What's the point in trying if the odds are against you?
#104 - introducing 2 new characters from my head
Hi there,
An inner conflict is present within us all, a battle that is spotlighted during the holidays. The ‘Relaxman’ who wants to “chill” and lives by the principle of “Holidays = no work, all play, TV, films and smartphones deluxe” and the ‘Workman’ who sees this new expanse of time as an opportunity to do more work and be ultra productive. This week has been another episode in this age-old battle, think I’ve done decently but I’m definitely left with Workman tapping on my shoulder saying “you should’ve done more”.
As it stands, this time next week, with a week then till my mock exams, Relaxman will have curled up in bed crying for what he’s done whilst Workman laughs the house down, “I told you so!”. My job, as the father of Relaxman and Workman, is to prevent this from happening.
These sorts of mad ideas are what happens when you leave me away from school for over 15 days I guess1. I hope you’ve had a good first week of 2024.
Highlight of the week: watching Wonka with a family. A musical adventure of creativity and colour, it isn’t a gripping story with meaty meaning or purpose. But it’s a fun story with lots (and lots) of singing and some neat comedy too. Look at me sounding like a film critic, must be all the MasterChef and Dragons’ Den.
A great quote to start with - “You miss 100% of the shots you don't take” (Wayne Gretzky)
I. 2 Wednesdays ago, we had our Swimming Gala competition at the local leisure centre. The expectation was for a new Year 7 at the school, Jason (in Gold House 🙌), to break a few records, holding the GB No. 1 ranking in quite a few strokes.
On the way there, I overheard a couple of Year 7s saying “What’s the point? Jason’s going to win anyway”. Being the perfectly rational older student I am, I was quick to intervene saying “Well, yes, but you can still try your best and get second. After all, there is only a difference of 1 point”. The Year 7 nodded approvingly.
II. I was discussing with a Year 12 friend of mine who wants to be school captain about the chances of them getting it in so much competition, especially when they are new to the school. It reminded me of a quote I remember seeing in a Cambridge prospectus a few years ago that has stuck with me, “We can’t offer you a place if you don’t apply to us” in response to the chance of rejection.
I told them about the things you gain from the quite stressful and lengthy process itself, a few of which are:
Learning how to effectively communicate your message whether through the slides, the speeches to the students, the interview presentation or even when talking to students
The process of having and discovering new ideas, working through them, accepting and rejecting them, and then seeing how they can synergise.
Learning Giving 5 speeches in 5 days and deciphering what worked and which bits didn’t.
III. The decision day for Cambridge is fast approaching and, as I did for my last big ordeal and decision, the school captaincy, I am preparing for disappointment. That doesn’t mean that I’m expecting to get a ‘no’, but rather giving enough thought to the possibility that there might be a no.
If I didn’t get in, there would be a justified sense of “All that effort for nothing” - the years of focus on the goal, turning into an academic person for it and all the dreaming of what life in Cambridge would be like. However, as I was recounting those advantages of being shortlisted and running for the school role above in II, I thought about how the same advice applies to me. In going after this goal, there are so many things I will gain.
The ability to put away distractions to focus and work hard towards a worthy goal and the qualities you improve along the way - tenacity, drive, ambition, perseverance
With the interview, learn to explain your ideas, and work under pressure on a problem you haven’t seen before (maybe with some new maths, like I had in my 2nd one)
With the entrance exam, find the most efficient way of solving problems
And even in the pain I hope not to feel in 3 weeks, there will be the lessons of “you can only try your hardest and in life, that doesn’t guarantee the outcome” and I will have to gain the fortitude of deal with disappointment and then adapting to a new outlook on life and how to make the most of what I’ve got left. It seems like clutching at straws but these are all parts of future success in the big life that we all want to lead; it’s almost as if failure is the stepping stone for success.
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.”
The book I’m reading at the moment, The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, makes a valid point about how suffering is essential, part of the human experience and creates meaning in our lives.
Your real résumé is just a catalogue of all your suffering. If I ask you to describe your real life to yourself, and you look back from your deathbed at the interesting things you’ve done, it’s all going to be around the sacrifices you made, the hard things you do"
The new platitude of 2024 self-development world seems to be “the journey is more important than the destination. The post tries to explain why, how there are intangible (and sometimes tangible too) benefits to be derived from the struggle in pursuing a worthy goal. So when it feels like a slim chance but you really want to because a) you’ll gain something regardless and b) “shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.”
“Amma, I’m going to go write a brilliant post”. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed it; I’m selfishly hoping to have this as consolation to look back on whenever I’ve missed a target in the future.
Book of the week 📖
I’ve finished the first of 3 sections from The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness, and will get it done this week.
Podcast of the week🎙️
Freakonomics Radio #571: Greeting Cards, Pizza Boxes, and Personal Injury Lawyers
Loved the first two, good size explorations into 2 less thought-about areas. It’s looking into the economics of these things and when you listen to their stories, the amount of thought into creating them is quite astounding.
Thing I’m grateful for this week 🙏
Google Meet, makes starting video calls so simple and it’s pretty versatile
Quote of the week 💬
The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today's work superbly well. - William Osler
School returns on Tuesday, and then an avalanche of revision. Until then, I’ll enjoy my last day of the holidays!
Adi
Can’t wait for the summer holidays! 😢