Month: October 2025

Before we jump in, I want to let you know, if you don’t already, that I created The Smarter Accountant Podcast Guide for all the podcast listeners.

It covers the first 100 episodes of the podcast and includes five simple questions for each episode to help you apply what you’ve learned in real life.

So if you’ve ever listened to an episode and thought, “That really hit home — I should dig into that more,” this guide makes it easy to do that.  It’s incredibly helpful to not just listen to my podcast episodes, but to also apply what you learned so you can take action on the information.

To grab your copy, you simply need to go to thesmarteraccountant.com/podcast-guide or on the main page of the podcast you’ll see a yellow button there as well.  The main page of the podcast is thesmarteraccountant.com/podcast.

Have you ever noticed how some people just seem naturally confident, no matter what’s going on around them? They walk into a room, say what they think, and don’t seem to worry so much about what other people think.

If you’ve ever wished you could feel that way too, you’re definitely not alone. Most of us have moments where we feel unsure, nervous, or like we’re not good enough.

It’s easy to think that confidence comes from outside things—like getting a promotion, having more experience, having certain letters after your last name, or finally getting everything in your life in order. But the truth is, confidence isn’t something that shows up when things are perfect.

For a lot of people, confidence feels like something you have to wait for. You might think, “Once I fix this part of my life, then I’ll feel more confident.”

But what if that’s not true? What if nothing around you actually has to change for you to feel more sure of yourself?

That idea can feel kind of strange at first. We’re so used to believing that our confidence depends on things outside of us—like how people treat us or what we’ve accomplished.

But what if confidence is more like a feeling you can create, not something you have to wait for?

Think about how much time and energy we spend trying to earn confidence. We try to be perfect, to do everything right, or to keep up with what everyone else is doing.

It can feel exhausting. And sometimes, even after all that effort, we still don’t feel any better about ourselves.

Unfortunately, confidence starts to feel like a moving target. And no matter what we do, it feels just out of reach.

That’s why this is so important to talk about. Because real, lasting confidence doesn’t come from fixing everything around you—it comes from changing the way you see yourself.

And once you understand that, everything gets a little bit easier. You stop chasing and start choosing how you want to show up.

The truth is, you don’t have to wait for the right time, the right title, or the right feedback. You can start building confidence from where you are, right now.

So if you’ve been hoping to feel more confident but didn’t know where to start, keep listening. You might be closer than you think.

Why Confidence Feels So Hard to Hold Onto

Most accountants were never taught how to feel confident without needing outside proof. It’s no surprise—our work is often judged, reviewed, or second-guessed by others. So it makes sense that many of us start tying our confidence to the results we deliver or the praise we receive.

The problem is, that kind of confidence isn’t very steady. It goes up and down depending on who’s in the room, how perfect the work is, or whether something went wrong that day.

Over time, this makes confidence feel like something you have to earn over and over again. And when you make a mistake—or even think you made one—it can feel like you’ve lost it completely.

That’s why so many accountants walk around feeling unsure, even when they’re smart, capable, and hardworking. It’s why so many quietly struggle with imposter syndrome.  They’re depending on something outside of themselves to feel good inside.

This creates a cycle where you’re always looking for reassurance or comparing yourself to others. You start second-guessing your decisions, staying quiet when you have something to say, or working twice as hard just to feel “good enough.”

It’s a stressful way to live—and it’s definitely not sustainable. But it’s not your fault.

It’s just the way our brains try to protect us. They want certainty, safety, and approval. But when you rely on those things to feel confident, you’re putting your self-worth in someone else’s hands.

That’s why the answer isn’t about fixing your workload or waiting for more recognition. The real problem runs deeper—and it’s affecting your confidence more than you might realize.

Let’s take a closer look at why this is such a big deal.

The Real Cost of Chasing Confidence the Wrong Way

When you believe confidence comes from outside things—like praise, promotions, or other people’s opinions—you give up control without even realizing it. You start waiting to feel good about yourself instead of learning how to feel good on purpose.

