Failures are a part of life and to learn to accept them gracefully and move on is one of the greatest life lessons. This is the success story of an IAS officer who learned to take failures in her stride and continue to strive for her goals.
She is Ms. Anju Sharma, who is the Principal Secretary, Labour and Employment Gujarat. Hers is an inspiring story of how failures can also be the precursor to big success in life. She flunked in school boards but that did not stop her from planning for future success. And she went on to crack the most difficult exam of India – UPSC CSE – and join the most prestigious service – IAS.
FAILED IN CHEMISTRY AND ECONOMICS
Born in Rajasthan, Ms. Sharma did BSc and MBA from the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur.
However, the road till here was filled with failures She had failed in her 10th pre-boards in Chemistry and in her Economics paper in 12th. Though she managed to clear all the other subjects with decent marks, she was disappointed by her marks in these two subjects. She wished she was better prepared to handle it.
“Today, when I look back to my days as a student, I wonder how everyone around me prepared me for success but failed to do the same for my failure. I distinctly remember cursing myself the day I failed in Economics paper in class 12. Naturally, to save myself from the embarrassment of nosy relatives and neighbours alike, I worked hard for my next paper and scored a distinction in the subject,” she had shared with media.
While sharing about what had happened on the day before her chemistry pre-boards examination, she said that she had so many chapters to cover and it was almost post-dinner, and she started panicking.
“I was so unprepared that I knew I was going to fail, something that is looked down upon. At one point I burst into tears. What made the situation worse was that the paper was for pre-boards.”
She felt more stressed when everyone around her remarked how the grades of 10th matter for getting admission to higher studies. Her nightmare turned true, and she failed in the chemistry pre-boards examination. She felt guilty that she proved a disappointment to her parents who were always proud of their daughter.
PARENTS’ SUPPORT
However, her parents never left her side. Instead, they consoled her and motivated her to work harder and succeed in life.
“Don’t lose your heart” were the exact words that she recalls her mother telling her after her failure.
“My parents always believed that children should learn from their failures. They weren’t upset about my results. I think that support from my parents as a child shaped how I perceived my failures. I inherited this lesson from them and now as a mother, I tell my children the same.”
PREPARATION STRATEGY
The failures in school became a big lesson in her life. She started preparing in a scheduled manner. She says that one should never leave things for the last minute.
She applied an easy formula while preparing for the UPSC examination. She always tried to complete her syllabus before time so that there was no last-minute preparation, and she could get enough time to revise her syllabus. This easy strategy helped her in clearing UPSC in her first attempt itself.
“It changed my life. I learnt about the repercussions of my own actions. It made me realise the risks and provided clarity of how I wanted my future to be. In the process, I ended up developing responsible behaviour. I promised myself to prepare well in advance for all my exams and life battles.”
RESULT DAY
While recalling her result day, Ms. Sharma said that when her neighbours came to know about her clearing UPSC in first attempt, they said, “Yeh ladki toh hamesha ghoomti rehti thi, isne kaise clear kiya?” (This girl was always roaming around. How did she clear the exam?)
Ms. Sharma said that on the eve of the examination, she was chilling because she had already prepared herself enough in advance, so that she wasn’t left with the last-minute panicking.
PASSIONATE WRITER
As an IAS officer, she is not only serving the country, but is also followed her passion for writing. Her book, Corporate Monks, was released in 2019, where she addressed the issue of burnout most working professionals face. Her first book, I of the Storm: Discover Your True Self, was on emerging stronger with every setback.
ADVICE TO PARENTS AND ASPIRANTS
Ms. Sharma’s advice to UPSC aspirants is: “All you need is a strong will, focus and determination. Approach the studies with utmost sincerity without worrying about the results. Do not put your entire life into it. Remember UPSC Civil Services is only an exam, you will get innumerable chances to make things right. Choose the study pattern as per your comforts.”
And as for the parents, she has this to say to them: “Prepare them to accept failures with grace. If you don’t judge them, they will always come to you in turbulent times. They will have someone to lean on.”
