#95 May 4th, 2023
Blake Carroll, CPA
PwC People Team - Manager | Helping Aspiring CPAs Navigate the CPA Exam with Confidence
This is a pretty inspiring article about how the authors dad has not only turned 100 recently, but also could still pass for far younger than his age. This article explores how he managed to make that happen. He reminds me of the article about the blue zones around the world that have a lot of centurions as well. The author’s father followed a diet of mostly whole foods, but also all things in moderation. He had passions that he continued to pursue and teach others about even into old age, such as music that was popular in his younger years. He stayed open and willing to learn despite everything changing around him, like more video and zoom calls during COVID. He had meaningful relationships with family and friends that he continues to pour into. There is a lot of advice in here than anyone could apply.
Our spouses, partners, and significant others can be some of the most important parts of our lives, but you still should have your own sense of identity and self outside of that core relationship. If you and your partner are fighting too often or getting bored with too much routine that could be a sign you need a little more space. It’s not a poor reflection on your relationship; it’s actually very normal and healthy. Your partner cannot be everything for you. In fact, that would be very unhealthy to expect that of them. You should still have family and friends who are regularly spending time with you, listening to you, offering advice and perspective where needed. You also should still be able to have carved out time for the hobbies and interests that excite you. Not every activity has to be shared. Overall it comes back to the idea of still being your own person and having an identity outside of your relationship. If you only get that from the relationship then what happens if you lose the relationship? You’d lose yourself too, and that of course is not a good thing. Don’t be afraid to bring this up as it’s possible your partner might be feeling the exact same way!?
This author describes their response to an unexpected and fast new task that they were given by their boss, which I’m sure is some thing we all can relate to feeling stress from at times. The author had to pause to take a step back from their initial stressed reaction to try to get out of their feelings and into their thinking brain. Rather than freaking out, you need to come up with a plan to actually tackle whatever is causing your stress. Try to see if you can find some sort of opportunity for growth or learning from the stressful situation. When we have a lot of time pressure on us it can be harder to justify taking a break because we have so much we need to get done as soon as possible, but that is actually very counterproductive. Breaks become even more important in high stress situations to make sure you do not overwork yourself, burn out, or make silly mistakes. You can’t run nonstop when you’re at your peak, let alone when you’re stressed. If your stressful situation is lasting more than just today you need to make sure you’re carving out time for a longer periods of disconnecting and self-care. Also make sure you are reflecting to notice specific triggers and patterns that bring up stress. They are probably similarities between the different situations that trigger you, and if you recognize them you will be more capable of avoiding them in the future. Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need to vent or seek advice on how to deal with your stress. Just make sure there isn’t too much complaining without any attempts to actually fix the situation.??
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Have you ever been in a conversation where you just want to vent but the other person wants to give advice and guidance on what you need to do to solve the problem? Frustrating, isn’t it? You want a cheerleader, but they’re trying to be a coach. It feels good to be a coach because we feel like we’re needed, we’re smart, and we’re helping. But if the other person hasn’t actually asked for advice then we’re really just making the situation about ourselves, and that is selfish. We may be giving advice from a place of fear or insecurity within ourselves. Ask the other person what they need. The other person is capable and strong; you do not have to be everything for them or fix them. Often just believing in people and empowering them is actually much more helpful than any advice you could give!
CPA tip of the week: Don't get disheartened while studying for the CPA - this isn't a never-ending journey.
Balancing work and studying, losing out on weekends, and carrying flashcards everywhere will not be your routine forever. You won't be bothered about scheduling the next section, worrying about the credit scoring, or what order to take the sections. The endless simulations and multiple-choice questions won't consume your free time. The anxiety of waiting for your scores will be a thing of the past. And the fear of scoring below 75 will no longer haunt you.
During these challenging times, it is easy to feel like things will never get easier and that the journey will never end. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Continue working hard, keep putting in the effort, and have faith that your efforts will yield positive results. Remember, the CPA path is not endless, and the final positive outcome is within reach.
If you are trying to pass the CPA exam and keep running into the same obstacle question, or struggle, feel free to message me, and I will do my best to try to help!
I do not have all the answers, but I’ll do my best to try to help point in the right direction. And there are times I lose messages inside my inbox so please follow up if I have not answered!