Have you wondered how some folk are able to keep raising the bar in their personal and professional lives each year whilst making it look effortless? It is difficult enough to find time to breathe outside of the ever-busy accounting profession, so what is their secret?
I am sure you have all seen many featured articles on LinkedIn about CAs(SA) reflecting on how gruelling the whole qualification journey was, with most surmounting massive obstacles along the way. So why would someone want to further raise the bar on personal excellence and obtain an MBA, CFA, or other advanced qualifications whilst progressing in their careers and juggling family life and making time for themselves?
Everyone has their own ‘why’ which is quite refreshing to hear over a coffee chat, but that is not the scope of this article. I want to help you understand how you can also become a goal-setting (and -achieving) machine whilst still living your best life.
The key is to reframe perspective using a reference point which can be stretched as you grow. There is an ever-growing body of scientific research on this, often conducted through studying the mindset of elite athletes. In essence, the research found that the elite athletes were able to succeed in their pursuits because they first pictured themselves winning mentally. They visualised themselves winning which then made their physical execution of their strategy on race day easier. This belief in their ability allowed them to realise their outcome on the day. Their mindset was the key to success.
For example, I am an ultra-endurance athlete. By virtue of this training which involves six-hour-long runs, a marathon (42,2 km) is now a short distance used as a training run on weekends. Yet, to a newbie runner, the marathon distance is the pinnacle of achievement and is still considered very far to run.
The distance hasn’t changed, but the reference point has. Note the difference in mindset?
Once you shift your reference point, you unlock a realm of possibility that was previously considered ‘impossible’ or ‘unrealistic’. That’s the secret to practising the art of ‘impossible’. You have to do difficult things. You have to forge your mind to weather any storm. Through that process, you become mentally stronger.
Articles, dear reader, is just the stepping stone in your CA(SA) journey. Now, more than ever, obtaining the CA(SA) marks not the completion of your learning, but rather the start of a lifetime commitment to continuous upskilling. With greater AI implementation in business, you success in the sport of business depends on your ability to analyse trends, understand which skills are in demand and ensuring that you are relentless in your pursuit of acquiring them in order to stay relevant. If you do that, then you will avoid plateauing in your career. You will also unlock more opportunities for career growth.
Good luck on your journey, dear reader!
Food for thought
Besides your continuous professional education, why not consider enrolling for online short courses in areas completely unfamiliar to you? This can broaden your horizon and maybe, just maybe, the newfound learning could spark a deep interest in that field and lead to an exciting new adventure!
Author
Kamir Arjun
Senior Staff Auditor at Deloitte Netherlands
