I just Beat The GMAT!

Hi all folks

I would have liked to post a topic in this section without having to put "didn't" in the title... but it's not the case this time.
I took the GMAT the first time 2 yrs ago, with a kamikaze style preparation:
thru 1.5 month time things done in this order:
- Application to BS
- Started preparing for the GMAT
- Took TOEFL
- Interviewed by the BS (10 days after)
- Took the GMAT (next day). ------------>520 (Q38 V23)
The result: Not accepted.
Felt in a complete dismay, frustrated and considering taking a year off work. Went for a business trip to India for a month, then on holiday for 3 weeks..morale slowly came back..and 3 days after coming back from leave...
...I got promoted and asked to relocate to another Country. Along with having to carry on all the relocation process alone (finding a place to live, sort out all bureaucracy etc. etc.) I took on some important responsibilities at work. So I delayed my time to get back on the GMAT materials again.
Last year in September I was about to start back again when... Surprise! Another promotion came. After caring only for sales for almost 6 years, I became managing director of a foreign branch of my company. At the very beginning it wasn't easy to deal with Finance, HR,... and other not familiar areas. At night I was so tired that when I tried to handle even the most easy PS problems the results were not comforting. GMAT on hold again. I decided to concentrate on the turnaround project of the company at 100%.
End of April of this year (last friday of the month): Group controlling sends the Country P&L sheets to Country Managers. I receive the mail with mine in attachment. I can still remember the heart pulse like a kick while it was opening after the double click. Bottom line-->EBITDA: positive figure.

I said: ok, now's GMAT turn!

I got back on the books slowly, dedicating not more than an hour a day, I had to run thru theory again. Not funny indeed, but no way to attack problems properly without it. Took my first diagnostic test (GMAT Preptest ), scored 640(Q46 V32). I thought: not bad, only need to improve a bit more.
End of May: My boss at the HQ cals and says I have to relocate the company ( the reasons for it are a bit too much to explain ), I have to find another place, and empty the one we are in now.
I found the place in 10 days, then waited for the call communicating the due date to leave.
Call comes a few days later, notice given for leave: 3 working days.
In due date the old place was empty. 2 working days later invoicing started back again, I felt very happy, but tired. Weekend came, the sun was shining in the sky, and I.... I was home on the OG
I didn't want to give up this time, so I put all myself in.
I thought I had to sit for the exam before September and all the budgeting activities came, and being also able to have my 3 weeks leave in August completely dedicated to my girlfriend who I'm seeing only 60 hrs per month.
Kept on simulating with peak of 630(Mgmat and Gmatprep)... and a kaplan 630... and also some lower.
Time was running out... I reserved a seat for the 27th of July.
After that my scores went dropping, and I asked for advice here on the forum.
An expert told me that I was overstudying (3 hrs per day on avg during working days, and 1 or 2 mock tests during the weekend), this explained the flattened scores. The expert adviced me to take some time off, at least a week... unfortunately this advice advice came 48 hours before the exam...
Gosh, 2 days earlier I scored a 620...48 hrs befor the exam I felt emptied.

D-day
I took some days off work, 3 with this one.
I woke up 3 hrs before sitting for the test, took a shower, a couple of mugs of coffee and a couple of chocolate bars.
Walked out, took the public transports to the test center, 1.5hrs ride in total.
Walked out of the metro station, only 200m to the test center, took a breath, asked to myself "how do you feel?". I felt well, apart a stiff shoulder ( comes on and off, nice memory of a road accident 10 years ago), but I tried not to mind.

Checked in the test center 1/2 hr. before the scheduled appointment.
Started the test on time.
Wrote the 2 AWA's part trying to save some energies for later... keeping calm.

Quant: felt quite ok, I noticed the questions were getting more difficult as moving on... all fine I thought...
Around question #20 or so... mess came. I realised my mind was going on its own. I was trying to measure the hypotenuse of a triangle (imaginary)inscribed in a trapezoid, but that was useless to solve the problem: I was asked for the surface!
I pulled back on the chair, took a breath and tried to stay focused.

After confirming #37 I took my break, went to the toilet, took a few sips of water, an energy bar, and a couple of breaths, tried to stretch my shoulder a bit. Sipped some water again.. breath..

Verbal: Everything fine until the first RC passage, I hardly kept concentrated, pulled back again and started over reading, the questions seemed though.
Went thru...


After the all required formalities the score screen was about to appear:

QUANTITATIVE 39
VERBAL 29

TOTAL 570



I left on average 4-5 points on the table per part compared to mock tests at home.

Got my print...

Walked off the test center...
Walked...
Walked...
Walked...

First thing that I thought: "now?"

10 km later I was convinced I had to take it again...
Had a nice kebap dinner, at 6 pm..
Got back home and thought about my decision to take the GMAT again... was I taking a good one?

I remembered about a video I stumbled upon a few weeks earlier:
https://vimeo.com/25397042

Today
This has been the first weekend without gmat after almost 2 months. Yesterday I've spent almost all my day shopping for holidays... but today I was missing GMAT... I was struggling for not getting back to OG, but I knew I had to take a few days off to let my brain breath.


As the guys of Margatania I'm setting my new goal:

Their first was to score one goal, and the next became winning a match...

I wanted to improve, I did (a bit)
NEXT GOAL: turn the 570 into a 750