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Virgil, the famous roman poet, is credited with one line, that is supremely meaningful to anyone trying to pass the CPA exam.

“Possunt Quia Posse Videntur”

“They can because they think they can.”

Let that sink in for a second. I love that line. 

They can because they think they can.

Anything you accomplish in life is possible only because you have the belief that it can be done. Man would never have made it to the moon or climbed the tallest peak without undeniable self belief. That belief that we can do something extraordinary is what has led people like Elon Musk to start Space X, or Christopher Columbus to sail across the Pacific Ocean. Thankfully for us, the CPA exam is not quite so daunting.

But the principle holds true. You need to believe that you can and will pass the CPA Exam. 

But don’t get me wrong here. You won’t pass the CPA exam just because you believe that you can. No, that’s definitely not the case. But I can guarantee that you won’t pass it until you believe that you can.  

The way that I created a self belief that powered me through the exams rather than held me back was by doing something I learned from one of the scariest people I’ve ever known. A man who would still make me flinch today. This was my super-scary-screaming-straight-out-of-Glasgow-soccer-coach. And if you’ve ever been afraid of someone and can’t imagine how they’d get any scarier, just imagine they have a heavy Glaswegian accent. Even scarier, right?

But it wasn’t just trauma that he left me with. He gave me a trick that I still use today and used almost everyday while I was studying for the CPA exams.

When I was playing soccer for him, before every weekend when we had a game, he would tell us:

"Tonight, before ye lot head to yer beds, lie doon an' picture how ye want tomorrow tae go. Picture every detail frae the time ye wake up, tae when ye hae yer breakfast, tae when ye show up at the field. Imagine how ye're gonnae play. Picture it all in yer mind an' feel the way ye're gonnae feel as ye dae it."

If you struggle to understand Scottish (you’re not alone), let me put it in more straightforward terms. 

He wanted us to play the day in our heads. Imagine how perfectly we were going to do everything. Imagine exactly how we want the day and the game to go. And feel it too. Imagine how you’ll feel as you do it all. Create the script of how you want the day to go.

This is called manifesting.

Some people might consider this pseudoscience or nonsense, but I really think it’s far from that. All it is, is creating a plan in your mind of how you want and expect your day to go. It’s giving yourself the script for the next day and your goal is to be just a little bit more confident, relaxed, and prepared for it.

So, what you need to do is the following.

Every night before bed, close your eyes and manifest your success. Imagine how well you are going to study over the net few days. With laser focus. Or imagine how well you are going to feel and do on exam day. Or walkthrough the next few weeks in your head leading up to success on exam day. Feel the emotions of it all. Create the script for yourself to follow.

Just to reiterate, this is not a substitute for studying, but something you can do to supplement your studies and improve your chances of success.

Happy manifesting!