Longing to succeed? Copy This One Game Changing Strategy From The Great Indian War

Arjun, the ace archer, faced the most difficult challenge of his life. He had to confront and vanquish his extended family and his cousins in the inevitable fight. Finding a mentor was a priority.

Both camps were matched in expertise and strength of the forces. Arjun and his brothers represented the Pandav clan, while his cousins represented the Kaurav clan.

In the days before the war broke out that Arjun made his move.

He met Krishna and asked for his help on the battlefield. Krishna, the master strategist, slayer of demons and charmer of maidens, had vowed not to take up arms in combat.

He agreed to be Arjun’s charioteer instead.

The Kaurav clan rejoiced.

As a non-combatant, Krishna’s celestial weapons had no role. The Pandavs got a raw deal and no tactical advantage with Krishna on their side.

The war broke out soon enough.

During the war, Arjun was distraught by the thought of killing his kin. As his friend, Krishna revealed lessons from the Bhagavad Gita — the source of worldly wisdom.

They said, “Do what you must without expecting the fruits of your labour. You are duty-bound to fulfill your destiny when you fight for the righteous.”

Through these lessons and his wisdom, Krishna opened Arjun’s mind to possibilities, banished beliefs that would not serve him and removed all distractions from his path.

Every breath, every action and reaction from that moment was towards one outcome and one outcome only — to win the war.

As his charioteer Krishna, in effect, became Arjun’s mentor and companion in battle. His presence tipped the scales in the favour of the Pandav clan.

The Kauravs saw through the smart move too late.

Having a mentor like Krishna in your corner can be a game-changer.

The world is an incredibly complex place today. How can we win this complexity battle that threatens to overwhelm us?

I have examined his question in my journey as a writer. My search ended after finding a mentor.

As I receive guidance, three areas have immensely shaped me as a mentee.

A mentor provides an accurate picture of our reality

I thought I was lucky when I started writing. I had no imposter syndrome. Finding a mentor was not on my radar.

Then I held a mirror to my writing. It left no doubt how down in the mine pits I was. This would have been so disappointing to someone in my place if I had ignored finding a mentor. My mentor painted this beautiful learning journey that I could be on instead.

The needle suddenly moved from impossible to very much possible.

A good coach pushes her students, motivating them to give their best. It is frustrating for me to write draft after draft, saying the same thing in different ways. But I know it is what my mentor prescribes so that I rise.

With timely and pertinent feedback, I have found how using certain words, employing active voice, or tweaking the narration alone is enough to elevate the quality of an article. The mirror reflects this too.

Mentors also know to celebrate your tiny wins and understand that life will get in the way sometimes.

True, they repeatedly show you a mirror. But they also help keep things real and point your focus to the right things.

A mentor instills constructive habits

There are certain universal truths in a writing system.

Headlines, sub-headlines, simpler words, white space to larger concerns like niche, topics, and audience research — everyone ‘discovers’ these truths as a newbie.

With a mentor, students skip that step. They get a tested system and guidance about when, how and why to use it for advantage.

Once they are ready, students are pushed to seek ways to develop, improve and perfect their systems. Till it is second nature.

There are no free meals and no templates.

Edge of perfection habits that you learn from your mentor are lessons for a lifetime.

This is permanent empowerment.

A mentor breaks us down and builds us back

We are clay as beginners. The pebbles need to go, the grooves have to be covered, and it needs to be friction-less on the potter’s wheel.

If the shape breaks midway, it’s back to the wheel.

With every turn on the wheel, our writing takes shape. Distractions need to go, unproductive habits have to be replaced, and our writing needs to be effortless.

Mentors break down our actions into logical steps for us. You can’t jump steps before you learn the previous one well. You know it will cost you time and effort if you do. And yet, we do it. We jump several rungs.

The clay slides off the wheel.

Mentors pick us back up and start from the first step. Pebbles have to go.

Someone can certainly teach you the steps. Only a mentor picks you up and builds you back again.

It is not how good you are at this moment that matters. What really matters is how good you’re going to be. A mentor helps bridge this gap — present to the future.

Mentors are invaluable at any point in your life. They can be anyone you want to be like.

Mentors won’t tell you what to do, but they will tell you steps to figure it out.

They have no shortcuts, but they have a strategy.

They share many lessons and a system for how you’ll learn them.

Ultimately what matters is whether they are readying you to win that war.