I used to see 3am and 4am wayyyyyy to often. I was on a first name basis with them, and I hated their GUTS. I think they thought some sort of jacked up agreement with my brain, but no one was admitting to anything, so honestly, I just had to sit back and deal with it.
What the heck am I talking about? Those lovely nights when I would wake up for no reason at 3:41 am and think: “Oh my GAWD. Did I remember to pay <Insert Client’s Name Here> Sales tax?”
I know at least ONE person reading this has done it. It doesn’t happen as often as it used to, but it still does once in a while. I attribute the lessening of my middle of the night sales tax (or payroll tax, whatever - it doesn’t really matter) freak outs to a few major changes. A big thing is that I’m much healthier than I have been in a while. Another is that I know have a great team: an amazing Virtual Admin and tireless account manager. The other is that I make a conscious effort to just STOP WORKING.
That seems so simple, doesn’t it? Just quit working! It’s pretty hard to do though sometimes. It’s very easy to always have my laptop open, working on something. Or my iPad. And my phone is pretty much an extension of my body at this point.
When I first started my practice, I worked ALL the time – sometimes until late into the night. Part of this was because I took everything that came my way, part of it was because I thought I had to get everything done RIGHT NOW.
Ten years into this and I know this: it’s just software. I’m not saving lives. I don’t work weekends unless I can’t avoid it (maybe a special project that requires a weekend conversion?), and I don’t work after 4 or 5pm, aside from answering emails from my phone while I’m sitting around after my kids go to bed and I’m watching Justified – or, let’s be honest - yet ANOTHER Law & Order rerun. I only do that if I can reply quickly, archive and get them out of the way so I don’t have to deal with them the next day.
As a small business owner, bookkeeper, ProAdvisor, QuickBooks nerd, whatever you call yourself, you really have to draw the line and stop working. Otherwise, your brain will be making all sorts of plans with 3am that you want NO part of…