move
you?
What
will
move
you
to
wake
up
every
day
in
the
morning
with
an
unstoppable
desire
to
make
it
happen?
What
will
make
sure
that
you
are
at
the
best
of
your
performance
in
the
exam?
So also, be very careful of the emotions that you experience closer to CAT.
Jelously guard your brain, your psyche from negative and unwanted emotions.
No
fights
with
girlfriend
/
boyfriend.
No
arguments
with
friends.
No
disturbing
movies.
No
irritating
conversations.
Handle
your
emotions
with
kid
gloves
so
that
you
are
in
the
peak
emotional
state
when
you
appear
for
the
exam.
Remember, as important as thinking and intellect is your heart and gut.
Often that differentiates people who make the difference from those who don’t.
Its
the
last
month
of
CAT
–
and
this
is
when
the
game
changes.
The
old
rules
no
longer
apply.
The
same
principles
do
not
make
any
sense.
Its
time
to
revise
strategy.
It
is
now
too
late
to
learn
anything
new.
If
you
expect
to
learn
something
dramatic
in
the
last
one
month,
forget
it.
Now is the time to consolidate. To be certain about what you know and what you don’t.
There
will
be
some
topics
that
you
are
absolutely
certain
about.
You
are
totally
clear
on
these
concepts
and
you
can
mostly
tackle
any
question
in
this
subject.
Mark
those
topics
out.
On
the
other
hand
there
will
be
topics
that
you
are
absolutely
dismal
at.
Maybe
you
missed
the
concept
classes.
Maybe
you
could
never
figure
out
what
the
whole
thing
really
meant.
Either
ways
there
is
no
time
now
to
work
on
this.
Just
revise
your
basic
concepts
to
make
sure
that
you
don’t
miss
any
sitters
in
the
subject.
But
beyond
that
any
further
investment
is
a
waste
of
time
and
energy.
A
lot
of
research
in
self
development
shows
that
we
must
focus
on
our
strengths.
So
focus
on
your
strengths
to
make
it
happen
for
you.
You also need to be careful not to over practice.
But
one
thing
is
certain
–
the
rules
of
the
game
have
changed
and
wont
remain
the
same.
What
you
have
been
doing
so
far
is
not
a
great
idea
to
do
in
the
last
one
month.
Over
the
last
months
you
have
been
very
hard
on
yourself.
You
have
shouted
at
yourself
for
not
performing.
You
have
tried
to
push
yourself
to
do
more
and
more.
Now is time to stop being harsh on yourself. It is time to accept.
If
your
performance
/
preparation
for
CAT
right
now
stands
at
6,
you
have
been
aiming
for
10.
But
now
its
time
to
be
realistic.
Aiming
for
10
will
only
add
pressure,
tension
and
frustration
to
you.
Instead, aim for a 7 or an 8. It is now realistic.
Very
often,
and
typically
achievers
tend
to
push
themselves
very
hard
to
achieve
–
and
do
really
well
for
themselves.
However
coming
very
close
to
the
exams,
too
much
pushing
can
actually
have
a
counter
effect.
The
challenge
thus
is
to
balance
the
pushing
with
acceptance.
When
you
accept
your
limitations,
suddenly
you
are
free
to
focus
on
your
strengths.
An
entire
branch
of
psychology
called
Acceptance
Commitment
Therapy
is
based
on
mindful
acceptance
of
limitations
–
so
its
scientifically
proven
to
work.
Mentally tell yourself ‘I accept myself as I am – and I will give my best’
The
mere
act
of
giving
your
best
will
transform
you
–
you
will
be
able
to
look
at
yourself
in
the
eye,
when
you
look
into
the
mirror.
You
will
respect
yourself.
You
will
have
no
regrets
–
all
because
you
gave
your
best
to
the
situation,
to
whatever
existed.
The first step to giving your best is to stop being overly harsh on yourself.
People spend overnights studying for CAT. Thats a great idea – but not closer to the exam.
Look
at
this
last
month
as
a
‘net
practice’
to
the
exams.
Think
about
it
as
something
that
will
get
you
prepared
for
the
real
exams.
Having said that, you don’t want to burn out or injure yourself on the nets.
