Self Study finding it hard to get motivated

Any advice on the above? Tips or Videos that will help?. I keep putting study off and using any distraction. I am hoping to get Security+ by September so I'd need to knuckle down.

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10Linefigure

Nothing is free tmcg. You have to take all the steps to get there. Ask yourself why do you want Security+? What will it do for you? If you want it because it comes with knowledge, that you leverage for increased pay, then thats motivation. If it is a first step to build confidence to go for a harder cert later, then thats motivation. Work / education, to me at least, is a means to an ends. I study so I can make more money and use that money to visit home and travel more often. So it all depends, what do you want it to mean to you?

E Double U

1. Replace "hope" with "plan".

2. Make a list of goals and what is needed to achieve them.

3. Stick to the plan or stop wasting your time and find what it is that you really would like to do.

JoJoCal19

I find it helpful to talk to someone who is where you want to be. Look at their successes. Look at what got them there. Alternatively when I'm feeling low on motivation, I take a drive down A1A and take in the scenery of beautiful oceanfront homes that obviously successful people own, and it reinvigorates me and renews my motivation to keep moving forward. Find your own similar motivation and do the same.

tmcg

Yes knowledge and a bridge to higher certifications. I've done all my other certs in college and it was easy to stay motivated because of that. I think I need to set aside time per day and get stuck in, a plan is certainly something I need rather than sporadic study. Thank You

ScrawnyRonnie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuHfVn_cfHU

N2IT

I'm going to get the CISSP just because of Shia!

E Double U

ScrawnyRonnie wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuHfVn_cfHU

If this doesn't motivate tmcg then I don't know what will.

Edificer

Half of this year is already gone by. Ask yourself, how much more time are you going to waste?

N2IT

Maybe certifications aren't what drive you. I think just improving in general regardless of what part of your life is the key. If not certs, maybe health, fitness whatever.

Don't beat yourself up over one little thing. Just saying.....

chopsticks

bradl3yC

Book your exam. That will motivate you to get the work done

As soon as I booked my exam, I was like "holy ****, I need to get this done"

E Double U

bradl3yC wrote: »

Book your exam. That will motivate you to get the work done As soon as I booked my exam, I was like "holy ****, I need to get this done"

This has worked for me every single time!

tmcg

Certifications are definitely for me, I love I.T always have from a young age, after all knowledge is power! I'm currently 10 videos into the CBT Nuggets Security+. I think tonight I will pick up the Darril Gibson book and knock out a couple of chapters. Just need a kick up the @## which some of you guys have certainly give me

tmcg

Edificer wrote: »

Half of this year is already gone by. Ask yourself, how much more time are you going to waste?

This will be my third certification of the year

wd40

2 Hours ago I was thinking about this subject, I was thinking about the Pomodoro technique for time management and improved learning.. so I searched for and found this:

The Pomodoro Kit | FC Garage GmbH
Originally I only wanted the timer, but thought 29.99 Euros is not Bad I will get the Book + Timer kit
.. proceeding with the purchase and hit confirm .. then I saw that they charged me 29.95 Euros for shipping ..

That put me in shock mode where I was not able to study at all for 1 Hour

They key is in proper time management and avoiding procrastinating, and please look at the details

More about Pomodoro:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique

markulous

What are your goals? I know if I didn't have any goals I wouldn't be motivated to do anything.

tmcg

The same as everyone else I suppose... get a job I am going to enjoy going into everyday and get paid well for the privilege. Other than that Security+ interests me and I want to use that and my Network+ as a bridge to move onto CCNA in September.

nascar_paul

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

I find it helpful to talk to someone who is where you want to be. Look at their successes. Look at what got them there. Alternatively when I'm feeling low on motivation, I take a drive down A1A and take in the scenery of beautiful oceanfront homes that obviously successful people own, and it reinvigorates me and renews my motivation to keep moving forward. Find your own similar motivation and do the same.

This is some of the best advice that I've ever heard in my life. Truer words never spoken. Thinking about what you want is one thing. Looking at it is another all together. Whatever it is that you want or want to achieve... Generate or capture some manner of image of it and put it where you study, lab, etc. Look at it and imagine yourself with that thing and/or experience or whatever and GET BUSY!

Oh, and also consider changing up your goal or the method that you're using to achieve it. Shake up what you're doing. I've been studying for the 70-411 for a month and it was making me MISERABLE! I decided to schedule the N+ for the end of the month (it's on my list, but I just never got around to it) and I've been having a GREAT time getting ready!

