Overcoming Burn-out

[BHoffman]

I am burned out. Is this feeling going to go away if I just rest and read a book or play golf or something? It's like a weight falls over me everytime I step into my office. I'm also starting to hate my clients.

[JG EA]

Time to step back.

There is a big picture. Clients and money are building your business, but they are not the goal. The goal is to put important things first. Establish what is important.

Just say NO to what you do not want to do, what is too much for you to do, what is discouraging for you to do. You can be honest. "I'm sorry, I just can't take that on right now. Try So and So, they are taking on clients right now, and I'm at my limit. Perhaps I'll be in a position to help you later, but I'm too inundated at the present time."

If you worked for someone else - how much would you do? Probably a lot less. Well, it is much more time-consuming to work for yourself, you require excellence. You stay up late at night and research and study to do a good job. So realize that - there will be definately more time spent - and set your limits accordingly.

I was short with a client today, because they are too cheap to file a tax return. I told them they had to file to report $90,000 of 1099B income and they would get a big bill from the IRS if they didn't. But, later I thought - They are economical that's all. They are trying to make their CD's last so they can have enough interest to suppliment their income. Why should I doubt their resolve. Why not instead just offer to help them, tell them the consequences, and allow them to decide. It is not my job to tell them off. It is my job to offer a service. WHY TAKE IT PERSONALLY? Even if they are stupid about something. Look how stupid I've been about so many things in my life. Who the heck am I to be short with them? It is not important. Nothing is important unless it is rooted in good motives.

[oceanlovin'ea]

Suffered burnout too

I have the same problem frequently. In my case, it does stem from trying to do too much and not saying no to anyone - my family, my clients, my friends. They all just keep asking for more and more...
Plus my office is in my home - so I never get away from work. It is always staring at me.

When my husband starts telling me that I am barking at him like he is a dog, it is time to stop and regroup.

It helps me to keep lists so that I know what I need to get done and when it needs to be done.
I also stop and reorganize my office...go through the piles and pitch what I can in file 13. But then I make stacks for filing, returns to finish, bookkeeping to do, etc.
That helps me mentally just to see if things are as bad as I think they are or if they are really that bad.
If there is somthing urgent, I do it.

Then I take a day or 2 and just go do something I like or want to do. I love listening to the ocean. The sound of the ocean just melts away my stress. So if I can get to the beach for a couple of days, I do it. We go periodically so sometimes just knowing I am going in a month or 2 helps.

So find something you love to or somewhere you love to go. Take a couple of days off. Forget the office. Forget everything and relax. You will feel better.
Just try to do that every 2 or 3 months and you will be better able to cope.

Hope you feel better.

Linda F

[JohnH]

JG: I liked your post, especially the last paragraph. It's worth remembering that we aren't in business to get our emotional needs met, so there's absolutely no reason to take what our clients do or say personally. You have to develop a bit of thick skin in this business or else some of those clients will drive you nuts.

[BOB W]

The first thing you need to do is get a complete physical to see if there is anything physically effecting your ability to focus.

In my case I had developed diabetes and didn't know for 3 years. It caused a lack of concentration, always tired and an inability to deal objectively with my client base.

Of course there could be many other reasons, but that was mine.

Now, during tax season I'm right on top of everything, but keeping myself going, after that, is a chore. But somehow I manage to satisfy 99.9% of my client base. There is always those problem clients where getting to the end is very difficult.

[Lion]

Play

Play a round of golf, read a book, daydream, whatever. Fire a PITA client. Do what's important, not what's urgent. Visit your doctor. Sleep, eat, exercise, etc., and all those other motherly admonitions. Keep us posted.

[RitaB]

I needed to hear all this

I really appreciate the OP and the comments. This is the second year where I seem to remain overwhelmed even after tax season is over. It has really been getting to me. I have battled orthopedic issues for over two years: plantar fasciitis, three shoulder surgeries, elbow tendonitis. Changed churches six months ago because we completely lost confidence in the new leadership at the old church. All my friends were at the old church, and I miss them so much! My sixteen-year-old daughter just had ACL surgery, which I had in college, and the injury ended my basketball career. So, of course, there's that nagging fear that she won't recover. It just all adds up and presses down on us!

So, everybody, we are normal, and we need to take care of ourselves and our families. We need to laugh and sleep! I for one am going to get more involved in the new church, and also reconnect with old friends. I will also try to get my office better organized, so I don't hate walking in the door. Life is too long to live like this.

