It’s that time of year- TAX TIME! I just finished getting all of my things together over to my accountant.
And, DAMN does it feel good to have it out of my hands!
It took me 2 whole days just to gather up the info he needs and organize it enough to present to him.
The thought of actually having to input all my financial information into the proper tax forms completely overwhelms me.
Between owning a business, having accounts for myself, my wife, and our son, and having retirement / investment accounts, I wouldn’t know what to put where!
I’m just happy when I get to hand it off to someone who does this for a living, and have the peace of mind that it will get done properly and on time.
Anyway, this got me thinking about the whole process of taxes, and how lots of folks approach it differently…. But we are all after the same result.
We all want to get our information put together correctly and get it to the government before the deadline.
Nobody wants to overpay, and nobody wants to make a mistake that might cause them to get audited.
Basically, we want to do what is necessary to abide by the law and pay our share.
And it reminded me of the fitness and weight loss process.
There are many ways to go about it, but in the end people want the same thing: to look and feel better in their body… and, subsequently, in their clothes, life, relationships, etc.
And most people want to do this without wasting time or spending too much time or energy.
I actually think there’s a lot of similarity between the two areas and how we approach….
There’s the “do it yourself” approach.
In the tax world, this is called Turbo Tax.
You purchase the program for a small sum of money, and you are responsible to sit down and figure it out on your own.
The fitness equivalent of this would be purchasing a Beachbody DVD, or something similar. Once you buy it, it’s 100% on you.
The next approach is the one that offers basic help and access.
In the tax world, this means going to HR Block. You pay a bit more than Turbo Tax, but you get to walk into one of their offices and sit with one of their associates. You get the access to their computer equipment and programs, and a bit of help.
The fitness equivalent of this would be a membership at Planet Fitness.
You get the access to a gym and the equipment inside. They make sure the equipment is functioning properly and that the locker rooms are clean (most of the time).
Finally, the 3rd approach is the fully supported approach.
In the tax world, this is having an accountant.
An accountant will give guidance, advice, help, and direction not only at tax time but throughout the year.
(I email my accountant with questions at least once a month, and he gets back to me within an hour)
The fitness equivalent of this would be having a Coach.
Someone who makes sure you use the gym equipment, who cheers you on when you’re kicking A$$, and who doesn’t wag a finger in your face when you’re having a bad day.
A Coach is there to answer your questions, give you guidance, help problem solve, and more…. not just during a training session, but anytime you need it.
So, if you’ve tried the “do it yourself” or the “minimal help and access” approach, without much success or satisfaction, think about bumping it up a notch!
And, DAMN does it feel good to have it out of my hands!
It took me 2 whole days just to gather up the info he needs and organize it enough to present to him.
The thought of actually having to input all my financial information into the proper tax forms completely overwhelms me.
Between owning a business, having accounts for myself, my wife, and our son, and having retirement / investment accounts, I wouldn’t know what to put where!
I’m just happy when I get to hand it off to someone who does this for a living, and have the peace of mind that it will get done properly and on time.
Anyway, this got me thinking about the whole process of taxes, and how lots of folks approach it differently…. But we are all after the same result.
We all want to get our information put together correctly and get it to the government before the deadline.
Nobody wants to overpay, and nobody wants to make a mistake that might cause them to get audited.
Basically, we want to do what is necessary to abide by the law and pay our share.
And it reminded me of the fitness and weight loss process.
There are many ways to go about it, but in the end people want the same thing: to look and feel better in their body… and, subsequently, in their clothes, life, relationships, etc.
And most people want to do this without wasting time or spending too much time or energy.
I actually think there’s a lot of similarity between the two areas and how we approach….
There’s the “do it yourself” approach.
In the tax world, this is called Turbo Tax.
You purchase the program for a small sum of money, and you are responsible to sit down and figure it out on your own.
The fitness equivalent of this would be purchasing a Beachbody DVD, or something similar. Once you buy it, it’s 100% on you.
The next approach is the one that offers basic help and access.
In the tax world, this means going to HR Block. You pay a bit more than Turbo Tax, but you get to walk into one of their offices and sit with one of their associates. You get the access to their computer equipment and programs, and a bit of help.
The fitness equivalent of this would be a membership at Planet Fitness.
You get the access to a gym and the equipment inside. They make sure the equipment is functioning properly and that the locker rooms are clean (most of the time).
Finally, the 3rd approach is the fully supported approach.
In the tax world, this is having an accountant.
An accountant will give guidance, advice, help, and direction not only at tax time but throughout the year.
(I email my accountant with questions at least once a month, and he gets back to me within an hour)
The fitness equivalent of this would be having a Coach.
Someone who makes sure you use the gym equipment, who cheers you on when you’re kicking A$$, and who doesn’t wag a finger in your face when you’re having a bad day.
A Coach is there to answer your questions, give you guidance, help problem solve, and more…. not just during a training session, but anytime you need it.
So, if you’ve tried the “do it yourself” or the “minimal help and access” approach, without much success or satisfaction, think about bumping it up a notch!
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