CPA: Motivation

I cannot seem to motivate myself very well to study for my first portion of the CPA exam, BEC. I have made it through the first module in the study guide only to find myself shrugging the book off over the past week. I have approximately 38 days in which to study and master a few hundred pages of information. I think to myself, "how in the world am I ever going to pull this off, it is so much information." Does this scenario sound familiar?

Or, you just finished your first CPA exam (congratulations) only to come to the realization that you have three more mercilessly waiting for you. You tell yourself over and over that you are going to study tonight, but something always seems to take up more of your time than you expect, like blogging. Have you found yourself starring at a 350 page study guide for one portion of the CPA only to feel overwhelmed with the amount of information that you have to cram into your brain? How do you keep going? What motivates your desire to become a CPA?

A key to obtaining licensure as a CPA is to find out what motivates you. The seemingly endless amount of hours put into studying for the CPA can be quite daunting at first. These exams are unforgiving, they require hours upon hours to master the material and even then, how can you really be sure you have a grasp of what will be on the CPA? This is why motivation is so important.

According to www.businessdictionary.com, motivation encompasses

"Internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested in and committed to a job, role, or subject, and to exert persistent effort in attaining a goal."

What motivates you?

Motivation can come in many forms. Below are a few:

1. It can be called upon in order to fulfill a basic need such as eating or hydrating.

2. You would be motivated by some material amount or possession such as the promise of cash, riches, gold, gems, perhaps even love :P.

3. Desire is a motivator. Do you strongly desire to become a CPA?

4. People want to live up to and surpass the expectations of others. Someone expects you to provide money for the family, does it motivate you to accomplish your goal?

Personally, I have a small combination of all 4 previously mentioned motivators. My basic needs must be met such as hydrating and eating, these two things are usually exchanged for money. I have a strong desire to obtain licensure as a CPA in order to receive more money to fulfill my basic needs and some not so basic needs. Finally, everyone I tell that I am on the journey towards my CPA has set an expection of me one day obtaining licensure as a CPA. It is a viscous cycle!

So, what do you do about getting motivated to obtain a CPA? Do you organize, study, hope, and pray? Do you 'wing' it and hope that you passed?

My answer to the above is... YES. I do as much as I can to be able to 'wing' it as best I can then utilize a combination of hope and praying to influence the original 'winging' it proposal.

So I ask again... What motivates you?