"Where are you from?" and "A little less weighted"

Hi folks, these days I am lucky to get one blog out a week!  Sorry 'bout that, but we're getting close to the end here...November 19 and 20, if you have any affection for me, please send out big prayers for me to be calm and pass CFP (aka big nasty) on those days.  But enough of that....

First off, I was made aware that I have another international reader!  Shell lives in England and somehow found me!!  That's awesome!  So that made me wonder...where are the rest of you from?  If you don't want to post it, that's fine, but would you please do me a kudos and email me please?  I'm very interested!  Thanks Bleaders!

Now, "a little less weighted."  No, unfortunately I haven't lost weight, that I know of and that isn't what this is about.  For the past few months year 5 years, I have been worried about CFP.  When I passed the last class in August, I got more worried because now that was the true challenge in front of me.  Sure, the classes were part of it, but CFP is really the Comprehensive Exam that is next month.  When people reference "the CFP" that is what they are speaking of. 

When I started reviewing the materials that I got for the cram course (which is NEXT WEEK!) in August, I was very worried.  I mean, I had read it all before, but some of it was so very long ago that it took a while to come back.  I plowed through, often bitching so someone would tell me "you'll be fine" (and I'm sure you ladies know who you are).  Just as I would get to a point where I felt okay about it, I would hit another road block and get worried all over again.  There have been tears, anger, frustration and just plain insanity it seems!  And when you add in the normal day-to-day things of a wife and a financial advisor, I've felt very under-water some days...especially when there's drama at the office. 

However, as of late, the drama at the office is no longer (very thankfully they "left the building") and the weight resting upon my shoulders went with them (again, very thankfully).  So that is a little less weight.  But as I wrapped up the last book of the cram stuff this week, and the last of the practice tests today (with the exception of the practice final), I'm actually starting to feel better about this whole thing.  Don't get me wrong, I am still scared about how it all will play out and how much I'll drink between the time I take the test and the time I get my score (ummm...1.5 months, including over Christmas!), but I don't sweat as much when I look at my books or don't pass a practice exam the first time. 

My cram course is next week and I am very hopeful that it will put everything in perspective and help me relax even more.  It also helps that my boss is really great, and is letting me not work from when I get home from the cram course to the exam so I can study full time.  Hopefully it won't be a practice that needs repeating in March (when the CFP is offered after November - if I don't pass).  I have discussed a schedule for studying those days with previous test takers and BAR test takers, so I don't get distracted.  And I plan to be able to do these things in my sleep so when the test comes along, it's like another day in my home office. 

I know this test will not define me.  Nor will failing it...or passing it for that matter.  I'll be beyond enthused whenever I pass, this year or next.  But I need to remember that it is just a test.  An extremely hard test, but still just a test. 

I'm writing this out now, while I am calm, because I can anticipate that disappearing sometime in the next month as CFP dates draw closer and closer.  I know I'll need reminding...so feel free to do that.  I know in the back of my head that once the book on CFP is closed, we can focus all of our attention on baby-making and whatever road that will take us on, but for now I really need to keep that out of my mind.  That will add weight and I don't need that now.  I'm still planning on working out because not only will that get me out of bed in the morning, but it is great stress relief, that I am positive I will need. 

So dear Bleaders, if you don't hear from me for a while (I'm trying to at least blog once a week), don't worry, I'm still here somewhere.  I appreciate all the love you folks generate for me, that that you tell me and that that you don't.  More than you'll ever know!

Hope you all have a great weekend and GO ARIZONA WILDCATS (it's Homecoming weekend)!
Nikus