Every person has predispositions towards different people, things and situations. This predispositions are called attitudes. Attitudes are basically our likes, dislike or indifference. They guide thought, emotion and behaviour of people.
Throughout the day, we take many decisions based on these attitudes. Whether we choose to wake up early, have healthy breakfast, be punctual in our schedules, perform exercise, every choice is based up on our attitudes towards the respective things.
Attitudes can be positive or negative. Positive ones relate to perceiving uncertainty, change and failure with optimism- finding “silver linings” in “clouds”. Negative attitudes can be seen in the form of hopelessness, giving up on something and underestimation of oneself.
One choose to study for civil services because one values higher government services generally because of the responsible positions they offer, diversity of opportunities, authority, involvement in policy making and public affairs and of course, the related prestige. However merely choosing to study isn’t enough. Civil services preparation is a long journey and requires patience, persistence and perseverance.
Doing new activities is mostly enjoyable for a while and it’s easy to remain consistent in our efforts. But after a point, the fun ends and then the consistency can only come from commitment. Positive attitude can help in bringing this commitment, especially in the uncertain and tortuous journey of a civil services aspirant.
From preliminary test to interview, a candidate faces various challenges such as not finding the right teachers, confusion among study resources, financial constraints for coaching, cut-throat competition, fear of failure, failing multiple times, social pressures, unemployment and personal issues. Dealing with such adversities requires that one hopes for the best but is also prepared for the worst.
Positive attitude can help resolve this paradox. Whenever there’s stress, anxiety or despair, one can counter the negatives by sticking to motivations and reasons to continue efforts no matter what. One should be courageous enough to admit one’s mistakes and perceive it as an opportunity to identify where to improve. Social pressures should be seen as others’ genuine concerns and not impositions. Failure should be seen as a stepping stone. And finally, the entire process should be seen as a learning curve in the larger domain of life.
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind.” – James Truslow Adams