Word of the Week

Achievable (adj.) - capable of being done or carried out; describes a task, etc. that is possible to succeed in finishing or reaching, especially after a lot of work or effort

Taking the CPA exam, and passing it, is possible, but getting there is a journey in and of itself.

This weekend depression reared its ugly head.  Luckily, my husband and pastor are very observant. Thankfully, my pastor also shares my personality.  Two minutes into the “how are you?” conversation at the beginning of praise and worship practice he just stops me and makes me sit down… “What’s wrong?”   Although I knew something was wrong, depression was not the word I’d used to describe it all weekend, but then again I really hadn’t come up with a word that fit.

In tears yesterday I told my husband that I knew the exam was a good investment, but I did not want life to be about the career.  I did not want accounting to be focus of the next thirty years.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love my job and thank God that he provided it, but my heart yearns for other things as well.  My level headed husband responded that taking and passing the exam did not mean that life would be about my career, and of course he’s right, but I had to voice that fear before it consumed me. 

Flash forward… the word of the week is achievable.

CPA review materials are geared for students coming out of college with the material fresh on their minds.  Seven weeks of review, at 20 hours a week, and then a 3 ½ hour test – no biggie.  Me… I haven’t studied accounting in 4 years, really 6-7 years since major study.  On top of that I’ve tried to block most of it out (which is another story). 

Starting today, I’m taking an achievable approach to this test.  I mentally can not take studying twenty hours a week while…  my house goes dirty, my husband wears dirty pants to work at least one day before I wash jeans, we eat fast food or frozen food or next nothing because there’s no thawed meat to cook.  Starting today, it’s ten hours of study a week; if I can get in more – that’s great.  The study course is seven weeks, but I have access to the website for 4 months, so I’m going to make use of it.  This means that I’ll have to move out my already scheduled test date and rearrange my other three study sessions, but that’s not failure – it’s a smart decision.  A healthy decision!