Taking the enrolled agent exam is a big commitment, but it’s also an investment that can pay off big in your career. As a tax professional, you recognize the benefits of earning the enrolled agent designation. Becoming an enrolled agent allows you to expand your client base and offer more services. But as rewarding as those opportunities are, you’re still a busy professional who has a life to live outside of taxes! It’s difficult to commit to studying, but the benefits are worth it. Here are our top five tips for staying motivated while you study, so that by next tax season, you can reap the rewards of using two new letters behind your name – EA.  

1. Find your “why” 

We hear this about a lot of things in life: “find your why.”  It’s applicable here too. Before you start working toward your goal, first discover why you are motivated to become an enrolled agent. The “why” can be different for everyone, and you aren’t limited to just one. They can be as simple as: 

• Landing a specific job 
• Increasing your earning potential 
• Opening your own tax practice 

Once you determine your “why,” write it down and make sure you post it in places where you’ll see it. Put a sticky note on your monitor at work, your mirror at home and anywhere you’ll spot it throughout the day. But especially leave it any place where you typically find yourself procrastinating and where you actually go to study. It will remind you why you are sacrificing now, so you’re able to get the reward you want later. You can even go a step further and find a picture for your “why” that helps you visualize your end result.  

For example, if you’re planning to use the salary increase you get from earning your EA to get your dream car, find a picture of it. Is your goal to open your own tax practice? Find a picture of the location for your new office or a picture of the sign you’ll put on the door.  

Put those pictures in places that you’ll see daily — maybe as the screen saver on your computer or phone. 

2. Create a plan based on real life 

Studying for the EA exam is a marathon, not a sprint. You’re going to have to sacrifice a few things to create a realistic study plan and meet your goals. Set an ideal date for when you want to pass the EA exam to help you create your plan. If you overestimate the number of hours you’ll have available to study and sacrifice more than you mean to from the beginning, you’ll have more difficulty sustaining your plan. This will make you more likely to get knocked off track. And if executing your plan was difficult in the first place, you’re going to have a hard time getting it going again.  

That said, if you aren’t willing to make some small sacrifices now, you won’t have enough time to study, and you’ll find you aren’t ever quite ready to take the exam.  

The solution is simple, in theory at least! Look at your schedule and see what you are willing to cut out, but make sure you don’t cut things you know you won’t be able to do without for an extended period. 

Can you get up a little early several days a week to study? Can you commit half of your lunch break to reading your book or watching video lectures? Can you use your commute to listen to audio lectures instead of your favorite radio station or podcast? 

Small sacrifices can add up to make long-term studying sustainable, and prioritizing the most important aspects of your daily life will help keep you on the right study path. 

3. Get your support team involved 

Find your support team. Tell your friends and family what you’ve set out to achieve and why. They’ll be the best ones to support you along the way. They may even call you out at times when they know you should be studying but aren’t. If they know about your goals, they’ll be more understanding if you have to forgo a dinner or movie with them because you need to study. 

Join an EA study group, which is a great way to keep yourself motivated and on track. It’s a group of like-minded individuals who can all relate to the challenges you are facing, such as staying motivated, struggling with that one concept you can’t quite remember, or determining the best time and location to schedule your exam. 

The Gleim personal counselors also work as a support system for you, providing encouragement, accountability and guidance on how to study and make the best use of your time. 

4. Put it on your calendar 

Not only should you put your actual exam appointment on your calendar, but you should also include your study times as well. Consider them study appointments. If that feels like too much for your calendar, consider adding your study goals for the week instead. It’s easier to stay on track when you display your goals in a place you look at consistently. 

5. Reward yourself often 

This is our last tip, though it’s certainly not the least important. When it comes to staying motivated, rewarding yourself is a small act with a huge impact. Before the week starts, think about what you’ll reward yourself with at the end of the week once you meet your study goals. Will you treat yourself to ice cream, dinner with a friend or go for that hike? Whatever the reward is, plan it ahead of time. Then make sure to follow through and actually reward yourself for all your hard work, because you deserve it.