This leaves you stuck in a cycle of “I’ll feel confident when…” Maybe it’s when the project is perfect, the client is happy, or your inbox is finally cleared. But that finish line keeps moving.

You wind up working longer hours, putting more pressure on yourself, and doubting your every move. And even when something does go well, the feeling doesn’t last.

It’s a problem because it never feels like enough. No matter how much you accomplish, there’s always another thing to prove, another person to please, or another mistake to avoid.

That kind of pressure leads to stress, burnout, and a quiet fear that you’re not measuring up. You might keep pushing forward, but deep down, it feels exhausting.

And when confidence is tied to everything going perfectly, you’re much less likely to take risks, speak up, or try something new. It’s safer to play small—even when you know you’re capable of more.

This also makes it harder to bounce back after setbacks. One tough day or one piece of negative feedback can spiral into self-doubt that lasts much longer than it should.

The truth is, the way most people chase confidence actually creates more insecurity. It’s like trying to fill a leaky bucket—no matter how much you pour in, it keeps running out.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

There’s a smarter, steadier way to feel confident—and it starts with understanding the brain science behind confidence.

The Brain Science Behind Confidence

Let’s talk about what’s really going on in your brain when confidence feels hard to come by.

As I’ve discussed on the podcast, your brain’s main job is to keep you safe. It’s constantly scanning for anything that could feel risky, uncertain, or uncomfortable. And because of that, your brain would always rather you stay the same than try something new—even if the “new” thing is speaking up, making a decision, or simply believing in yourself.

In fact, confidence feels like a risk to your brain. It’s tied to things like visibility, failure, rejection, or being wrong. So your lower Toddler brain tries to protect you by pulling you back into thoughts like, “You’re not ready,” “What if they don’t like it?” or “Play it safe.”

This is totally normal. Your brain isn’t trying to hurt you—it’s trying to avoid pain, embarrassment, or mistakes. But what’s helpful for survival isn’t always helpful for success.

There’s also something else going on. Your brain has something called the negativity bias. It means you’re more likely to focus on what went wrong, what could go wrong, or what people might think—rather than noticing what you’ve done well or what’s already working.

That’s why confidence doesn’t come naturally for most people. It’s not because you’re not good enough. It’s because your brain has been trained to see the problems, not the progress.

But here’s the good news: your brain is also very changeable and can be easily rewired. The truth is, it learns by repetition. 

So if you practice thinking in ways that support confidence, your brain will slowly start to believe you, building neural pathways that create the feeling of confidence without changing anything around you.

And the more you practice building confidence on purpose, the less your lower brain gets to run the show.

So how do you actually do that in a simple, doable way?

That’s what I want to discuss next: Five Smarter Accountant ways to build confidence—without needing to change anything around you.

5 Ways to Build Confidence Without Changing Anything Around You

Now that you know your brain is wired to play it safe and focus on what’s wrong, it makes sense why confidence doesn’t always feel natural. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck.

You don’t need to wait for better circumstances, more praise, or a perfect moment to start feeling more confident. Here are five ways you can build it—right where you are, with what you already have:

1. Watch How You Talk to Yourself

Most of us say things to ourselves that we would never say to anyone else. Things like “I’m terrible at this,” “I should’ve done better,” or “Why can’t I get it together?”

But that inner voice matters more than you might think. Your brain listens to what you say—even inside your own head—and starts to believe it.

The way you talk to yourself either builds you up or slowly tears you down. If you want more confidence, it starts by speaking to yourself with more kindness and less criticism.

2. Stop Waiting for Perfect

Confidence doesn’t come from getting it all right. It comes from taking action—even when things feel messy or uncertain.

It’s okay to feel uncomfortable or unsure, because the more you do, the more you prove to yourself that you can figure things out. That’s where real confidence comes from—not perfection, but progress.

Trying to get everything “just right” before you act only delays the confidence you’re hoping to feel.

3. Give Yourself Credit on Purpose

Your brain naturally zooms in on what didn’t go well. That’s just its way of trying to protect you from making mistakes.

