Mike is a new NINJA CPA Blogger.
My name is Mike and I’ve been a member of the accounting/financial work force for almost 9 years. I’ve worked in varying industries both public and private.
I’m happily married and we have three children under the age of five with one on the way (never a dull moment). As some of you may know, having young kids really restricts the amount of time you have to study.
My goal with being a blogger here on Another71 is to possibly give a light of hope for those who feel frustrated and have seriously considered quitting. Everyone has their hardships in life.
In relative meaning, no single person’s hardships are greater than another. However we must own them and make them work for us.
Keep in mind that in the end, you WILL become stronger from it all and define your character. I’ve never envied a person that has it easy, because your challenges in life help you understand who you are.
I’ve been working at the CPA for nearly two years now. Study time is restricted to after the kids are in bed (not asleep, but at least in bed singing or finding other means to stay awake) until I go to sleep, and from 5am to 7 or when one wakes up, whichever comes first.
To further complicate this, at the same time as the CPA exam I have been working on a master’s degree and have had two job changes in the past two years. So with all that, why study now?
At some point I realized that I am not just responsible for myself, but I’ve now got multiple young lives that depend on me to put food on their plates and a roof over their heads. They look to me as a role model and watch my every move. I owe it to them to provide as best as possible and prepare them for the future.
If I’m going to provide for my family as well as I can, the CPA is certainly an obstacle that will prevent me from the best career opportunity, and is something that I must accomplish. Scholastics don’t run very deep in my family, but I didn’t want my children to think of that as an excuse and think that it’s not an option.
No, the CPA is an exam that I MUST complete.
With the next entry, I’ll share my experiences to date with the beast that is known by many as the CPA.