E Double U

tmcg wrote: »

This will be my third certification of the year

Then you seem pretty motivated to me lol.

LeisureSuitLarry

I can tell you what helped motivate me was a perspective of being very thankful for having access to the right information to study. When I worked in IT in the mid/late 90's, it was very hard to get access to certain information if you didn't have a lot of money. Back then I studied for the Solaris 2.6 administrator cert, but the proper books couldn't be had unless you paid over $1000 for training materials. I passed the first test, but failed the second, and I can tell you for 100% certainty I could have passed that second test if I had had access to the right information.

These days you can find anything on the internet. When I decided to go back into IT a few months ago, I started looking for things to study and I was amazed how easy it was to get the information I needed. It just wasn't like that 15+ years ago. You couldn't get a Cisco router on ebay for $100 or less, there were no free Cisco router simulators that came with $30 books. There wasn't a huge array of streaming videos available online to teach you anything and everything you ever wanted to know. So for my perspective, I just don't take it for granted that we have amazing access to information these days. We can learn anything we want.

I imagine I've had just some small taste of the perspective poor people must have had hundreds of years ago, when it was nearly impossible to learn to read or get a book without having means. In the era of slavery, slaves often risked their lives trying to educate themselves in secret. It's too easy to take for granted the free flow of information in modern times.

The information for IT was locked up much tighter last century, and it was hard to get past the gatekeepers without a lot of money. Thankfully it's not that way now. Be excited. You have free/cheap access to something that is of immense value.

tmcg

I guess I am however all previous were done at college (night class) I have an 8 month baby that has not been well lately so that has clearly factored also.

tmcg

All you guys are awesome thanks!

Dakinggamer87

N2IT wrote: »

Maybe certifications aren't what drive you. I think just improving in general regardless of what part of your life is the key. If not certs, maybe health, fitness whatever.

Don't beat yourself up over one little thing. Just saying.....

Agreed just keep going!! Tomorrow is another day and fresh start to new opportunity. You can be successful make a daily plan and stick to it!! Make goals and think were you want to go in life.

alias454

bradl3yC wrote: »

Book your exam. That will motivate you to get the work done As soon as I booked my exam, I was like "holy ****, I need to get this done"

Yup, this was what got my brain out of park for my CCNA exam.

NetworkingStudent

What works for me is talking about what I want to do with others.

If you want to pass the exam all you really need is this book
CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-301 Study Guide.

Security+ Blog Links - Get Certified Get Ahead | Get Certified Get Ahead

This is the only book I used to pass the Security+ exam. Also, I used the measure up practice exams.

Study Guide
Pass the Security+ exam the first time you take it with the CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-301 Study Guide.
Each of the eleven chapters presents topics in an easy to understand manner and includes real-world examples of security principles in action.
The author uses many of the same analogies and explanations he’s honed in the classroom. These analogies an explanations have helped hundreds of students master the Security+ content.
You’ll understand the important and relevant security topics for the Security+ exam, without being overloaded with unnecessary details.

Judderman88

Hi TMCG
I can relate exactly to how you feel. Not wishing to blow my own trumpet but I’d consider myself a reasonably smart chap, I just find it incredibly hard to apply myself academically, and yes, I know there is a distinct difference.
My advice:
Just book the exam because if you don’t, you’ll keep putting it off. If you do, you have a target to achieve and I find it psychologically helps me to focus.
Don’t waste time writing out lengthy study plans. You’re wasting time, just get on with it. I know some may disagree with me there but hey, different methods work for different people.
Don’t study in front of the TV, don’t study in bed, sit up to a desk. And if you don’t require internet access, switch off your router so you don’t start surfing.
Tell yourself you are going to study for 1 hr, 2hrs, and stick to it. Then reward yourself with a cuppa!
As shallow as it sounds, we work to live, we don’t live to work. Progression and money buys the finer things and should lead to a better quality of life. Surely that’s motivation enough?

Lando1

I found with the Cisco press stuff to just plow through it. I made the mistake of trying to master a section or objective before moving on, big mistake! At the end of the book earlier sections were pretty much Greek to me..lol. My later approach was to read through it fast, retain a small portion then go back and dig in deeper. I set aside a schedule for myself after work, I did about 3hrs a night with Saturday night off and stuck with it until exam day.