05 Jul Tips #10 :: Find Time To Study
I was one of those people who would laboriously make ambitious plans to complete a task. When I decided to pass my PMP® Examination, I wanted to finish the whole thing in 2 months. I was sure it was doable. I took out my calendar and marked about 40 consecutive days for preparation, planning to spare 2 hours every day. Then I would start taking the mock tests.
I was working as a project manager then. For the first 3/4 days, I did that. Then there was a gettogether at home and I could not study that day. Next day I blamed and kicked myself. But, the devil in my mind urged me to skip one more day… and after 2 months I realized that I was where I started!!
What went wrong? It is all about priorities. I did not study because there was work pressure, there were guests coming home, there were friends getting together and going to a movie, kids needed time, I also needed my own me-time…. . so many things! In reality, each of them meant I chose something other than my studies. I could have said no to the gettogether or I could have studied a little less rather than being rigid about studying for at least 2 hours on a given day. The all or none approach made it easy to make a choice not to study.
In reality, studying, putting in focussed work to pass the examination as per the plan, was not my priority! When I realized that, I was stunned. I knew it was true. Deep down in my mind, I had believed the internet calling it a difficult examination. I was worried that I would not pass it! My mind found out excuses not to study and changed my priorities without me even understanding it
Moral of the story is, any time, when you think you are too busy to find time for preparation, STOP. Retrospect. Find out why your mind is telling you that you do not have time. If not passing this examination would mean no promotion or worse still, losing the job, you would not say so. You would find time for it, whatever happened.
Decide your priorities and start studying immediately. Do not get into the trap of “Let me start tomorrow” or “Let me start on Monday”.
Finding Time to study:
- Get up 30 minutes early. Use those 30 minutes for studying. Unless you plan and remind yourself to use those 30 minutes for studying, it will not happen
- If you have a busy schedule that you are aware of, study for 30 minutes more one day before.
- If your day suddenly becomes busy, study for 30 minutes more the next day!
- It is ok if on one out of ten days you cannot make it. Do not blame yourself. Just let that day go and start afresh the next day
- Starting small and increasing time as you gear up will help
- Use the time while travelling / time between meetings etc
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