How To Make Studying A Habit
Key Points:
Make good habits easy and accessible
Make bad habits hard and hidden
You won’t ever pass the CPA Exam until daily study becomes a habit. Here’s how to start that habit.
Starting good habits and stopping bad habits comes down to 2 things.
Make the good habits easy and accessible
Make the bad habits hard and hidden
Always keep these 2 principles in mind when doing habit work.
Here are some of the ways to do that with the CPA Exam.
Start small. When you want to start studying for the CPA Exam maybe don’t just jump from 0 hours a day straight to 4 hours a day. If you are having trouble studying for that long then start small and build it up. Start with something you can manage, even if its just 5 minutes. Starting with something manageable will let you build the habit over time and eventually reach your goal of multiple hours a day.
Set your materials out. A small but simple way to make studies easy and accessible is to set out your study materials and have them ready to be used. Having them visible and accessible will facilitate your ability to start studying.
Delete the phone. Phones are the hardest distraction to avoid for most people. If you’re trying to start studying your phone is always going to be an easy distraction. Remove that distraction. Turn it off. Put it in the other room. Delete TikTok. Whatever you have to do.
Know yourself. If you are dead tired in the morning maybe don’t try to study before work. And if you know you can’t study with noise, maybe don’t always try to study at a cafe. The point is to make this new habit easy. Know yourself and do whatever you can to make this new habit as easy as possible.
Implementation Intentions. Clearly define when and where you will study. That will make it clear and give you less excuses when you decide to not do it.
Identity. Start identifying as someone who studies hard and stays focused. As odd as it sounds, once you start identifying as that you will feel more inclined to act that way.
Implement these ideas to start creating a great new study habit.