But if you want to feel more confident, you have to train your brain to also see what did go well.

For example, did you finish a task you’d been avoiding? Speak up in a meeting? Stay calm when things were stressful? Those wins matter. Even the small ones.

Confidence grows when you give yourself credit—on purpose.

4. Make Decisions and Have Your Own Back

Confident people don’t always make the right decision—they just decide and move forward.

They don’t tear themselves apart afterward. They learn, they adjust, and they keep going.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to stop beating yourself up after every choice.

Confidence comes from trusting yourself to handle whatever happens next.

5. Stop Comparing Yourself to Everyone Around You

When you compare yourself to others, you’re usually comparing your struggles to their highlight reel.

In other words, you don’t see their doubts, their messy middle, or the full story.

Instead of measuring yourself against everyone else, bring your focus back to your own growth.

Ask: “Am I growing in the ways that matter to me?” That’s a much better question—and it builds a much stronger kind of confidence.

The bottom line is that you can build confidence no matter what you do or don’t know, or what your past looks like.

Next, let’s look at how one of my coaching clients used these exact shifts to go from self-doubt to solid, grounded confidence—without changing anything around her.

Becoming a Smarter Accountant: Building Confidence Without Changing Anything Around Her

One of my clients came to me feeling completely drained. On the outside, everything looked fine—steady job in public accounting, positive feedback from clients, and all the boxes checked. But inside, there was a constant feeling of doubt.

She told me, “No matter how well things go, I still don’t feel confident.” She was second-guessing emails, replaying conversations, and quietly comparing herself to others in the firm who seemed more polished or in control.

What she really believed was that confidence would come once something changed—maybe a new title, fewer mistakes, or finally feeling like everything was under control. But none of those things ever seemed to be enough.

What we discovered together was that the problem wasn’t the job or the people around her—it was the way she was thinking about herself. Her brain was filtering everything through a lens of “not good enough,” even when she was doing an amazing job.

So we started there. She began paying closer attention to how she was talking to herself throughout the day. Instead of letting the critical voice run the show, she started asking, “Would I talk to someone else like this?”

We also made it a habit to notice wins—on purpose. At the end of each day, she wrote down just a few things that went well. It felt small, but it helped train her brain to stop only looking for what was wrong.

Little by little, things started to shift. She made decisions faster, stopped rereading emails over and over, and let go of the need to compare herself to everyone else.

She didn’t get a raise or a new job title. The team didn’t change. The workload didn’t shrink.

But she started to feel steady. She started to feel sure. She started to feel confident.

And that’s the part that really matters—knowing that confidence isn’t something you have to chase. It’s something you can build, even when nothing around you changes.

Okay, now let’s wrap up with a few key takeaways.

Key Takeaway and Action Item

Confidence doesn’t come from being perfect, getting constant praise, or finally having everything figured out. It comes from the way you talk to yourself, the thoughts you choose to believe, and the actions you take—even when things feel uncertain.

You don’t have to wait for things around you to change in order to feel more confident. In fact, the most powerful kind of confidence is the kind you create from the inside out.

When you speak to yourself with more kindness, take action instead of chasing perfection, give yourself credit on purpose, make decisions and trust yourself to handle the outcome, and stop comparing your journey to someone else’s—you start showing up differently.

You begin to feel more grounded, more sure, and more like yourself—without needing everything else to fall into place first.

If you want to apply what you learned today, here’s one simple question to ask yourself:

“What would I do differently today if I already felt confident?”

You might be surprised by the answer. And you might realize—you don’t have to wait to feel confident. You can begin acting like someone who already is.

Okay, as I finish up, let me pull back the curtain and share a personal story of how I can relate to this topic.

Pulling Back the Curtain

Now let me pull back the curtain…

There was a time in my career when I thought confidence would just “click” once I hit a certain milestone. I figured once I got enough experience, once I stopped making mistakes, or once someone important finally noticed my work, I’d feel the way I wanted to feel—confident, steady, sure of myself.