So
the
actual
CAT
practice
needs
to
come
down
–
maybe
a
test
+
analysis
every
day
+
a
little
bit
of
touching
on
concepts.
Typically
6
hours
a
day
should
suffice.
What
do
you
do
in
the
rest
of
the
time?
Do
not
let
your
mind
rest
for
sure
–
let
it
be
active.
Read
newspaper
editorials.
Solve
Sudokus
and
puzzles.
Do
anything
that
relaxes
you.
Also
then
avoid
anything
thats
too
much
of
an
eyestrain
like
using
the
computer
or
TV.
These
will
automatically
affect
your
energy
level
and
hence
the
energy
that
you
bring
into
the
test.
It
is
important
that
you
give
yourself
physical
exercise
as
well
–
so
make
sure
you
take
brisk
walks
for
atleast
30
mins
each
in
the
morning
and
evening.
Another
practice
that
will
do
you
really
good
is
to
meditate
–
just
close
your
eyes
and
sit
at
a
relaxed
place.
Be
very
still
and
concentrate
on
your
breath.
If
your
mind
deviates,
gently
bring
it
back
to
the
breath.
The
time
of
the
meditation
every
day
should
be
just
before
your
actual
test
taking
time.
So
for
eg.
If
you
plan
to
take
a
test
in
the
10
am
slot,
you
should
meditate
9
30
every
day.
Sleep
is
also
important
–
you
will
have
to
take
care
of
sleeping
patterns.
Typically
on
the
day
of
the
exam
people
tend
to
wake
up
nervous
and
too
early.
Others
might
still
be
groggy
because
they
are
used
to
waking
up
late.
So
fix
up
a
set
time
to
sleep,
and
ideally
not
after
11pm.
Wake
up
at
a
set
time
–
ideally
targeting
8
hours
of
sleep,
but
customized
depending
on
your
sleep
requirement.
Finally
take
care
of
your
diet
–
you
need
to
make
sure
that
you
stay
away
from
junk
food,
refined
flour
and
basically
‘anything
that
comes
in
a
packet’.
These
are
difficult
for
your
body
to
digest.
Instead,
try
and
eat
dry
fruit,
greens
and
raw
foods
as
well
as
fruits.
These
are
healthy.
Finally do not discount the power of prayer. So regularly pray for strength and faith.
Now
thats
a
lot
of
suggestions
already
–
so
instead
of
reading
them,
please
actually
apply
them.
On
the
day
of
the
CAT
you
need
to
wake
up
early
in
the
morning.
Be
in
a
relaxed
frame
of
mind,
and
have
a
nice
long
bath
and
a
good
breakfast.
Reach
the
center
early
enough
to
familiarize
yourself
with
it.
Take
some
time
to
get
centered
–
a
little
bit
of
breathing
meditation
will
help.
Get into the frame of looking forward to the test – being ready to ‘crack’ it.
In
the
actual
test
always
make
sure
to
give
a
few
minutes
to
go
through
the
entire
paper
and
mentally
formulate
your
strategy.
Start
with
taking
those
topic
questions
where
both
your
accuracy
and
attempts
are
high.
Pick
the
easy
ones
first
and
get
done
with
them.
Once
you
jump
into
a
question,
remember
to
follow
through
till
the
end
–
try
and
finish
the
question
because
you
have
already
invested
time
in
it.
Having
said
that,
its
also
important
to
maintain
accuracy
–
the
challenge
again
is
to
keep
getting
questions
right
and
avoiding
negatives.
CAT
is
an
exam
that
clearly
rewards
accuracy.
So
instead
of
going
all
out
and
attempting,
be
careful
to
only
attempt
that
what
you
are
sure
to
get
correct.
Hence
the
next
set
of
questions
you
will
attempt
are
those
where
your
accuracy
is
high
and
the
attempts
are
relatively
lower.
You should keep a watch for sitters – if there are any that is
Again
I
also
recommend
taking
an
assessment
of
where
you
are
every
half
an
hour
–
that
will
make
sure
you
don’t
get
lost
in
the
paper
and
keep
on
track.
Give your best to the test, and on God leave the rest.”
