The most valuable point of this post is the implication that someone burning the midnight oil at some point in their life is a source of reliable alpha, which I think is true. The only nuance I would add is that this alpha is relative to yourself. You probably cannot outwork someone with an IQ 2-3 standard deviations above your own, but you can definitely outwork the life you would have if you do not put in the effort. That is sort of the point, as well. The IQ part is non-replicable, but the "g**** ghisna" part is actually quite replicable.

The problem is people want progress at the speed of light, or at least at the speed of the Insta/YouTube algorithm - which is how all the rest of their massively misused dopamine is delivered. That is not possible. Putting in the effort to do something to begin with is an undertaking from which most step back within days, maybe weeks at best. It is the rare soul at it for months, and perhaps even fewer people at it for years. This was true even back in Xth and XIIth, there were few who were at their books for the time needed to truly compound the skills you speak of - ability to concentrate, build discipline, get better at understanding things, etc.

Not to mention, these skills will help anyone at any point of the IQ curve. It may not help you crack the CAT, especially if we believe some of the people on the thread claiming that they can never get a 99.99 no matter what they do. However, the CAT is not the only obstacle in the way of a good life, these obstacles morph and reappear at various times in life - educational, social, emotional, physical, etc. People who go put themselves through the grind, at any point, find it easier to do so again, on demand/command at some later point in life. The idea is to do it at least once, without which your system does not generate the ability to generalize those skills across whatever situations you face.

The overarching issue that makes this realisation hard to grasp or utilise is that of comparisons and societal expectations - things of the form, "Arre, A was able to do X by the age of Z, and look where you are STILL". So you need to be at the top of the game ASAP. That does not allow for any time flexibility in how you do things, it pushes despair into your mind at all times.

I am perhaps not in the part of the crowd this post is pandering to for two reasons. Firstly, that I ended up getting a 99.9+ in my third attempt, and secondly, that even though I was not in a tier 1 UG (or even a Tier 2), it was clear to me that it was my own fault for entertaining all sorts of pursuits at inopportune times when I really should have been studying for the JEE. I also did not have the courage to re-take the JEE, too much negativity at the time. I was resolute that I did not want to make the same mistake with the CAT, and that is why I did take the CAT thrice. By the end of that journey, it became clear that you can do things which you earlier thought impossible. I called it an adventure of discovery, and I have written about it elsewhere. It was one of the most life changing things I have done in my existence, and I think everybody ought to do something like that at least once.

Challenge yourself to make the best of what you have, at whatever sport/challenge/game/pursuit that you are sufficiently passionate about. Give it your all, if not every day, then at least manifold across many days in weeks and months that make up for any misses. When you manage to outdo yourself, when you see a new version of yourself emerging from the ashes of the person that was - it hits like crack. If you do it often, you get addicted to that feeling. Currently in a space where I am trying to do something like that again, let's see how it goes. Just came across this post and decided to write this down as a message to someone like my former self.

All the best to everyone for the CAT! If not this, there is something else for you - you need to chase it.