TWENTYONE-YEAR-OLD Indian cricketer Ajay Ratra recently said that he was determined to do well in Test career. He succeeded, hitting an unbeaten century at Antigua against the West Indies.

Many aspiring cricketers "wish" to become as successful but squander their time in idle gossip. They "dream" about success. They overlook the fact that an ounce of action is worth more than a ton of daydreaming. Those who belong to the former category reach their destination, the latter end as also-rans.

Tell me how a young man spends his spare time, and I will tell his future, says Samuel Smiles, the apostle of self-help.

Many talented youngsters fail to make full use of their potential. They have more ability than they think they have. William James, the father of modern applied psychology, says that most of us walk through life realising only 10 per cent of our potential.

Proper use of leisure time not only helps us in promoting efficiency, and gaining the respect of those we work with, but it also makes life more meaningful, attractive and creative. We become better human beings and contribute something to the community that gives us so much.

The first step towards creative use of time is to feel the need to use it. It is easy to get into a rut or just wait for a golden opportunity to come along. It is like buying a lottery ticket and whiling away precious time, hoping for a windfall. And then we get bitter and disappointed when luck does not favour us. We forget that God has got to be fair even to our opponents!

The self-spurring mind finds, creates opportunities. It thinks about and bags the job while a lazy mind just frets and fumes in frustration.

A young man must create the power to propel himself into the competitive world. If he does not do so, he is likely to remain a sulking non-achiever.

The urge to climb the slippery pole of success is natural. But many youngsters use their energy to dream about rainbows. Once this dream is shattered, they just give up.

Many outstanding personalities of the world like Helen Keller and Beethoven have proved that despite handicaps you can be an achiever. They made their mind a potent force. If you plant an idea in the subconscious, it grows.

Opportunities are there in abundance. And so is the know-how in every sphere, which leads to knowledge and efficiency. The more effort you make, the deeper becomes your understanding of that branch of life and the greater the chances of success.

You will have to open the door to success yourself. No one else is going to do it for you.

The practical approach requires patience and persistence. This opens fresh vistas, enriches your life and goads you to do useful and creative activity.

Lots of young men and women lose the race of life, Reason? They stop growing because they neither keep abreast of the times nor read extensively.

Leisure time must be spent in doing creative work and an effort must be made to inculcate qualities that polish the personality. It means steering clear of frivolous, idle activity and passive entertainment like addictive TV viewing.

There is nothing more satisfying than to "create" something by one’s own effort. It could even be something small which brings a sense of achievement. Something that involves the use of our faculties like writing.

If a young man wants to attain success, he will always find an opportunity for improvement. The trouble with sulking youngsters is that they want money but they do not want to "earn" it. They want success but they do not want to "work" for it. They crave for short cuts which turn out to be long and tortuous in the long run.

While spurring yourself to betterment, you are nearing success. For this, all you need is desire, determination and a destination. Move towards it. Action is a perpetual delight. It is khul-ja-sim-sim of success!