And
you
play
a
game
just
to
enjoy
it.
When
you
are
playing
the
game
you
give
your
best
to
it.
You
try
to
give
it
all
you
have.
But
at
the
same
time
you
remember
that
its
only
a
game.
Whatever you want in life, you will get if you believe you can – sooner or later. CAT or no CAT.
But
don’t
let
that
affect
your
motivation
for
the
exam.
Instead,
look
at
CAT
like
a
game
–
a
game
that
you
are
playing.
Enjoy
the
game.
Give
it
your
best.
Ultimately
this
is
a
great
way
to
test
yourself
–
to
test
how
you
react
to
pressure.
To
test
where
you
are
good
and
what
you
are
bad
at.
CAT
is
a
wonderful
exam.
It
is
an
exam
where
you
are
not
forced
to
answer
everything
–
you
have
a
choice.
It
is
also
an
exam
with
limited
time.
To
that
extent
its
pretty
much
like
life.
You
have
loads
of
choices.
And
then
you
have
limited
time.
The
challenge
is
to
make
the
right
choices
and
follow
through
to
make
the
most
out
of
them.
There
is
no
guarantee
about
CAT.
There
are
so
many
factors
that
govern
your
performance
–
most
of
them
are
out
of
your
control.
But
you
will
focus
on
whats
in
your
control
–
and
that
is
your
own
effort.
When
you
give
complete
effort
to
it,
you
will
be
surprised
at
the
kind
of
effect
it
has
on
you.
No
one
can
tell
what
the
CAT
paper
will
be
like.
No
one
can
tell
which
B
School
you
will
get
into
and
what
percentile
you
will
get.
But one thing is for sure – that when you give your best, YOU CAN DO IT!
As
he
walked
out
of
the
exam
hall,
Tiku
gave
a
satisfying
look
back
at
the
center.
There
was
a
smile
on
his
face.
The
CAT
was
over
–
at
last!
He mentally thanked Kehsihba for choosing him to pass on the Chronicles.
It was now time to start preparing for the GD PI.
As expected, Tiku got all six calls. He converted B, L, I and K. He was waitlisted for C.
He
took
up
IIM
Bangalore
and
had
a
great
time.
It
was
around
November
next
year
that
he
remembered
the
Chronicles
–
almost
accidentially.
He decided to put them all in one book – The CAT Chronicles.
It
was
time
to
pass
them
to
someone
worthy.
Someone
who
would
apply
the
knowledge
and
also
share
it
with
others.
Tiku
decided
that
its
been
too
long
that
this
knowledge
has
been
exclusive.
It
should
now
go
to
as
many
people.
I trust that these Chronicles will reach the person who needs it – and will apply it too.
The CAT Chronicles was born out of seeing the stress and tension of the last one month of CAT.
I
often
say
that
CAT
is
a
great
excuse
to
talk
to
youngsters
about
more
important
issues
in
life.
This
is
true
for
this
book
too.
Instead
of
trying
to
publish
the
book
through
a
publisher
and
wait
for
it
to
hit
the
markets,
I
decided
to
make
this
a
‘post-‐paid
ebook’
I trust you to apply all that is outlined in this book – and if you do, this book will benefit you for sure.
Once it does, you can pay it back / pay it forward. There are various ways in which you can do this:
-‐ Forward
this
book
to
people
who
you
think
will
find
it
useful
(I’d
love
to
say
that
forward
this
to
10
people
and
your
CAT
percentile
will
improve
by
1%
but
I
won’t).
-‐ Drop
in
a
mail
to
me
at
abhishek.thakore@gmail.com
to
tell
me
how
it
helped
you,
your
feedback
and
anything
else
you’d
like
to
see
added
to
this
book.
-‐ Pay
for
the
book.
Or
donate
(if
you
like
to
call
it
that).
You
paying
for
this
book
will
let
me
do
more
of
this
kind
of
writing
–
which
in
turn
will
mean
we
can
together
help
more
people.
You
can
do
this
in
multiple
ways
–
simplest
would
be
to
courier
cash
to
my
home
address.
302
A/B
Sonakiran,
Kanderpada,
Dahisar
(West),
Mumbai
–
400068.