But even after the promotions, and the praise, that feeling didn’t come. I still second-guessed myself.

In fact, when I worked for Ernst and Young, back in the day, I had the office, the secretary and the parking spot, but I still felt like maybe I was just lucky. 

I’d get something done and immediately move on to the next thing without even acknowledging it. I didn’t realize I was skipping right over the part where confidence could grow.

What finally shifted everything for me wasn’t anything outside of me. It was noticing how harsh I was being in my own head. I would never talk to anyone else the way I talked to myself. 

I remember thinking, “Would I say any of these harsh things to a friend or to my children?”  Of course not!  Well, once I saw that, I knew something had to change.

That’s when I started doing the same things I now teach my clients. I started catching those old, unhelpful thoughts. 

I gave myself credit for showing up, even on the hard days. I practiced having my own back, even when I made a mistake. And I stopped looking at everyone else to figure out if I was “doing enough.”

The truth is, confidence didn’t show up overnight, but it did show up. And it’s a whole lot steadier now—not because everything in my life is perfect, but because I finally stopped waiting for the outside world to give me permission to feel good about myself.

So, if this episode spoke to you, I really encourage you to take The Smarter Accountant Quiz. It’s a great way to find out if you’ve been underusing your accountant brain—and what to do about it because if you struggle with confidence, you ARE underutilizing your accountant brain. You can take it at www.thesmarteraccountant.com.

And if you’re ready to start building real confidence and want some support, I’d love to talk with you during a free 30-minute call. Go to www.thesmarteraccountant.com/calendar to schedule a time that works for you.

I promise you, confidence is something you can build—and it starts with how you treat yourself. You’re more capable than you think.

And as always, if you found this episode helpful, share it with another accountant. You never know who needs to hear this.

The truth is, you’re already smart. But this podcast will show you how to be smarter.

Before I get started I wanted to share a free resource with you all.  If you’re like most accountants, you’ve probably said a few of the following: I don’t have enough time, There aren’t enough hours in the day, I wish I had more time, There are too many things on my to-do list, and  Time just seems to get away from me.

Well, as we all know, accounting is hard but your time management shouldn’t make it harder.

Since time is something we could all use more of, I created a Guide titled “3 Simple Steps To Create More Time.”  This guide will teach you some simple steps for managing your time so that you can have plenty of it.

You can download it at https://thesmarteraccountant.com/3-steps/

Have you ever looked at your calendar and thought, “There’s no way I can get all this done”? I’m going to bet most of you listening to this episode are nodding your head..Most accountants I talk to have a calendar full of meetings, reminders, and tasks. But somehow, they still feel behind.

It’s a strange thing, isn’t it? You plan your week, you try to be organized, and yet your days still feel rushed and messy.

The truth is, it’s not just about what’s on your calendar. It’s also about how you’re using it.

Your calendar might look full, but that doesn’t always mean it’s working for you. Sometimes it’s just a list of things you hope you’ll get to, like a big wish list.

The problem is that a lot of us were never taught how to really use a calendar. We just pick a system and hope for the best.

But if your calendar is stressing you out or making you feel overwhelmed, it might be time to look at it a little differently. Not to blame yourself—but to start noticing what’s not working.

There’s no one-size-fits-all way to plan your day. What works for someone else might not work for you at all.

Still, there are certain things many of us fall into without realizing it. Habits that seem helpful at first but actually make things harder.

And when your calendar stops helping and starts hurting, it can leave you feeling stuck. Like you’re trying really hard but still not getting ahead.

For example, have you ever finished a long day and wondered where your time went? That’s usually a sign that something’s off—not with you, but with how your time is being planned.

The good news is, small shifts can make a big difference. You don’t have to toss out your whole system to start seeing changes.

Sometimes, it’s just about paying closer attention to the little things you’ve been doing for so long you don’t even notice them anymore. That’s where the magic often happens.

This isn’t about being perfect or planning every second. It’s about finding a better way to use your time—one that actually works for you.

