July 2020
Thomas Jefferson’s quote should be taken to heart by all PQs
determined to get qualified, says Pantelis C. Fouli.
As we approach the ACCA exams the inner chatter is attempting to take over – ‘I won’t be ready’, ‘best leave this exam for next session’, ‘missing one exam sitting won’t make a difference’. I’m sure there are other comments too. And I’m sure that if we spoke to our friends the way we speak to ourselves at times we would have no friends at all.
In a quick, three-step formula one of the best personal development coaches in my country stated the following:
• Do less, remember the famous 80/20 rule. That is 20% of our efforts in any particular endeavour is responsible for 80% of our deliverables. For you, an ACCA student, what does that mean practically? It means now, three weeks before they start, our exams are our priority. Delegate what you can to family members and friends in order to lighten the burden on you, enabling you to focus on your studies.
• Be present. When Warren Buffet and Bill Gates were asked about their number-one strategy for achieving all that they have, their answer was the same: focus! Focus, and be present in the moment.
• Disconnect. We live in an age of continuous distraction. It’s virtually impossible to be checking Facebook and Twitter while attempting to be focused on our revision.
Switch off all electrical equipment and focus on the task at hand.
Many of you will be stressing at this point, so all I will say to you is just start. There is a great power in just starting, the time will never be right.
Practical tips
• Schedule your revision time and stick to it. The things that get scheduled are the things that get done.
• Wake up an hour earlier than usual, and get in that one hour of study while the world still sleeps. That one hour over three weeks can add to over 20 hours of additional revision.
• If you can, cram in 30 minutes reading time during your lunch break.
• Do focus on the task at hand, do disconnect.
A Spartan saying goes as follows: “The one who sweats more in practice bleeds less at war.”
Please know that you are never alone; we have our exceptional ACCA Community that is a wealth of knowledge and support.
• Pantelis C. Fouli is ACCA qualified and an ACCA Advocate and Student Mentor.
See https://www.linkedin.com/in/pantelisfouli, but please mention in any personal message that you are a PQ reader.