-‐ Join
into
a
workshop
that
I
am
running.
That
will
also
ensure
that
we
meet
face
to
face
and
can
work
together.
-‐ Organize
a
talk
at
your
college
or
organisation
by
TLC.
We
are
trying
to
experiment
with
a
new
economic
model
that
moves
away
from
the
‘rational
human
being’
assumption
to
put
trust
in
people.
The
belief
is
that
given
enough
value,
people
will
contribute
back
to
the
same
system,
and
together
create
a
thriving
ecosystem
where
knowledge
is
freely
shared.
We hope you join us in this experiment, in which ever way you can.
Epilogue
Tiku
also
authored
an
article
to
share
ideas
around
soft
skills
–
none
of
this
was
in
the
Chronicles,
because
it
was
more
to
do
with
preparation
before
the
last
one
month.
None
the
less,
he
decided
to
attach
the
article
to
the
Chronicles.
Its
interesting
that
a
majority
of
factors
for
CAT
aspirants
are
similar.
They
are
all
graduating
(though
from
different
streams).
They
all
have
access
to
CAT
coaching
classes.
And
to
the
Mock
tests.
They
have
equal
time
to
prepare.
And
there
are
thousands
with
a
similar
‘IQ’
–
intelligence
level.
What
then,
makes
the
difference
between
those
who
make
it
to
the
business
schools
of
their
dreams
v/s
those
who
don’t?
The
external,
visible
part
of
the
CAT
preparation
is
what
we
may
call
the
‘Hard’
side
of
CAT.
It’s
same
for
most,
and
it’s
measurable
and
visible.
Hence
it
is
also
every
easy
to
work
on
it.
The
invisible
side
is
however,
the
mindset.
This
comprises
if
everything
intangible
that
affects
the
CAT
prep.
It
is
the
attitude,
the
beliefs,
the
motivation
levels,
the
discipline
etc.
This
is
the
‘Softer
side
of
CAT’.
It
is
that
part
which
is
most
unaddressed,
and
yet
the
one
that
makes
the
greatest
difference
to
the
actual
performance.
In
fact,
it
is
the
greatest
differentiator
of
mediocrity
v/s
excellence.
With
the
clock
ticking,
and
CAT
coming
closer,
it
is
even
more
important
to
manage
oneself.
This
is
typically
the
time
of
ups
and
downs
in
motivation,
slips
in
discipline
and
lousy
feelings.
And
this
is
where
the
mindset
really
counts.
So
lets
talk
about
what
constitutes
the
CAT
mindset,
and
how
we
can
apply
it
in
our
preparation,
starting
now.
1. Managing
feelings
Managing
your
performance
is
in
a
large
part,
managing
how
you
‘feel’.
There
are
times
when
you
feel
lazy
and
a
lot
of
us
are
not
able
to
break
out
of
this
feeling.
Similarly
feeling
tired,
demotivated
or
not
being
able
to
concentrate
are
also
‘states’
i.e.
feelings.
Essentially,
a
‘state’
is
created
by
multiple
factors
–
facial
expressions,
posture,
voice,
physical
movement
etc.
It
is
widely
believed
that
our
feelings
affect
these
factors,
which
is
true.
However
research
has
also
proven
that
it
is
true
the
other
way
round
as
well
i.e.
changes
in
these
factors
can
change
how
we
feel.
Similarly
what
we
focus
on,
in
a
large
part
makes
a
big
difference
in
how
we
feel.
Hence,
instead
of
focussing
on
your
failures
and
misses,
it
is
important
to
focus
on
successes
and
achievements
–
this
will
again
help
you
feel
better.
Feeling
lazy
can
for
example,
be
overcome
by
thinking
of
times
when
you
were
actually
active.
Similarly
if
you
go
for
a
jog
or
exercise,
your
feeling
of
being
lazy
will
pass
away.
2. Managing
Stress
The
entire
CAT
exam
is
about
maintaining
a
cool
head
in
face
of
immense
pressure.
The
way
to
do
this
is
learning
to
manage
stress.
A
certain
level
of
stress
is
actually
conductive
to
the
preparation
and
performance.
