RTS #061 Nobody cares, work harder
The title may feel a little callous…but life is full of hard truths.
We live in a society of endless promises of instant fixes and easy solutions, but most of them aren’t real, and you need to stop believing in magic. That’s not to say there aren’t great tools and resources out there; there absolutely are. And I’m not saying there isn’t value in learning from other people; there definitely is. But all of that counts for nothing if you aren’t also putting in the work.
Where a lot of well-intentioned, hard-working people get tripped up is on the order of operations when it comes to hard work. They get shiny object syndrome and want to find the latest software, the prettiest handout, the most perfect optimized system, BEFORE the hard work starts. If you want to be a rock star at anything in life, that has to stop. Including on tax planning.
Even as someone who offers resources around taxes, that I am very proud of, the hard work is more important. If you’ve never reviewed a tax return, great news, your market research on which software to use is irrelevant, pick up a tax return! Just start putting in the reps. It’s even easier on technical topics to put imaginary obstacles in your way: “I’ll start once I __”.
And lots of things can go in that blank:
- Get that designation
- Get the right software
- Take 37 courses
- Get past the summer solstice
Whatever you are waiting for, stop. Because even if the activity you pick first isn’t perfect you’re building that muscle for discipline around a specific topic. Block time on your calendar and get going. Review tax returns, practice explaining concepts in crayon, study free resources on tax planning topics relevant to your clients. Prove to yourself you are going to put the work in before you invest in the shiny objects.
We are happy to provide recommendations on which shiny objects are worth it when you get to that point, but getting started is most important.
Happy Tax Planning!
P.S. For those of you who are putting in the hard work, and I know there are a lot of you, then it might be time to level up the results you’re getting from that hard work. The room is filling up, but there are a few spots left at the RTS Tax Summit. Grab one of them today and surround yourself with advisors who are also putting in the hard work and excited to learn from top voices in the industry.
