I find this a very isolating endeavour. For those who find it the same and perhaps depressive, what tactics/strategies do you employ to instill/maintain focus &discipline?
Take often breaks to reconnect with your friends and family, make sure that you stay physically active as not only does it help with building focus endorphins will make you feel good. Also if you are so inclined meditation helps as well, however I think the most important thing to do is stay connected with your friends. If you’re an extroverted person like me, being isolated and focused on studying can easily make you depressed and miserable, I had some very tough times studying for level two and one as a result. I can definitely relate to you because while studying I actually had to quit my job as an accountant as I found the work far too isolating and impersonal as well as tedious and boring. I don’t know where that puts me in the finance realm because I am definitely not the type of person that enjoys building spreadsheets all day by myself. Perhaps I’ll become a psychologist or the white depak chopra instead lol
A couple of things I used to maintain focus and keep discipline: - set out a study schedule from now to the exam and stick to it. I used to do a huge wall calendar and write out each day what I would be covering (usually just the study session eg SS12) - keep fit and active (go to gym, run, whatever, but keep active) - hang around AF a lot (I found it a great relief when I discovered that there were thousands of people out there just like me, facing the exact same situation and AF was somewhere where you could all relate to life while studying the CFA) leave at least one night a week free for friends or family (generally only really needed in the last month or so when the studying really gets ramped up) - make a list of things to do when you pass the exam, and use it to motivate yourself to go 3/3
you are thinking too much about this and psyching yourself out. get your nose in the books. when you go jogging for 3 miles and get tired around mile 2.4, you use something to get you past that moment of weakness. go for a 3 mile jog and when you get tired, remember what feeling/thoughts pass through your mind to get you past the tiredness. i think about a road block and my busting through it. everyone gets tired and feels what you feel, but not everyone pushes through. keep the pace up and nose down.
Hey guys, this was helpful and appreciated. Thanks