However
this
becomes
dysfunctional
when
the
stress
exceeds
its
optimal
level.
Managing
stress
essentially
is
about
learning
to
relax.
A
good
way
to
do
this
is
to
sit
in
a
quiet
secluded
place
with
closed
eyes.
You
may
use
some
relaxing
music,
and
then
pay
attention
to
each
part
of
your
body
and
relax
it
consciously.
You
can
maintain
the
state
of
relaxation
by
holding
a
beautiful
picture
in
your
head
–
of
a
beach
or
a
mountain.
Having
done
this
for
a
few
minutes,
come
out
slowly
of
it,
and
get
back
to
your
surroundings.
Deep
breathing
is
also
a
great
way
to
relax.
The
idea
is
to
be
able
to
generate
the
‘relaxation
response’
at
will
and
use
it
to
our
advantage
3. Visioning
A
lot
of
times,
the
motivation
to
make
it
to
our
dream
B
School
dwindles.
Often,
while
there
is
intent
to
get
into
a
business
school,
it
simply
feels
unreal.
To
work
on
this,
we
must
use
the
power
of
visioning.
To
be
able
to
do
this,
firstly,
you
need
a
few
pictures
of
the
dream
B
school
you
want
to
be
in.
These
are
freely
available
on
websites
–
download
these,
and
if
possible
print
them
in
color
for
you
to
see.
A
typical
visioning
exercise
will
be
where
you
completely
relax
yourself
first.
You
then
see
yourself
entering
the
business
school
of
your
dreams
–
through
your
own
eyes,
in
full
color,
motion
and
with
sound.
Create
the
feelings
that
you
would
have,
when
you
would
actually
be
entering
the
B
School.
Let
those
feeling
stay
and
magnify
them.
You
can
also
make
a
‘treasure
map’
–
a
graffiti
of
pictures
that
show
you
in
the
dream
B
School.
The
idea
is
to
make
it
real
for
the
mind
–
with
the
principle
that
‘what
your
mind
can
believe,
you
can
achieve’
4. Beliefs
A
belief
is
a
feeling
of
certainty
about
something.
Its
an
unquestioned
command
that
compels
us
to
act
in
a
certain
manner.
The
interesting
bit
is
that
beliefs
can
be
formed
through
experiences
that
are
both
real
and
imagined.
A
disempowering
belief
like
“I
am
bad
at
quant”
can
hamper
your
performance.
Conversely,
a
belief
like
“I
can
always
give
my
best
and
keep
improving
on
it”
is
an
empowering
belief.
So
how
do
you
work
on
your
beliefs?
The
first
step
is
to
list
down
your
beliefs.
Typical
beliefs
begin
with
“I
am…”,
“I
can..”,
“CAT
is…”
etc.
After
listing
these
down
circle
the
disempowering
ones.
The
way
to
break
through
these
is
through
questioning.
When
a
belief
is
questioned
enough
number
of
times,
it
begins
to
become
weak.
So
for
example,
the
belief
is
“I
am
lazy”.
You
need
to
ask
piercing
questions.
Have
I
always
been
lazy?
Was
there
any
time
when
I
was
not
lazy
at
all?
What
will
having
this
belief
cost
me
in
the
future?
Magnify
the
negative
as
you
imagine
the
outcome
of
having
the
disempowering
belief
–
because
the
mind
will
respond
to
pain
much
faster.
When
you
take
on
a
new
belief,
do
atleast
one
action
that
is
congruent
to
your
new
belief
before
you
leave
the
site
and
time
of
changing
the
belief.
With
empowering
beliefs,
surprisingly,
the
effort
you
put
into
the
preparation
will
become
effortless.
Doing
well
in
CAT
begins
with
a
decision.
And
you
need
to
make
that
decision
now
–
to
give
your
best
and
only
your
best.
Once
you
have
done
this,
there
is
nothing
that
can
stop
you
from
achieving
your
dream.
Abhishek
Thakore
is
a
gold
medallist
from
IIM
Bangalore.
He
is
currently
pursuing
his
PhD
from
IIT
Bombay.
Abhishek
is
the
CEO
of
The
Learning
Company,
an
enterprise
in
education
and
self
development.
