Let’s say you have a goal of getting 6-pack abs. How would you go about it?

Believe it or not, GMAT prep and working out have a lot of things in common.

On the one hand, the list below might seem quite obvious. On the other hand, I know of far too many people who would study for the GMAT till their eyes started to water at night, till they could not keep their eyes open anymore. I do not recommend that. On the other extreme, I know of people who have been evaluating whether my online course is the right fit for them for over 12 months – a lot of research, but very little action. Basically, I see too many people not following the basic principles of how to approach of their preparation.

In this article I’ll highlight how you should treat GMAT prep.

1. Fine, set goals. But don’t forget to workout
   Setting goals is easy. “I want 6-pack abs within the next 6 months.” There. I set a goal. Easy. “I want to be a billionaire in 2 weeks.” I just set another goal. Deciding “I want X score in Y weeks” is easy. It takes 2 seconds. Are you putting in regular effort to get closer to the goal? e.g. ask yourself: How much did I accomplish last week? Last month?
2. Dedicated workout session
   Have dedicated time for GMAT prep. 5 minutes here and there between work when you can get called away anytime is not helpful. Watching a GMAT YouTube video while having lunch – not recommended. When you’re studying, study. When you’re not, don’t.
3. Don’t over-exert yourself
   Do you work out until you are completely exhausted and can’t even get up? I doubt it. Do your 1-2 hours of dedicated workout, and then you’re done. Same principle. Do not study till your you can’t stay awake anymore. Do your dedicated study session(s) and then that’s it. Having free time is ok 🙂
4. What to do on days you don’t feel like working out?
   You push yourself, you sometimes reduce the intensity, you sometimes decide to rest. These are all fine. One suggestion: On days you don’t feel like studying: tell yourself to study for 10 minutes. If you don’t feel like continuing, get up after 10 minutes. Chances are you’ll go on for longer.
5. Schedule rest
   It’s necessary for recovery. Plan off days in your schedule. Don’t wait to start feeling burnt out; preempt it. Keep a free day every week or 10 days.
6. Take the stairs instead of the elevator
   You can add small things like taking the stairs to assist you. Same way, you can assist your GMAT prep. Some examples: reading, calculating figures mentally whenever dealing with money – e.g. when you get petrol filled in your car, estimate beforehand the total volume or amount. Mentally estimate the total for your next grocery bill before you check out. Mind you: I am asking you to develop your maths and reading fundamental skills using situations you anyway deal with regularly. I am not asking you to go out of your way for finding such things. Also, I am not asking you to start practicing a GMAT question whenever you get some time. I am asking you to use the opportunities that anyway present themselves to develop your skills further.
7. Prioritize, but in balance
   Missing a study session for chilling with friends might be too much. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do both. Strike a balance.
8. Supporting habits matter
   Diet, sleep, concentration, stamina all contribute. Do not ignore sleep. A tired mind makes it more difficult to improve in GMAT.
9. Don’t obsess over working-out 24 hours
   Do 1-2 hours, then stop. You’re done for the day. No guilt. Same principle in GMAT prep. For a working individual who has to commute everyday, perhaps taking out an hour – or maybe 2 – is plenty. Celebrate this. Do not fret why you could not take out more time in a packed day.
10. Leg day, chest day
    You don’t need to prepare every aspect every day. You don’t need to do an RC passage every day.
11. Plan out your week beforehand
    Don’t start a GMAT study session blank. Plan your week in advance, and also keep 10 minutes at the end of a day to plan out your next day. When you get to the gym, ideally you should already know what you need to work on that day. Otherwise, you might just spend some valuable time staring at the weights and machines to figure out and decide.
12. Progressive overload
    Just like adding more weight at the gym step by step, gradually take on tougher GMAT problems. Start at your level. If unsure, start with easy questions.
13. Consistency before intensity A single intense session won’t get you fit, just like cramming won’t get you a high GMAT score. Small, consistent efforts compound over time.
14. Track the right things
    You won’t check in the mirror everyday: “Do I have at least 1 ab now?” You’d probably track things like weight, energy levels, strength and stamina. Do not take mock tests every 2 weeks to see where you stand. Track accuracy and clarity. How many did I get right? How clear did I feel about them? For next 3 days, focus on how clear and confident you feel while doing the question.
15. Form Matters
    Lifting heavier with bad form can lead to injury. Similarly, rushing through questions without understanding the logic behind them can hurt your performance. Accuracy before speed. Do not track time at all initially. Start with easy questions. Focus on how you attempt a question, not how many questions you attempt.

Here’s the one habit that will take your GMAT prep to the next level: A weekly audit day – A day to pause and reflect on the past week:

• Did you study as much as you had planned?
• Did you get as much done as you had planned?
• What helped you study this week? Can you replicate that next week?
• What made it difficult for you to study this week? Can you do something to overcome that next week?
• Based on your audit of the past week, plan out your next week.

Actions:

Take 10 minutes now, grab a notebook or open a doc, and:

• Conduct an audit of your last week’s study
• Also since it might be the first time, take the time to audit your prep overall thus far.
  • What chapters you have done and what are left.
  • How you’re feeling about the things you’ve done.
  • Further, how has prep been going so far? As anticipated/ smoother than anticipated/ rockier than anticipated? Accordingly you might need to course correct and adjust expectations.
• Plan out your next week keeping in mind other commitments
  • How many hours can you take out on M, T, W, Th, F, S and S separately?
  • What do you intend to do on each of those days?
  • Be realistic, not over-ambitious.
• Then at the end of next week, audit the past week
  • Did you put in as many hours as you had planned?
  • In that time, did you get as much done as you had anticipated?
• Plan for next week and repeat.