If your calendar is starting to feel more like a source of stress than a tool for support, you’re definitely not the only one. And you’re not doing anything wrong.

So what if the way you’re using your calendar is the real issue—not how much you have to do?

Let’s talk about it.

Why a Full Calendar Doesn’t Mean You’re Getting More Done

For a lot of accountants, having a full calendar feels like a sign of success. If every hour is filled with tasks, meetings, or deadlines, it seems like you’re being productive.

But here’s the problem—just because your calendar is full doesn’t mean it’s helping you. In fact, it might be part of what’s holding you back.

A packed calendar can give you the illusion of progress, even if you’re spinning your wheels. It looks organized on the outside, but it might be hiding the fact that nothing is really getting finished.

Many accountants fall into the trap of thinking busy equals effective. But being busy all day without feeling accomplished usually points to a bigger issue.

Your calendar isn’t just about your time—it’s also a mirror for how you think. In other words, how you plan your week says a lot about what you believe is important and how much you trust yourself to follow through.

When you fill your calendar without prioritizing, or when you keep moving things around because you don’t feel like doing them, it creates a loop of frustration. You start to doubt your own planning, and over time, your calendar becomes something you ignore or avoid.

As you may already be experiencing, this can lead to a lot of stress and pressure. You might be working more hours, but still feel like you’re falling behind.

That’s why a full calendar can sometimes make things worse, not better. It can hide problems like poor prioritizing, overcommitting, and not leaving space to think or recover.

The bottom line is, if you’re constantly feeling overwhelmed, your calendar might be part of the reason—not because you’re doing something wrong, but because it’s not set up to actually support you.

So what’s really going on here?

Let’s take a closer look at why this is such a problem.

The Hidden Cost of Common Calendar Mistakes

When your calendar isn’t working for you, it doesn’t just lead to a missed appointment or a late deadline. It creates a cycle that’s hard to break.

You put too much on your calendar, thinking you can power through. But when you can’t keep up, you start skipping tasks or pushing them to the next day.

After a while, this becomes your routine—plan too much, don’t follow through, and feel behind. You start to feel like you’re always playing catch-up.

Unfortunately, this often leads to frustration and self-doubt. You might even start blaming yourself, wondering why you can’t stick to your own schedule.

And once you lose trust in your calendar, it loses its power to help you. It becomes a list of wishful thinking instead of a clear plan you can rely on.

But here’s the bigger issue—it’s not just a scheduling problem. It’s a thinking problem.

These habits don’t come from laziness or poor discipline. They come from what your brain believes about time, effort, and expectations.

If you’re not aware of how your thoughts are shaping your calendar, you’ll keep falling into the same traps. And without intention, those traps quietly shape your day-to-day life.

To really understand why these mistakes happen, we need to take a closer look at what’s going on in your brain.

The Brain-Based Reasons Your Calendar Isn’t Working

If your calendar feels like it’s not helping you, it’s probably not just a planning problem. It’s a brain problem—and once you understand how your brain works, you’ll start to see why so many of these mistakes happen in the first place.

Let’s walk through the 6 most common calendar mistakes and how your brain plays a role in each one:

Mistake #1: Overscheduling

Filling every hour with tasks, meetings, and deadlines might seem like a good way to stay on top of things. But when there’s no breathing room, your brain doesn’t get the space it needs to think clearly.

The prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain responsible for planning and decision-making that i refer to as The Supervising Parent—gets overloaded. And when that happens, your lower Toddler brain takes over, trying to keep you safe by pushing you toward easier, more comfortable tasks. That’s when procrastination, avoidance, or burnout start creeping in.

Example: You block every hour from 8 to 6 with client work, emails, meetings, and calls. But by mid-morning, you’re already behind. By the end of the day, you feel drained and discouraged, even though you barely took a break.

Mistake #2: Not Prioritizing Properly

When everything feels equally important, it’s hard to know what to focus on first. Most accountants end up reacting to whatever seems urgent—even if it’s not actually important.

