How to win competitions and keep going through failures? -By Rishab Misra, D2C Competitive Leader 2021

I was very happy when I saw my name listed in the D2C Competitive Leaders 2021 tally. Everyone was elated with my achievement and gave me their blessings and best wishes. It is always that proud expression and lovely smile on the face of my parents that keep me going. 

Success comes to those who will and dare

Challenges are always a part of our journey and we should focus on how to overcome them, rather than running away from them. During my entire journey through different competitions, I also faced certain challenges.

In fact, this year was full of challenges. It was difficult to manage both the competitions and college exams together, without compromising on either of the two along with the placements. Because of  COVID and lockdown, everything became virtual, due to which there was no access to college labs and many components were not available in the market. Also, my teammates were at different locations,  so we had to set up a lot of calls every day to discuss and finalize things virtually, which was a little difficult. 

But I always go by the winning mantra – “Remember the reason why you started it”. 

So, whenever I get frustrated or demotivated or feel like quitting, I just remind myself the reason why I started this journey, what was the aim, and what goals I have to achieve, which instantly makes me motivated and brings me back on track. 

My recipe to ace multiple competitions and become D2C Competitive Leader 2021

The recipe was simple. The primary ingredients were the focus, dedication, and the spirit of competitiveness. Brainstorming sessions have also helped me a lot. I have been participating in different competitions since my school days, each time learning something new from my mistakes and upgrading myself and this greatly helped me to ace D2C Competitive Leaders 2021. 

Every competition is different and has different expectations and deliverables, so, developing a feasible solution is important, but at the same time, the way in which the solution is presented is also equally important when it comes to excelling in competitions. 

Dare2Compete Awards 2021 was a great learning experience for me. I got the opportunity to express my ideas in front of the experts and learn from them. It gave me a great platform where I could interact with the industry leads and connect with students from across the country, share ideas, and learn from each other. This was the first time that I participated in such competitions and became a part of Dare2Compete. So, overall, I had a great experience! 

Hey aspirants, never give up!

Competitions are a great way to learn and improve oneself. It is a good testing platform where people can test their potential and evaluate themselves. While participating in competitions, people think and try out different approaches to solve specific problems that can lead to certain innovations as well. 

Apart from this, another important thing that we can improve by participating in competitions, is our ability to work under pressure without compromising on productivity. I have participated in many competitions since my school days which has greatly helped me to improve myself. Every competition brings a new challenge and demands you to think differently. Each time you participate, you learn something new and gain rich experience which motivates you and helps you in the next competition.  

So, I would suggest all my juniors to grab these opportunities and start competing as it would greatly help them in their academic as well as professional careers. 

It does not matter if you don’t win every time, the focus should be on learning and gaining experience. Do not get disheartened if you fail, do not overthink for days, instead, accept your failure with a smile,  be satisfied with your efforts, don’t settle for less, learn from your mistakes and you will be successful.  Competing has helped me to improve myself and it would surely help you as well!

Swear by the fact that no matter how hard the challenge gets you would “never give up”, and put in all the efforts that you can, to achieve your goals. I strongly feel that accepting your failures is more important than celebrating your victories, because until and unless you accept your failures, you will not be able to focus on new opportunities and would eventually lose them as well.

Lastly, a big thanks to the entire Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)team for giving me this opportunity. It was a great experience! Thank you so much. 

To get more insights, read:

• Why MBA case competitions are worth the hype!
• Critical steps you should take to succeed at any competition -By national finalists of L'Oréal Sustainability Challenge 2020 from ISB
• B-School competitions to watch out for this year
• A beginners guide to corporate competitions
• RB Global Challenge: A competition that taught us how to handle business and marketing problems I Team Innovizers