Since today is one of my favorite days of the year (Happy Halloween everyone!), I decided to break up the routine a bit. Instead of updating you on my CompTIA A+ progress, I will be talking about some simple strategies I’ve found and that I’ve been using to find motivation to study for my first IT Cert!

Getting motivated is hard. Getting motivated to study for your IT Certification exam is even harder! Trust me … I’m speaking from experience.

I’m currently getting ready to take my first IT Certification exam (CompTIA A+ 2006 … in case you haven’t heard already), so I know that getting motivated and staying motivated can be very difficult. The most typical problems with motivation that I’ve come across are:

• Getting initially motivated: You want to get certified, but find it really hard to get started
• Staying motivated: You started preparing for an exam, but find it hard to keep up with it
• Getting motivated again: You stopped your preparation for an exam, and think it’s too late to go back

Do any of the above sound familiar? Well, you’re not alone. Everyone feels unmotivated at times, no matter what you’re trying to accomplish.

And in the case of going the extra mile and getting that IT certification you’ve always wanted — it can be that much harder. Let’s face it, it’s not exactly on your priority list; your job, your family, your finances, and a million other things are.

So how do you get on the right track? How do you find the time and energy and the motivation to get the IT cert you want?

I’ve been getting my advice and motivation from the web — reading helpful websites, blogs and forums — and I’ve compiled some of the best tips that I’ve found that have helped me along, and I hope can help you too!

1. Getting Initially Motivated: Take it One Step at a Time!

Don’t start preparing for your exam by studying 6 hours a day — you’ll get yourself burned out fast! Instead try starting off small and increase as you go. So, during the first week read, study, or practice for only 15 minutes a day, but stay consistent — do it every day and stay consistent. Everyone has 15 minutes to spare in a day, right?

The following week step it up by 5 extra minutes each day, so that you’re devoting 20 minutes each day to your goal. Increase the time you spend on preparation for your exam by only 5 minutes each week until you get to a comfortable level. What you’re doing here is creating a habit of studying every day.

Trust me, you won’t even notice the 5 extra minutes you’re adding each week and this easy plan will help you stick to the routine and your goal.

2. Staying Motivated: Concentrate on a Single Goal!

Minimize distractions and focus on studying for only one certification at a time. In other words, don’t make your goal overwhelming and more difficult than it needs to be. Simplify and divide your big goal into smaller goals if you have to.

Try not to do too much; save your energy and time for your one, single goal. Don’t make a complete life change in one day by starting on your certification preparation, learning a foreign language, and training for a marathon. Concentrating on only one of these at a time will give you better chances of accomplishing your goals.

3. Getting Motivated Again: Starting Over is Not So Bad!

I know what you’re thinking: going back to studying for an exam that you’ve abandoned months ago is impossible. You might as well just give up, right? WRONG! Getting motivated again is hard, but it doesn’t have to be.

Start with a quick review of what you’ve already learned and take it one step at a time — start off small and build up your study time over a few weeks. The good thing is that you’ve already went over some (if not most) of the study material already, so a lot of what you’re doing is just reviewing the information you already learned. The important thing to remember is not to break the study habit again.

4. Think Positive: the Benefits Outweigh the Negatives!

Don’t think about how hard that exam is going to be, or about how much you have to learn, how much time you have to spend studying, etc. Instead, think of the opportunities your new certification will offer, all the knowledge and experience you’ll gain, and what a great boost this will be to your career.

By staying positive and optimistic, studying will seem less like a chore and more like an opportunity for improvement and finally accomplishing something you’ve always wanted.

5. Whatever You Do: Don’t give up!

This is the final and most important thing you need to remember — no matter what you do, stick with it and don’t give up. Taking a break from studying can very easily get you in trouble and it will seem like starting over.

Try breaking up your certification goal into several smaller accomplishments and reward yourself when you complete each of them. This will give you something to look forward to that has a move immediate reward than passing the certification exam.

Remember: you’re not alone! Many people (including myself) are studying for their IT certs. We’re trying to accomplish the same things and we’re feeling the same frustrations and lack of motivation you are! Get inspired by others who are working on the same goals. Sharing tips and experiences with others who are in a similar situation to yours can be extremely motivating.

Looking for motivation? Check out some of my previous posts:

• Part 9: Networking is Not My Friend …
• Part 7: BSOD and Other Scary Stuff …
• Part 4: The Trouble with Troubleshooting …
• Part 3: Overwhelmed … and Over My Head!

2 Responses to “5 Simple Ways to Get Motivated for Your IT Certification Exam”

• JC Says:

  November 8th, 2007 at 5:33 pm

  Hello. This is for Kasia G. I am very thankful for your honest, down to earth posts. When I first stumbled on your site about three weeks ago, after reading yours and so many other testimonails, articles, and looking at how reasonable the pricing was (along with the credentials of the trainer), I ordered the A+ cert.

  I am just now seeing the link to your background. I have no prior IT experience other than working PT doing phone tech support about 5 years ago (job lasted for only a couple of months).

  I figured: if Kasia can do it, so can I. Thank you again and keep up the good work! -JC

• Kasia Grabowska Says:

  November 13th, 2007 at 12:36 pm

  Hi JC!

  Thank you so much for your comment! You have no idea how awesome it is to hear that you enjoy reading my posts :)

  As I mentioned in the above article, one thing that keeps me motivated is reading about the experiences of others who are trying to accomplish similar goals — that’s why I’m very grateful for your inspiring (and not to mention very kind) words.

  Good luck on your A+ cert and keep me posted on your progress.

  Kasia

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