This happens because of what I’ve mentioned before on the podcast – the Mere Urgency Effect. Your brain gives more attention to things that feel urgent, even if they don’t matter much. That’s how you can spend hours answering emails and checking off small tasks but still feel like nothing meaningful got done.

Example: You start your day cleaning up your inbox and taking care of a few quick tasks. By the time you sit down to work on a big client file that’s due tomorrow, your energy is gone—and the pressure is building.

Mistake #3: Not Following Through

You make a plan, but when the time comes to do it, you don’t feel like it. So you move it to another day. And then another.

This happens because your brain wants to avoid discomfort. It doesn’t care that you planned to write the report or call the client—it just wants to feel better right now. Without emotional awareness, you’ll keep putting things off and slowly stop trusting your own calendar.

Example: You scheduled a time block Tuesday afternoon to review a tax plan. But when 2 p.m. hits, you just don’t feel like it—so you move it to Wednesday. Then Thursday. By Friday, it’s urgent and stressful, and you’re mad at yourself for not doing it sooner.

Mistake #4: Skipping Reflection and Review

Planning the week ahead is helpful. But if you never pause to reflect on what worked and what didn’t, you’ll keep making the same mistakes.

The Zeigarnik Effect explains why this matters: your brain holds on to unfinished or unreviewed tasks. Without closure, your mind keeps circling around what’s incomplete—even when you’re trying to focus on something else.

Example: You plan your week every Sunday, but never look back at how the previous week went. You don’t notice that Thursdays are always a crunch or that certain meetings never run on time—so you keep repeating the same problems.

Mistake #5: Using Your Calendar Like a Task List

If you treat your calendar like a giant to-do list, it loses its power. You plug things in at random without thinking about time, energy, or what matters most.

A calendar should be a decision-making tool. It’s where you make choices in advance about how you’ll spend your time. If it’s just a long list of hopes, your brain won’t take it seriously—and neither will you.

Example: Monday morning, you plug in things like “follow up with client,” “update spreadsheet,” and “finish report.” But you don’t block time or estimate how long anything will take. By lunch, you’re already behind—and the day feels off track.

Mistake #6: Not Including How You Need to Feel to Follow Through

Most calendars only answer two questions: What are you doing? and When are you doing it? But they leave out a crucial third question: How do you need to feel to do it?

It’s important to understand that your feelings drive your actions. If you plan something hard without deciding how you want to feel—like focused, calm, or confident—your lower brain will jump in and try to escape the discomfort. That’s when you skip the task and push it to later (again).

Example: You schedule a time block to call a tough client, but you forget to plan how you want to feel in that moment. When the time comes, you feel nervous and uncertain, so you skip it. You tell yourself you’ll do it later, but later never feels better.

The bottom line is that these mistakes aren’t about being lazy or disorganized—they’re just what happens when your brain is trying to protect you from discomfort, uncertainty, or too much pressure. But the good news is: once you understand what’s really going on, you can start using your calendar in a much smarter way.

Let’s look at how this all plays out with a real coaching client example—and what happened when they started thinking about their calendar differently.

Becoming a Smarter Accountant: Stopping The Calendar Mistakes

One of my coaching clients came to me completely overwhelmed. His calendar was packed every single day, from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to bed. On the outside, it looked like he was organized and on top of everything—but inside, he was exhausted and always felt behind.

He said, “I don’t understand. I plan everything, but I still feel like I’m barely keeping up.”

We took a closer look at how he was using his calendar, and it didn’t take long to spot the problem.

He was overscheduling himself with no breathing room. His days were so full there was no time to think, reset, or deal with anything unexpected. The most important work often got pushed to the end of the day when his energy was already drained.

He was also treating every task as equally important. There was no clear prioritization, so he ended up reacting to whatever felt urgent—even if it wasn’t. That left little time for the things that actually improved his productivity.

And like a lot of accountants, he wasn’t following through on the calendar he had created. Tasks would get moved from day to day, and each time that happened, his trust in the calendar—and in himself—went down.