[BOB W]

Yes, things that are going on in your personal life will effect your ability to meet the demands of a accounting and tax practice. But we have to decide where we are going to spend our time, work or play. After tax season, play seems to be the first choice and to get back to work (at any level) becomes a chore. Client demand's usually forced us back but the tendency is to fight it.

I have a feeling that most of us that are in the perdictament are sole practioners that have no responsiblity to anyone but to ourself,,,,, not good.......

[Gretel]

It sure is a constant challenge to keep a healthy balance between my own needs and everything else that needs to be done. It also is a challenge to do things at the right time. Meaning at times certain things are very easy to do, which are a nightmare at other times.

Contrary to some people I am aiming at letting things get to me instead of trying not to let things get to me. I find it costs much less energy to let things get to me and work through it than fighting this all the time and still schlepping it around.

The physical is a very important factor too. First of all good nutrition (not pills) and healthy teeth. After my root canals have been removed all problems I had with my right arm are gone.

[AuditorTurnedGood]

Very true

[\QUOTE]
I have a feeling that most of us that are in the perdictament are sole practioners that have no responsiblity but to ourself,,,,, not good.......[/QUOTE]

I just started my practice and had to borrow to get through the first year and a half or so. I find myself now keeping consistant 60-80 hour billable weeks to pay down the debt I accumulated. It is very easy for all of us sole props to get sucked into our own vortex. The clients demands, at least in my case, seem so much smaller than the demands I put on myself on behalf of the client. I had to be reminded last week that an ill family member was more important than a QB inventory issue - by the client. I vaugly remember chucking my job in corporate tax to achieve greater work life balance. I get the feeling I'm not alone here.

[geekgirldany]

I too have friends and relatives tell me I am in a burn out. I took a week off at the beginning of May. Which means for me I only came out to the office for 2 hours.

I work so much more than when I worked for someone else. I just bought an old VW Bug and made plans to restore it myself. But it has been here two months and I have not done a thing to it. I'll then think back 10 or so years ago when I had a beetle and was working on it. Seem like I had all the time in the world to work on it. At the time I was working for someone else. I think to myself "where is all my time going to".

I need to get a personal life. Start going back to church and meet new people. Get the business off my mind so when I go to bed at night I am not making a list of what I need to do the next day. Let it go!

Oh the other day I saw a picture of myself from 1999. Geez I looked young. I was surprised at how much different I look now to that picture. I know people age but geez. I have gray hair now.

[Jiggers]

Hair color?

Oh the other day I saw a picture of myself from 1999. Geez I looked young. I was surprised at how much different I look now to that picture. I know people age but geez. I have gray hair now.

I don't care what color my hair turns, as long as it doesn't turn loose!

[fliszt]

Well, folks,

guess I'll post and say thank you for letting me join your group. Yes, I'm starting the burn-out mode too, but am going to head it off at the pass. Instead of feeling tired, worn-out, down in the dull-drums, I've started exercising every morning on the tread mill. Not too far, but it's a start. Then I'm playing golf twice a week (taking off Friday afternoons and Sunday morning). We also have been inviting friends over more often on Sat. evenings. Plus, I'm trying to do more mental imagining of the things that bring me pleasure. Which seem to include tax clients. I have a bunch. And I like all of them (finally). I remind myself how much I look forward to seeing each of them every year. I like the “thank you” notes they send telling me how much they appreciate the job I do for them. I appreciate very much when they look at me after their tax return is finished and say, “Larry, you’re really a good man”. There are soooo many things that make me feel good about being able to work for them and not a whole lot of bad things anymore. I used to have clients whose personalities did not mesh with mine which made “that” day seem long. But they are all gone now. Which is a blessing of being an elder and not needing money as much as I did when I was young and “had to” take any/every client.
I think when I look at all my blessings, (and there are more than I can count) I no longer feel “burned-out” -- just thankful. I used to discuss this with Birdlegs a lot. He ALWAYS looked through those rose-colored glasses and I guess I won’t forget all the good things he told me about how fortunate he was to be able to work into his twilight years.
Even though I’m an EA, I don’t have half the knowledge you all have, but then and again I’m thankful for all of you being there to help people like me.
Thank you!
Larry

[geekgirldany]

I consider it highlights. I just don't have to pay for it. I started wearing my hair short so I think the gray came through quicker.

[David1980]

Before I got into taxes with a more "routine" year I'd fall into a routine where I basically played video games all my free time and never accomplished anything. Never really fell behind on cleaning or car maintenance or anything like that either, which I now do during the tax season.

However, during the off season I am much better at getting special projects taken care of. So I'll do 2-3 big projects (remodeling a bedroom type of stuff, major automotive repairs, etc...) per year during the off season.