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The journey toward CPA licensure is a lot like walking on a tight rope. The key is balance. Lean too far in one direction or the other, and you’ll fall. But with good balance, walking that highwire is no different than walking across the floor.

As with most things in life, your preparation for the CPA exam requires a healthy balance between work, study, and personal time. None can be neglected, and while they’re all good, you can certainly have too much of a good thing. So how do you strike the right balance? How can you spend enough time studying without cutting into your work responsibilities or your personal time like sleep and family time? Here are a few tips to get you on the right track.

Communicate

This step can sometimes be the hardest, but it’s also probably the most important, so it’s at the top of the list. It cannot be emphasized enough – for the people in your life to understand what you need and what you’re going through, you have to communicate with them. This goes for all areas of your life including family, friends, your boss, and your coworkers.

Have clear and direct conversations with all of these people about the difficult task you’re undertaking and the things they can do to support you. Ask your partner or roommate for a little more help with household chores. Tell your kids why it’s important that you get some quiet time to study. Explain to your friends that you won’t be able to go out as much as before and ask them to respect that. Tell your boss about your study schedule and requirements and ask them to help you balance your work responsibilities around that.

A simple conversation can go such a long way. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to do it all and manage it alone. Balance starts with healthy communication.

Discipline

In any strenuous task, discipline is required to make it to the end. The CPA Exam is no different. Of course, you have to be diligent in your studies and committed to your preparation, but in this case, discipline extends beyond just that. To maintain balance in your life, you have to be disciplined not just in your study habits, but also in your time at work, with your family, and in your own personal time. Be intentional about each of these things and give yourself permission to be fully present for every different aspect of life. Don’t waste your family time stressing about your study time. Don’t ruin your study time by thinking about a project at work. Don’t lose sleep at night worrying about everything you have to do tomorrow.

When you study, study well. When you work, work diligently. When you’re with your family, enjoy it and soak it all in. You get more from every part of life if you’ll simply be disciplined enough to be fully present in each moment. You study more efficiently, you get more done at work, and you get more quality time with friends, family, and with yourself.

Give each part of your day 100% of your focus, so that the other parts won’t suffer. Of course, it’s not always easy, but without this kind of discipline, it will end up being much harder.

Stick to your Schedule

The discipline we just talked about becomes much more manageable when you have a schedule. As you work toward passing your CPA Exam, you should have a schedule at three different levels. First, the big picture. Know when you’re taking which exam part and plan what you need to study and how much accordingly. From there, break down your studying into smaller goals. Then make a daily and weekly schedule of how to get there.

Don’t just schedule for studying though. Make room in your schedule for work, for family, for yourself, for your friends. Schedule it all and stick to it. Then give everything your full attention during its allotted time. Obviously not everything will always go according to schedule, so be flexible and adaptable. When things change or new things come up, rework your schedule to fit it. Don’t be afraid to say no to things that are less of a priority.

When you start the study process, make sure your CPA Review course includes a full study planner that you can customize to meet your needs. Also, here is a helpful resource to keep you on track and ensure your study time is as efficient as possible.

Remember, you are in charge of your future! If you can do these three things, you’re well on your way to balance, and with balance comes success.

Megan Burke, CPA, Ph.D is part of an extensive team of expert accounting educators and practicing CPAs who develop the high-quality, CPA Exam preparation curriculum for UWorld Roger CPA Review.