One week past the most demanding tax deadline of the year and I’ve caught up with the most urgent post-season demands, and I feel that this allows my mind to return to a more normal and healthy reflective state. Three reflections come into focus:
1) I see myself as an organized, logical, likable, responsive and accountable executive. The pressures of tax season in general, and especially the actions of IRS lately, challenges my self-perception in each of these traits and, I fear, spill over into others’ perceptions. It is not healthy nor sustainable.
2) I have, by necessity, placed what we call “self-care” before my career pressures. But that has meant taking a significantly reduced work load and income.
3) Demand for my unique level of tax saving and wealth building professional services is at an unprecedented high level. Logic says that the solution to balancing workload, income and quality of life is to raise fees to a point of equilibrium. Real life experience tells me that finding this equilibrium is very difficult.
4) My core personal values and desire to help working class small business owners is in conflict with my technical abilities to make wealthy people even more wealthy. I may face continued conflict if I continue to serve both groups of clients.