Memorial Day is the traditional start of the summer season and starts with a three-day weekend. I know many like the long weekend, especially as the days get warmer and longer, but please do not lose sight of the purpose of this day, which is to honor those that lost their lives so we could have the freedom, liberty and security we have today.
I have a suggestion for my accountant friends. Take off Fridays starting now through Labor Day. Work a couple of extra hours a day the rest of the week to make up for any “physical” work you need to do. Better yet, work more effectively and efficiently and do not do anything that is not important. We get caught up sometimes on many urgent things and many small things that are not important but that can be knocked off quickly, fooling ourselves that we are being productive. Also, figure out how to delegate better so you can cut down your extra hours. With smartphone connectivity, you will never be out of touch should it be absolutely essential that you be reached.
Another thing I discovered is that clients and others are used to people not being around on summer Fridays. It is no longer a surprise, and the reality is that most things can wait until Monday morning. A small tradeoff for your lengthened weekend is a little more hectic Monday morning.
Chucking Fridays will improve the quality of your life with very little loss of anything else. Try it for the next couple of weeks and see if you agree with me.
Edward Mendlowitz, CPA, is partner at WithumSmith+Brown, PC, CPAs. He is on the Accounting Today Top 100 Influential People List. He is the author of 24 books, including “How to Review Tax Returns,” co-written with Andrew D. Mendlowitz, and “Managing Your Tax Season, Third Edition.” Ed also writes a twice-a-week blog addressing issues that clients have at www.partners-network.com. Art of Accounting is a continuing series where Ed shares autobiographical experiences with tips that he hopes can be adopted by his colleagues. Ed welcomes practice management questions and can be reached at (732) 964-9329 or emendlowitz@withum.com.
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