This is very true for many of us, especially those of us in the Accounting Industry. The April showers are representative of the end of tax season. A time where many of us are working triple hours, don’t see our families and get mentally exhausted by the end of it. With the right processes, attitude, and self-care, we can turn those April Showers into May Flowers, a rejuvenating time of year, that sees new and rejuvenated life all around us. It boils down to 3 things.
Have a deadline for submissions. We selected 2 weeks prior to the end of tax season, as our deadline for ensuring it would be filed on time. Anyone that submitted after the 2-week cut-off time, either had to take their chances or pay a priority/rush fee to ensure it would be completed within 3 days. This left me with the option of not forcing myself to work 24-48 or even 72 hours straight to ensure the taxes are completed on time. Yes, I did work a 72-hour stretch in my tax days. Obviously prior to drawing those lines in the sand.
One person’s lack of preparation does not constitute an emergency for another. There, I said it! Let’s call it as we see it. Tax time comes at the same time every year. It doesn’t change and is not a surprise to our clients. So why are we treating those clients that don’t have an urgency for it differently by letting it become our urgency? We prepare in advance and do all we can to help our clients prepare in advance. This is where having a cut-off date, and an option to pay more for the rush jobs will help keep those boundaries, as well as have a consequence for our clients that are not prepared. After all, should there not be consequences for every action? The good consequence of getting things filed in time for those that are prepared, and the consequence of a penalty, either from the government, or us to help those that are not prepared.
Time off. I know, unheard of at tax time. I always booked the end of tax season with a day off for the team, where we had a relaxing team building day, and then off to a long weekend. I also had myself booked for 2 days off. I was the only one who worked on the taxes, so the team did not carry the same stress and hours as I did. 2 days of doing nothing. Not getting dressed. Reading a book or catching up on shows. No cleaning. No chores. Nothing. This was so mentally refreshing, which enabled me to go back and have a great start to May.
Until Next Time,