He
is
passionate
about
helping
youngsters
find
their
inner
calling
and
actualize
their
potential.
He
is
the
Chief
Catalyst
of
Blue
Ribbon
Movement,
a
youth
NGO
based
in
Mumbai.
He is the author of three bestselling books which have together sold over 50,000 copies.
He
has
worked
with
organisations
like
Deutsche
Bank
and
BCG.
His
training
and
consulting
assignments
span
various
sectors
including
cement,
textiles,
telecom,
heavy
engineering
and
auto
ancillaries.
He
was
the
Zonal
Rotaract
Representative
of
Dist.3140
in
Rotaract.
He
has
also
won
over
50
different
competitions
including
Mr.
Malhar
and
Mr.
Umang.
He
was
the
best
outgoing
student
for
NM
College.
He
loves
to
write
on
spiritual
humor,
poetry
and
self
development.
He
is
into
trekking
and
is
an
avid
reader.
He
experiments
with
improvisational
theatre.
The Learning Company exists to help individuals and organisations actualize their potential.
It is into a broad range of activities related to self and organisational development.
TLC
conducts
training
seminars
and
talks
on
various
personal
growth
and
management
topics.
Its
consulting
division
provides
training
and
consulting
for
various
corporate
organisations.
We
have
also
initiated
the
‘Million
Super
Students’
program
to
take
effective
studies
to
one
million
students
by
end
of
2011.
Apart
from
this
TLC
does
school
syllabus
consulting
and
is
planning
to
enter
into
a
chain
of
self
development
centers.
We’re
‘happy
to
help’
–
get
in
touch
with
us
with
your
issues
and
we
will
do
our
best
to
help
you
with
them!
Mail : abhishek.thakore@gmail.com
About PaGaLGuY.com
PaGaLGuY.com
is
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such
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the
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and
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and
robust
online
communities
in
India.’
We
started
with
the
PaGaLGuY.com
MBA
Forums
in
2002,
which
now
have
1.57
million
discussion
posts
written
by
over
320,000
users
solely
on
MBA
preparation
and
admissions.
We
have
also
built
trend-‐setting
services
for
MBA
aspirants
that
combine
technology
and
community
to
empower
the
MBA
aspirant
community.
About CPLC
A number of ideas of this book have been inspired by Prof. Parag Chitale from CPLC.
CPLC is a test prep institute located in Mumbai. It has branches all over the city.
CPLC is founded on the basis of value education, personalized for each individual.
“
We,
at
CPLC
are
committed
to
help
students
achieve
their
goals
and
thus
our
all
activities
are
student
centric.
We
are
proud
of
our
students'
achievements
and
remain
committed
to
building
a
long
term
career
platform
for
each
one
of
them.
Our
core
team
is
called
the
Nucleus
and
consists
of
best
professionals
from
the
industry
with
huge
experience
of
preparing
students
for
the
kind
of
examinations
one
is
aiming
for.
Founded
in
December
2002,
it
has
trained
over
3000
students
for
various
competitive
business
school
entrance
exams
and
within
6
years
of
its
personalised
and
dedicated
training
to
students,
CPLC
has
established
itself
as
one
of
the
leading
training
institutes.
Why
is
CPLC
better
than
any
other
institute?
What
brings
students
here
despite
being
bombarded
by
the
biggies
competing
in
the
same
field?
"The
kind
of
attention
every
student
enjoys
here
is
unmatched",
says
Ankur
from
NM
College,
who's
currently
studying
at
CPLC.
"Parag
sir
knows
every
single
student
personally.
You
can
approach
him
any
time,
and
he
willingly
takes
on
the
role
of
a
mentor,
and
a
very
able
one
at
that",
adds
Pooja,
another
CPLC
student.”
You
can
visit
CPLC
at
www.cplc.net.in
or
contact
Prof.
Parag
Chitale
on
9
702
702
000
I wish you all the best for your exams – and hope that you will apply all that you know to the fullest.
Do
share
your
CAT
story
with
me
–
I’ll
be
happy
to
hear,
and
to
help
you
out
with
any
issues
that
you
might
have
Cheers!
Abhishek