This week, we’re all about finding what works for you. We all know that one of the awesome things about the ACCA qualification is its flexibility. From how many exams you sit at a time to whether you do self-study, or learn with a provider, there are so many routes of entry that it’s rare for two people’s journeys to look exactly the same. So this week, we sit down with Paul Kirkwood - ACCA UK’s Regional Head of Education and Learning. He takes us through the wide variety of options...

This week, we’re kicking procrastination. We’ve all been there. You’re settled down to do some revision, or write an important email, then the first thought creeps in… “What if I just checked my phone? Or… cleaned the kitchen? Or watched just half an episode of that new show…” And before you know it, 3 hours have gone by, you’re tired, and it’s too late to get started. Procrastinating on tasks, even ones we care about, is a normal, if painful, part of life for most of us. So this week, we...

This week, we’re talking relationships. When we’re pushing towards a goal, or just generally having a tough time, many of us will instinctively turn to our friends, family, colleagues, or even pets for support. But… why? What is it about our relationships that can help pick us up when we’re feeling down? And why is nurturing those connections key to both our physical and mental health, and achieving our goals? This week, we sit down with Dr Anna Machin. She’s an evolutionary anthropologist...

This week, we’re all about becoming more resilient. Pushing on towards our goals is great, but, as we all know, life can have a way of messing with even the best laid plans. Whether it’s failing an exam you worked hard for, having to drop out of athletic training due to an injury, or just generally feeling down on your luck, we’ve all experienced loss or failure in some form or another. So this week, we sit down with entrepreneur Josh Wintersgill to dig into the topic of resilience. From...

This week, we’re talking goal setting. Whether it’s picturing your first job as a qualified accountant or standing on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, it can feel really exciting to imagine a new future for ourselves. But, as many of us know, that excitement can quickly turn to fear when faced with the reality of the work needed to get there.  So this week, we sit down with cognitive behavioural therapist Sarah D Rees to understand why some of us struggle with setting, and achieving, our...

This week, we’re starting at the very beginning. You’ve decided you have a goal – maybe you want to become an accountant, or pass your driving test, or run a marathon. Congrats! So, why can it be so hard to start something new, even if we want to? What is it about fresh challenges that can either light us up or make us shy away? And what might help us take the first step? This week, we sit down with five-board accredited life coach Michelle Elman. Known as the Queen of Boundaries, Michelle...

Are you putting off booking your first accountancy exam, or struggling to get back into studying after a failure? Wherever you’re at in your journey to qualification, On Your Marks explores techniques to help you tackle the process head on. In this series from ACCA, we’re sitting down with experts to understand what can hold us back when we set out to achieve our goals – whether that’s preparing for exam season or training for a marathon. From the importance of hanging out with your mates...