The idea of hard work can be daunting for many, with shortcuts seeming increasingly appealing when motivation runs out mid-way through studying.
I, myself, was often afraid of hard work and didn’t assess the reasoning behind why I shied away from it, but addressing the root cause can be incredibly helpful when it comes to overcoming that fear.
In simple terms, a work ethic is your form of motivation, pushing you to succeed and not delay your learning, so it’s an important thing to master during your revision for your accountancy exams.
When working with students on my Accounting Exam Accelerator Programme, I strive to reduce the limitations holding us all back from achieving our full potential.
There are lots of different ways in which you can develop a good work ethic when revising, so it’s important to place emphasis on housing a positive mindset as well as a good study.
1. Avoid Procrastination
Procrastination can often be the first major hurdle to overcome as it wholly prevents the work you should strive to complete when it comes to studying.
In my article How To Stop Procrastinating Whilst Studying For Your Accountancy Exams, you can read my insights into the problem and how to effectively curb it so that you begin working hard as soon as possible.
2. Self-Discipline
You are in charge of your future and your study time is set up by no-one other than yourself, so be as strict as an employer would be about completing work on time with your revision.
If you find yourself being incredibly lenient with how productive you are in a day, realise the trend and snap out of it so that you’re keeping on track with your progress.
3. Daily Lists
From to-do lists to reminders, it’s important to plan what content you want to study in whatever way works best for you.
By jotting down what you’re aiming to cover, whether it be in the space of an hour, a day or the next week, this also provides you with the motivation to meet the target you’ve set.
Study plans are a great way to organise your goals on a daily basis and you can read more about their purpose, benefits and creation in my blog How To Create An Effective Study Plan For Your Accountancy Exams.
4. Work-Life Balance
As cliché as it sounds, it’s imperative that you practise a work-life balance so that you don’t get burnt out with your revision.
Set aside time for your studying as well as having time to enjoy your interests away from a work space, and if your studying runs longer than planned, designate slightly more time than you’d set out previously for your hobbies, or vice versa.
5. Study Yourself
If you find that your study techniques aren’t helping you absorb information, you’re likely to suffer from a decrease in motivation, so it’s a good idea to change the way you learn.
My article Pass Your Accountancy Exams By Understanding Your Learning Style covers the various ways in which we can take in information, so trying a new method could be helpful in developing a more positive work ethic.
6. Aim High
Set yourself an end goal that you can aspire to achieve at some point towards the end of your exam journey.
You could aim for something career-related such as a high grade or something more personal like carrying out a good routine everyday, just be sure to pick something you have to work for but you know you can complete.
It’s best, however, to not aim for complete perfection as you can find this to be more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to envisaging your dream as it can be widely unattainable – my blog Why You Shouldn’t Strive For Perfection In Your Accountancy Exams covers this in further detail.