People tend to rationalize their behavior. It is not easy to set high aspirations. Some people are able to do it, usually involuntarily. Parents, Bosses and others force them to set aspirations. But then it is even tougher to keep up to expectations to realise those aspirations. It is sometimes easy to get lost, lose focus or give up on the goals. Later, rationalize the behavior on why something could not be achieved. The excuses usually will centre around externalizing the problem (It was too tough; I was not well; those guys did not cooperate; but for this I could have done it; it rained; the client had gone mad; suddenly there is no demand for this product, etc.).

The punishment-reward system is one good way to have higher goals set and then extract performance. This is practiced by organisations very effectively. Parents practise this when children are young.

But, when aspiration setting is voluntary as it is in case of all ISB admits (or other b-school admits), who will execute the punishment-reward system?

We are all happy about getting an entry into ISB. A little bit apprehensive, as anyone would be about things new. Once we enter there, things will pile up on us. There will be no tomorrow to do things. Things have to be done today. There will something else to do tomorrow. How do we handle such deluge of work, how to manage performance. It will be pitiful to let oneself wander and later come up with explanations rationalizing behavior ( Does life ends if I cannot get into ‘the firm’ or GS; life has to be balanced between profession and personal life; grades are not everything; the system is biased towards CAs; BS, I have never seen such things happening in the real world outside school.).

I am responsible for myself, sure. But I am responsible for my wife too. I have asked her to sacrifice a good lifestyle for one year. Further, I have asked her to keep her expectations low till sometime after ISB as there is a loan to be repaid.

She is a good choice to implement the punishment-reward system for me. I have asked her to design a punishment-reward system for me. Every time, the punishment has to be different. I could get lazy and complacent and prepare myself for the punishments if I knew what the punishment is. The reward will also be equally secretive and will be motivation enough to keep performing.

I trust her to keep me going.