Shanti is a weekly Club 75 Blogger as she documents her journey through the CPA Exam. She has been a member of Another71.com's Club 75 since December 2010.

It’s all about choices and what we tell ourselves, isn’t it?

I have taken some time off from studying, not because life has been super hectic (it always is), but because I chose to.

After spending time writing out a study schedule, I didn’t stick to it. I haven’t stuck with any study plans or schedules I have created for myself since I started this Grand Adventure. I am full of, what I call, reasons as to why that hasn’t happened.

But let’s call a duck a duck; I’m full of excuses.

I chose to hang out with my family. I chose to go to a friend’s wedding that hasn’t taken the time to meet my son, who is now 15 months old. I chose these things over studying. It is no one’s fault that there isn’t enough time to do everything I want to. It’s my choice.

Studying for the CPA exam is hard and takes time. For some, it’s harder than others. I’ve been reading the threads in the forum about passing the test in one window and am amazed at how people can manage to do that. But it was their choice to study as hard as they needed to get it done. True, most fess up to studying being all encompassing, but what an amazing feat, nonetheless.

I also watched the video posted in the ‘Need Motivation?’ thread. That ties in so much with what we are trying to do. We need to want to pass this test as much as we need to breathe. Is that the only way to have the dedication needed for all the study hours?

I am going to start studying again. I have logged in to my Roger CPA Review account, printed out the study guide and dated it. I see lots of MCQ’s in my very near future!

Happy studying!

Shanti