Sometimes i wonder if you work really hard and determined, would this mean that things will work out fine, i.e. 100% conversion from input to output. Although I know for a fact that this is impossible, i wonder what the conversion rates are.
There are sometimes you thought that you've gotten the concept, in your hands and beaming in your heart... until some guy comes along, knocks you on your head, and only did you understood that not only did you not progress, but in fact worsened.
Its something i believe very much in, called 'form'. It happens often in sports. As you can imagine, coaches of football teams are not only afraid of tactical advantages, they are also concerned with the performance of the players itself. It is very horrible to see how supposed good players normally perform badly all of a sudden (e.g. the English football team). It has to be ensured that the players reach their peak in events, or matches that are important.
And this not only applies to football, but to all sports such as basketball, badminton, golf (Tiger Woods)... even to the extent of Foosball, DotA and studies.
Thus, i believe that there is a large area of unknowns to be studied applicable to 'form', primarily consisting of physical and mental factors. Examples of physical factors would include muscle recuperation, injury resting, sufficient sleep and body limits; while mental factors would include morale, focus, attentivity, the actual skill and to a certain extent, character qualities of the person itself.
And to be able to call upon the highest form of a person isn't easy. To a certain extent, a coaches' ability to motivate and arise the mental potential of a sportsman, e.g. half time pep talks. But to a larger extent, to perform advance planning to bring out the physical component of the team's potential might be of even higher significance.
But what about when you're in a non-team event, or when you rely so much on yourself, e.g. in studies? You would have to strategise your studying plan, to manage and discipline your time, to you've got what is needed etc. And with regards to mental aspects: to motivate yourself, to focus during exams and to maintain that focus;
You've got to maintain a clear mind, clean of distractions, clean of thoughts (clean of dirty thoughts as well). You've got to stay alert, careful and put yourself into a quarantined world, barriered and free of distractions... All you should be able to hear is just yourself and your task on hand.
Why am i thinking about all these dry and theoretical stuff?
Because similar to how a sportsperson aspires to be good at sports, i just want to be good at studying, that's all.
At times, I'm driven by the pressure to pressure myself, and times, i thrive well on it.
But at other times, i get pressed flat down, smothered to the ground eating gravel, sand and dirt. Its frustrating, emotional and painful. Under-performing is humiliating. People are disappointed, and so are you, because you know that you've let them down. But they don't understand that you're disappointed too, because you screwed up even when you thought it was something you could have done well.
It pains.
