With a large undertaking like studying and passing the CPA Exam looming before you, it can be difficult to think you’re ever going to finish. But believing in yourself and having a positive mindset can help you accomplish any goal.
To help boost your confidence for the CPA Exam, follow these tips:
1. Be Prepared
Lion King songs aside, the best way to feel confident about the CPA Exam is to properly prepare for it. Start by taking stock of your strengths and weaknesses. Knowing where you excel and where you need a little boost can help you focus your studying on the topics you need to. As you get better at your weaknesses and master your strengths, your confidence in your abilities will continue to grow.
2. Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan
Like our blog post about prioritizing goals says, it’s important to write down your goals so you can create a detailed plan to achieve them. Just saying you want to pass the CPA Exam is a good goal, but you need to get more granular than that.
Create a plan for what you’re going to study tomorrow and for how long. Then, do the same for the day after, and the day after that. Start planning out your study schedule for a full week. Not only will it help you focus, it’ll build confidence knowing that you’re not randomly studying. And it’ll feel great to cross each day and topic off your list as you power through them.
3. Ditch the Negative
It’s easy to get down about the amount of work and time you need to dedicate to the CPA Exam. Especially if you fail a part. But you can’t give up. You have to stay positive no matter what. Throw out any negative thoughts, and concentrate on the positive. Everyone fails at some point. It’s the people that keep moving forward and learn from their mistakes who succeed.
4. Focus on the Positive
Think back on your past accomplishments. There has to be at least one thing you’re proud of achieving. Remember those moments? You’ve crushed your goals before, and you’ll do it again. Write down your proudest achievements and put them on the wall by your work area or on the refrigerator as a reminder of what you’re capable of.
Now that you’ve got your confidence working, it’s time to get to studying. As Roger says, “if you study, you will pass.” Keep your confidence up, study hard, and you will pass the CPA Exam.