What is your state when studying for certifications?

Studying for your certifications can be an exhilarating experience or it can be a mundane task. How you focus on it depends on what you will get out of it.

And it all has to do with our state. Think about it right now. How do you feel about studying?

Really think about it. This will make you conscious what it means to you.

It all has to do with what kind of questions we are asking ourselves, whether you consciously ask them or not. If you ask empowering questions, you get empowering answers back. If you are asking negative questions then those answers you will receive will not help you one bit.

Our brains are a vast storage area which deposits everything we experience, memories of what we feel about certain things, distinctions and knowledge. From it we can draw the answers we wish. If we ask a question and we don't receive the answer immediately, then that questions becomes 'pending'. And it keeps on being like that till our brain finds the answer.

Example:

When I was doing my first certification, the A+, I knew very little about all the resources we have available to us in order to study for our certifications effectively. As I was studying my certification book I kept on thinking, "How can I have some fun learning this technology". The answer didn't come immediately because I didn't have any prior experience with certifications and didn't know of the resources available.

Sure enough though my brain brought me back the answer. One day I was surfing the internet and came across practice exams. As soon as my eyes rested on them, something clicked in my brain. It had found the answer to my question.

Now you may think that practice exams aren't anything spectacular. To me they are though. I have so much fun doing them. Everyone views things in different ways. If you were to ask this question, your brain may come up with a different answer because it takes into consideration what you may like and what you may not like.

So how can you empower yourself as you are studying?

Ask empowering questions. And do so in a state that you feel empowered. Let's take an opposite example. If you were to ask, "Why do I have to study for this?" and your state was that of boredom, what kind of answers will your brain come up with?

"Because you have to"

or if it wants to give you a bit more motivation it may answer with:

"Because you can get a promotion"

But these don't really help you, do they? Why?

Because they don't empower you in the moment. They give promise of things to come, but at this moment you are feeling bored. You need an answer that will wipe away that boredom and replace it with something powerful you can use right now.

Condition yourself to focus on what you want. Focus on asking the kinds of questions that will bring you back answers you can use to get yourself out of the challenge you are facing. Whatever you ask for, your brain will bring back.