How to motivate yourself when you don’t feel like studying?

Motivation is what separates a CA aspirant from a CA. It is one course that requires perseverance. Success can be achieved only when you motivate yourself when you reach the point where you feel you can push anymore. With the current pandemic and the changes in CA exam dates, it is natural to feel stressed out or be demotivated. What are the benefits of being motivated?

• You will be more organised
• Your time management skills improve
• You will set personal goals
• You will have higher levels of self-satisfaction

The battle is won in the mind! So, let us look at some quick ways in which you can shake yourself off and pick yourself up.

• Have a positive attitude - “A positive mental attitude is the starting point of all riches, whether they be riches of a material nature or intangible riches” said by Napoleon Hill. Positivity is the important key to self-motivation. During the final leg of the examination make sure that you listen to success stories, and be around people who instil in you the faith that you can do it. There is no greater power than a positive mind.

• Surround yourself with positive people - Don’t be in touch with people who drag you down. Speak and be surrounded by strongly motivated CA students who take this course seriously. They will increase your confidence level as well as guide you better. Join the community of motivated people that will help you to increase your mentality level. You can always reach out to your faculty who will be able to speak from their experiences.

• Break your study periods into smaller chunks - Most students get too overwhelmed looking at the vast syllabus. Instead set timely goals to finish small parts. Give yourself a reward, such as “ I will check my phone only after I finish with this part” and keep your phone away so that you won’t be tempted. 

• Read case laws when you feel bored - These are not only interesting but you can dig deeper into the way they argue facts. You will be learning and you will enjoy the process which will remind you of your passion for the course and will help you want to achieve your goals.

• If you are having issues with practical topics start working on chapters from the study notes. Then slowly progress to solving questions on your own, time yourself as you solve the problems. Take a sticky note and note whenever you complete the paper in time and when you don’t. This will drive you to do better each day.

• If you are getting tired studying theory topics then try and bifurcate them. Pick the areas to study topic wise. Then eventually you will learn them concept-wise. For eg: Study Auditing and Law of companies act together. Even though they are not the same you will be able to get ideas from different perspectives and it will make you feel more confident. 

• If you have trouble with sections - Go for a walk! As you take each step to try and recollect which section comes up for that specific section. Or you can also try and jot down all the sections you recall and make them into a chart. Stick them around the house so that you can have a quick run-through of them as you study

These are just a few things you can do to keep yourself going. Always come back to the question of why you started it all out? The ultimate outcome is always higher than the struggle you are facing currently.

Keep hustling!