Read this when you want to complete the task but you are stuck.

How to make your mind do what you want?

Mind is an interesting thing, if you don’t set the direction, it will pull you in all directions. From childhood till now, mind has been trained to come up with reasons. For e.g. When your parents/teachers ask why were you late today? You are skilful in coming up with 10 to 20 reasons, which all looks real for any logical person. You have been practicing this art. So the mind has become master in deceiving so gently with logical reasons in any given situation. The problem is when you don’t set the direction, the mind plays the same tricks against you. The easiest person to fool is yourself. You will do all things logically, but you go no where with such a mind. Once this super capable mind starts working against you, there is no other enemy stronger than him. You are finished.

It’s like bull shitting one self all the time. Changing this habit takes sustained effort. But there is an easy way out.

When you are pleasant, decide what you want to do and commit to it. The commitment must be like Pokiri commitment. ‘vakkasari commit ayithey na maata neney vinanu’. Once you commit, you should not listen to yourself.

If you start listening to yourself, when you are stuck in solving a problem, the mind will come up with reasons like…

• ooh we have mids comming up, I have to study, anyway I am stuck, lets do this after mid exams.
• ooh I have to submit the college assignments now. Let me do that now.
• ooh friends are waiting for my reply in FB, Whatsapp and what not.
• so..on.. you get the idea.

Once you make Pokiri commitment, the mind instead of trying to come up with reasons to escape the uncomfortable situation, it will come up with ideas to solve the current problem at hand like…

• Let me google for some hints to solve the problem.
• Let me check out the forum and post my problem their.
• Let me call my friend and ask for hint.
• Let me take a break of 10 mins and start fresh again.
• so..on.. you move in the direction of solving the problem at hand.

So the mind will be active in coming up with solutions to solve the problem at hand rather than coming up with excuses for why you should not do this.

So commit to what ever you want to do. And once you commit, stop listening to yourself and simply do it.

You can start with a smaller commitments like. I am committed to finish this lesson, or this assignment. You commit like Pokiri.

When you are stuck, it means you have something to learn

When are stuck at a problem, obviously it means their is something you don’t know. It’s an opportunity to learn by solving it.

Since you have competitive mindset, let me put it like this…

When you are stuck at problem, there are many students like you who are stuck, just visualise it, all of them stop there. If you could put the extra effort and solve the problem and move ahead. You have beaten all those people who have stopped there, they will not be sitting beside you in the future interview. So every time you are stuck at a problem, think of it like this, do you want to give up and join everyone, or put the needed effort and move ahead of all of them. With each problem you solve and move ahead, you are moving ahead of ~500 engineering students.

And more over we are eagerly willing to unblock you when ever you are stuck. When you raise your hand we could see and unblock you. Use the forums for your best interest.

Small trick to write code regularly

Use this trick, when you want to work on the problems, but unable to start. Set a timer for 21 mins, and simply work. Till the timer goes off, you cannot move from the chair. Only thing you can do is think of solving the problem or write code. Nothing else. Once you start this. Till the timer goes off, simple work on the problem. At the end of 21 mins, if you feel like continuing, restart the timer for another 21 mins. Otherwise do what ever you feel like doing.

So daily if you could set timer for 21 mins and start doing it. It will lead to solving problems and writing code for decent amount of time.

This trick works for me. I am confident that this will work for you.

You are separate from your capabilities

Unfortunately we treat them as one and same. Capabilities are things which could be worked upon.

When you fail in something, you think as if you are a failure. The reality is you are not failure, it means you did not yet become capable in that area. In other words, if you want you can put the necessary efforts and become capable.

You become capable in walking and running, because you have put enormous amount of effort to master them. You may think it was natural, but it was not natural. Lot of effort goes to become capable of walking. In the process to learn to walk, you have even many times, risked your life. To understand the amount of effort and risk you have took, observe a child carefully, who is just learning to stand and walk.

You and your capabilities are separate. Now there is a possibility for you to become capable in solving problems using Python language and understand system internals. There is distance between the possibility and reality. Are you committed to walk the distance is the only question.