January 2025
You should use the upcoming holiday season as a chance to relax, re-set and re-focus. You’ll really feel the benefits, says Nasheen Wuisman.
I love this time of year… the weather starts to change, there’s a lovely cold, fresh feel in the air, or it’s pouring with rain.
Either way, it’s a sign the end of the year is fast approaching.
I start to think about the year that is coming to a close. I like to think about what I’ve achieved, what I’ve learnt and how I’ve grown. I reflect on what I’ve found out about myself and others around me. Think of the people I’ve met and the people I’ve lost contact with.
And then I like to think about how all these things are going to impact me in the new year, and the years to follow. I also take some time to think about the things that brought me disappointment and sadness, things I feel could and might have gone differently, and the lessons I need to learn to be a stronger version of myself.
Taking a pause as the holidays approach allows you to untangle and interpret all the decisions that you’ve made this year and consider the decisions you hope to make in new year.
Dedication and resilience
When you first embarked on your journey to earn the CGMA qualification you knew it was a significant commitment that requires dedication and resilience. And I am sure that, at times, it may have felt like you were not progressing fast enough.
Maybe you thought you would have worked through the levels faster, or maybe should have passed more exams by now. Could you have?
Realistically and fairly, could you have? Think about challenges you might have faced at work, at home, with relationships, or maybe even regulating your emotions when life becomes overwhelming.
Reflecting on your CGMA journey
I want you to join me and to take some time to reflect on your journey over the past 12 months. I want you to celebrate how far you have come.
Which subjects did you excel in or enjoy even?
Which exams were you successful in? Write everything down, do your own performance evaluation. You will find you have achieved far more than you thought, and this can be incredibly motivating, especially if the year has left you feeling worn or deflated.
The next step is to identify what you have struggled with. Ask yourself: were there any subjects or competencies that you found particularly challenging? Do you understand why you found them difficult? And if you are still struggling with it, is there someone that you can ask for help?
Once you have completed your self- evaluation, I want you to set yourself some realistic goals for 2025. For example, is there a particular CGMA exam or exams you want to pass in 2025? Breaking down your goals into smaller, manageable tasks can make them more real and therefore more achievable.
Embrace the process
To succeed in any learning journey you need to learn to enjoy the process – I hear you laugh, but it’s true! A cram, pass and move on approach won’t work for your professional exams. You may have been lucky in the past as it might have worked for you in certain subjects; this doesn’t, however, mean you have acquired the skills, competencies, behaviours needed to succeed in the workplace. Spacing your study out over a period of time allows for a deeper understanding and more solid embedded learning, the kind that allows you to be a successful qualified professional.
Nothing is more effective than practice at helping you learn. As you enter the new year, never underestimate the value of making time for question practice and mock exams when you plan for an exam.
If you don’t practise, then you don’t know whether you have the necessary skills to be successful in the exam. How do you know your ability to recall technical knowledge, or to manage your time? How do you know how you fair under pressure for this particular exam, being tested on these specific topics or at this level? If you’re anything like me, there were subjects that I understood and therefore, dare I say, liked, but then there were others that looked like they were derived from an unknown ancient language, which took a lot longer to decipher!
Practice allows you to make mistakes – but mistakes are golden, they’ll show you how not to approach a question, a task, an exam. They’ll highlight any weak areas, and in turn they’ll help you develop a healthy behaviour towards your study, your learning and planning your success in the year ahead.
Life beyond the qualification
Your mental and physical health are extremely important to support your CGMA journey.
Ensure you’re getting enough sleep, eating well and exercising regularly. I know this gets trickier at the end of the year, as the nights draw in and it’s cold outside, and when you’re trying to juggle multiple personal and professional responsibilities in a very short time.
The festive season is, however, the perfect time to unwind and recharge, even if it’s in small bursts. Make sure to spend quality time with your family and friends, absorb the joy and celebrations around, do activities you love, and allow yourself to disconnect and (if the little people in your home allow you to) maybe even relax. While it’s important to stay on top of your studies, it’s equally important to take breaks and enjoy life. Taking a few days off will not derail your success, it’ll only enhance it.
Happy holidays!
- Nasheen Wuisman, Senior Manager – Global Academic Progression at AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