What we uncovered was that his calendar wasn’t broken—his brain was just overwhelmed and trying to avoid discomfort. It was pushing him toward what felt easy in the moment and away from what required real focus.

So we made a few simple changes.

He started creating space between tasks. He blocked his most important work during the time of day when he had the most focus. He began reviewing what worked and what didn’t each week. But the biggest shift came when he started asking, “How do I need to feel to follow through on this?”

Once he started planning how he wanted to feel—whether that was confident, determined, or focused—his entire approach changed.

He stopped dreading his calendar. It stopped feeling like a burden and started feeling like a tool that was actually helping him.

And even though he wasn’t working more hours, he was getting more done. He felt calmer, more in control, and more trusting of himself.

If your calendar isn’t working for you, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It might just mean your brain needs a better plan.

Let’s wrap up with a few key takeaways.

Key Takeaway and Action Item

Your calendar isn’t just a tool for tracking time—it’s a reflection of how you think, what you believe about your responsibilities, and how much trust you have in yourself to follow through.

When it’s filled with too much, or when it’s used like a giant to-do list, it stops being helpful. Instead of guiding your day, it starts adding to the noise and pressure.

Smarter Accountants understand that the goal isn’t to cram more into the calendar. The goal is to make better decisions in advance—and to create a calendar they can actually follow.

They schedule with intention, not pressure. They plan their energy, not just their time. And they learn to include the one thing most calendars ignore: how they want to feel when it’s time to take action.

This shift isn’t about working harder. It’s about thinking smarter.

So if your calendar has been stressing you out or making you feel behind, it’s worth asking:

“Is my calendar helping me feel focused and in control—or is it just helping me stay busy?”

That one question can open the door to some really honest answers—and some really powerful changes.

Okay, as I finish up, let me pull back the curtain and share a personal story of how I can relate to this topic.

Pulling Back the Curtain

Now let me pull back the curtain…

A while back, I remember looking at my own calendar and realizing it was packed with so many things I thought I should be doing. Every time block felt tight. I’d move things around constantly, try to squeeze in more than I had time for, and then feel frustrated when the day didn’t go as planned.

One day, I looked at my calendar and thought, “This feels like a punishment.” Not because the work was hard—but because I was using my calendar like a checklist for proving my worth. If I finished it all, great. If not, I felt horrible guilt.

What finally shifted everything for me wasn’t a new app or system. It was learning how my brain works. Once I started planning with my brain instead of against it, things got easier.

I stopped overscheduling. I gave myself breathing room. I started picking feelings on purpose—like calm or committed—before I stepped into harder tasks. That alone changed everything.

Now, I use my calendar as a support system, not a scoreboard. And that’s what I help my coaching clients do too.

If this episode spoke to you and you’re ready to make your calendar work for you, not against you, there are two easy next steps:

First, take The Smarter Accountant Quiz at www.thesmarteraccountant.com to see where you might be underusing your accountant brain.

Then, if you’re ready for more personalized support, schedule a free 30-minute call with me at www.thesmarteraccountant.com/calendar. We’ll look at what’s not working and talk through smarter, brain-friendly solutions.

And as always, if you found this episode helpful, share it with another accountant. You never know who needs to hear this.

The truth is, you’re already smart. But this podcast will show you how to be smarter.

Before I get started, I wanted to mention the CPE course I’m offering this month, “5 Mistakes To Avoid If You Want An Easier Accounting Career.”  

As we all know, accounting can be rewarding, but it’s also filled with challenges that can wear you down if you’re not careful. Stress, endless to-do lists, poor prioritization, lack of confidence, and weak boundaries — these mistakes might feel normal in the profession, but they’re not inevitable.

In this month’s course, you’ll learn the 5 most common mistakes accountants make that make their careers harder than they need to be — and how to avoid them so you can enjoy an easier, more fulfilling career.

It’s only being offered one last time on Friday, October 31st at 12 pm EST, so make sure sign up at www.thesmarteraccountant.com/cpe before I switch to next month’s topic – The Smarter Accountant Guide To Handling Interruptions.

