With 18 days to go, you’re heading into the home stretch.
The most important factor to your success on December 7 is YOU. You need to have full brain power and strong body to report on all the material you have learned.
The finish line is not yet in sight but close. These last days before the CFA exam need to be spent getting you ready for the rigors of exam day. However much you’ve studied and reviewed and tested yourself, you can throw it all away on exam day if you don’t show up in good shape. So here are some of the tips we share with clients in the final stretch.
Practice these to get in top shape for the big day. Take action on a tip a day to get your exam-taking health in top condition 18 days to your big day on December 7.
Success Tip for Day 18: Take a walk around the block and visualize getting the “Congratulations” email next spring.
Success Tip for Day 17: Hold off alcohol until after the exam. Start now drinking 6-8 glasses of water every day (8 oz.).
Success Tip for Day 16: Anxiety can rob you of focus. To quickly calm your amygdala (the “emotional brain”) — talk to yourself in the third person. When you address yourself by your name, your brain reacts like a friend would!
Success Tip Day 15: Increase your confidence — know that all your resources are in order! Start with passport review. Make sure all the information is correct. If not you have time to get corrections if you start today.
Success Tip Day 14: Breathing can help push you over the finish line for December 7. Deep breathing can take you out of the moment. If you feel your brain racing in the middle of solving for “x”, try shallow breathing. Breathe in for count of 10 and out for count of 14.
Success Tip Day 13: If you’re not getting to the gym, do at least 10 minutes of jumping jacks several times during the day. Your brain needs you to exercise to clear out the junk.
Success Tip Day 12: Focus on the successes that will come AFTER you gain the charter. Let aspiration replace anxiety. Anxiety takes up needed brain power. When you focus on all the good things that will come after you gain the charter, you will learn and retain more.
Success Tip Day 11: Today, plan for your day off on November 30. How you think about this process and how you feel now and on exam day make the difference between passing and retaking. You’ll take that day off, rest your brain, relax your body. Will you plan a day at the spa, or relaxing with friends?
Success Tip Day 10: Holiday studying can be challenging. Make a schedule and get buy-in from friends and family. Seek their support for your goals. Not getting support? Avoid those people. This is important to you — and you’ve got just 10 days to finish up. A positive frame of mind is important.
Success Tip Day 9: Willpower doesn’t win this game — choosing what to do when wins. With 8 work days left (and one rest day) what are the 20 most important things for you to do? List those — and do just that. Your focus will carry you into the exam day! (Read more: https://medium.com/the-mission/willpower-doesnt-work-here-s-the-key-to-being-more-productive-according-to-neuroscience-f6c4257eb6b9)
Success Tip Day 8: Today is the day to make your kits and make your plans for exam day. Complete everything you can on the list today; finish up anything you’re still missing no later than Sunday. We can’t do better than the checklists over at 300 hours.
Success Tip Day 7: Your health and mindset are the most important factors to how well you do on Saturday. With a day of rest on Friday, you have seven days left, plenty of time to get focused and relaxed. How important is it for you to be calm? You’ll find crucial thinking in this short video explains what goes on in your brain under anxiety. (For solutions, see Tip for Day 14.)
Success Tip Day 6: Increase your AQ — your Attention Intelligence. These last six days of study — and especially next Saturday — your ability to pay attention to what is important will cut the winners from the losers. How do that? Raise your AQ by being rested, hydrated, nourished. Raise your AQ by shutting out your environment. After you get instructions on Saturday, everything outside of yourself is unworthy of your attention.
Success Tip Day 5: Recheck everything you need for Saturday. Make sure you have all on your checklist, fill your gas tank, finalize any hotel reservations. Pack all your necessities in a backpack or briefcase. Be assured that you have everything you need and all is in order.
Success Tip Day 4: You’ve mocked and mocked and mocked. Take today to just review the questions (from your notes right?) that you missed. Review and read the correct answers.
Success Tip Day 3: Go back over notes for the topics that are easy for you. Refresh your knowledge, feel how it feels for things to be easy.
Success Tip Day 2: During this day, practice your breathing techniques. Eyes closed, slow in 15 counts, slow out 30 counts. Feel how relaxation feels. Technique two for immediate focus: breathe in count of 10 out count of 14. Don’t break action keep working and thinking.
Want to get immediate calm by talking it out with a coach? Get on the schedule! Send us some dates and register for Candidate Success.
Wonder how your prep is going? Take a 30-second survey and get your score.
EXAM DAY!!!! Recall, calculate, PASS!!!!
