SUCCESS MANTRAS
by World Rapid Chess & NIIT MindChampion Viswanathan Anand
"Know thyself," is what the famous Greek philosopher, Socrates always believed in and advocated and how right he was! One of the major reasons why people fail in life is because they have not been able to accurately gauge who they really are, what they want to become, or then precisely define their goals and ambitions.
In my opinion, you should have gained a fair idea of where you want to be headed by the time your reach Class XII, that is, by the time you are 16-17 years of age. If you have managed to arrive at some sort of conclusion about yourself and the work you want to do even before this stage, good for you! But I guess the perfect time to identify your personal vision and objectives is when you are ready to complete school and set to embark on the most crucial journey of your life-your quest for a meaningful career.
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The famous Karpov-Korchnoi match had just finished in Baguio and Philippines was in the midst of a Chess fever. Eugune Torre, the strongest Asian players at that time was from Manila and the game was receiving immense coverage across the media. I remember fondly there was a daily TV show on Chess. My mother used to write down the puzzle from the show so that I could solve it when I returned. The prize for solving the puzzle was a Chess book. I got so good at the puzzles that I was winning it on a daily basis. After a few weeks, I got a call from the TV company and they told my mother, "Tell your son to come to our studios and choose all the books from our library. But please ask him not to participate in our puzzle competition. The others do not have a chance if he does!"
This made me very happy and in a way kindled my love for Chess. Sometimes small rewards or words of encouragement can determine whether you love or loath a particular subject. It was sheer providence that put me on the road to Chess, but once I had recognized the signs and achieved early successes, I knew this could well become my life's vocation.
It is important therefore, to know as soon as possible, the future you want for yourself. Try to let this be your decision and your decision alone. Spend time thinking about what you're really looking to do. Examine whether you have any strengths that could further this goal or focus on developing expertise that can help you achieve this aim. Try not to let family or peers coerce you into a decision. I have seen many young people drift towards failure, only because they were desperately trying to fulfill someone else's
dreams. While family and friends make for great advisors and mentors, do your own thinking when it comes to deciding on a career. After all, no one knows you better than you yourself.
I sometimes see young children being forced into Chess competitions and punished for not winning. The most important lesson I have learnt and believe in is to enjoy what you do, to be passionate about it, and never obsessed by it. When you enjoy something, you always continue to learn and never tire of it.
I have always found that youngsters who pursue their hearts desire are more likely to achieve success than people who have ideas and notions thrust upon them. There is also the issue of performance versus inclination. You might find you are great at science subjects and perfectly cut out for a career in medicine, but your heart yearns to excel at photography, an all-consuming passion. In this situation, I would still ask you to choose photography, get behind the lens and equip yourself with the necessary skills to get ahead in the field. I have a simple take on this: when ardor and excitement come, can victory, fame and fortune be far behind?
Therefore, once you have an inkling about the horizons you want to chase, check out the best options you have for getting on to the relevant track. If it's one of the professional programs you want to pursue, you might have to begin your homework after Class X itself. Preparations for engineering, medical or architecture/design entrance examinations usually begin after the Class X results are announced. For other non-conventional careers, you can take a breather and begin after Class XII, when you have a clearer picture in your mind about the years ahead.
For sports persons-people who see themselves as cricketers, badminton or tennis stars, table tennis champions, swimmers or even chess specialists-it is vital to start even earlier-virtually from the time they first began enjoying the sport. I was seven years old when I first began playing in important Chess Tournaments. Parthiv Patel was all of 15 when he hit international turf as part of the Indian cricket team and more recently, one has been hearing about seven-year-old golf sensation, Viraat Badhwar, child prodigy and the first Indian to make a mark in the international arena. In Chess, we also have young prodigies like Koneru Humpy who became a grandmaster at a very young age.
Obviously to achieve excellence in sports you need to begin as soon as you can, get into the competitive circuit early and start preparing in earnest for the challenges ahead.
When I played my first tournament, I lost my first three games and won the fourth, because my opponent failed to turn up. This didn't deter my spirit. I understood that I needed to get better. This comes with experience, ambition and a cool head. Once you have chosen your path, be focused on your goals and don't let hurdles on the way distract you.
Knowing yourself then is the first and primary step towards realizing your career aspirations. Before playing my opponent, I first try to understand what my competitor expects from me. Once I know this, half the battle is won. The key to your accomplishment, in fact, lies in your voyage of self-discovery.