Speaking of CPE, have you ever signed up for a webinar just because it was free and counted toward your CPE? Maybe you’ve taken courses that had nothing to do with your work but felt like something you “should” do anyway. You’re not alone.

In the world of accounting, continuing education is just part of the job. We need the credits, and there are a million ways to get them. But let’s be honest—sometimes it feels like we’re doing it just to check a box.

It can be easy to fall into the habit of always learning something new. Another course, another certificate, another acronym after your name. It makes you feel productive—even if you’re already drowning in other responsibilities.

We’ve been taught that more learning is always better. That if we just knew more, we’d finally feel ready, confident, or in control. But the truth is, sometimes we’re using education as a way to hide.

I know that might sound strange. But think about it—have you ever signed up for a course when you were actually avoiding something else? Like a hard conversation, a big project, or even your own self-doubt?

It’s not that education is bad. It’s important to stay up to date and grow in your career. But sometimes we overdo it, not because we need it, but because we’re trying to feel better about ourselves.

We all want to feel capable and confident. And learning something new can feel like the fast track to that feeling. But real confidence doesn’t come from piling on more knowledge.

It comes from how we think about ourselves and what we choose to do with what we already know. Taking one more course won’t fix the feeling that you’re not good enough. That’s something you have to work on from the inside.

I get it. It feels safer to keep learning than to take the next scary step. It’s easier to stay in the comfort zone of a Zoom webinar than to do the harder thing in real life.

But what if your CPE habit is actually keeping you stuck? What if all those certificates aren’t giving you what you’re really looking for?

I know this might sound strange coming from someone who offers NASBA approved CPE courses, but I think this is an important topic to discuss because I’ve seen way too many smart accountants burn themselves out chasing more education—when what they really need is something totally different.

What Accountants Get Wrong About Continuing Education

On the surface, continuing education looks like a smart move. You get credits, stay current, and maybe even feel like you’re getting ahead. But underneath that, many accountants are using CPE in ways that don’t actually help them grow.

One of the biggest problems is using CPE to feel productive without actually making progress. It’s easy to sit through a webinar or log into an online course and feel like you’ve accomplished something. But when you’re constantly doing that without applying anything or creating results, it just becomes another form of busy work.

Some accountants also use continuing education to avoid taking action. Instead of having a tough client conversation or making an important decision, it’s easier to watch another replay or sign up for another training. It feels safer and more comfortable, but it keeps you stuck in place.

Another common issue is using credentials or certifications to try to prove your value. You might think that if you just earn one more title or add a few more letters after your name, you’ll finally feel good enough. But confidence doesn’t come from your resume—it comes from what you believe about yourself.

Many accountants fall into the trap of thinking that more education will automatically lead to more confidence. But what often happens is the opposite. 

It delays the moment you have to trust yourself. It postpones the uncomfortable work of showing up with the skills you already have and figuring things out as you go.

The truth is, continuing education can be helpful—but only when it’s used with intention. When it’s used as a way to avoid discomfort or as a substitute for action, it becomes a problem.

If you’ve ever felt stuck even though you’ve taken all the courses, earned all the credits, and filled your calendar with learning—you’re not alone.

But there’s a reason this keeps happening. Let’s talk next about why misusing continuing education keeps you stuck..

Why Misusing Continuing Education Keeps You Stuck

When continuing education is used the wrong way, it might look like growth on the outside—but inside, it’s a different story. What feels like being responsible or professional is often just a dressed-up version of avoidance.

Instead of moving forward, many accountants stay busy learning without actually doing. I refer to it as taking passive action versus massive action.  

Accountants who take passive action collect more knowledge, more notes, more certificates—but don’t take the actions that would create real change or progress. And that can be exhausting.

Your time and energy are limited. When they’re spent chasing more education instead of applying what you already know, it’s like running in place. You feel busy, but you’re not actually going anywhere.

The bigger issue is what’s underneath the habit. For a lot of accountants, courses become a safe way to avoid discomfort. Instead of having the courage to speak up, ask questions, or try something new, it feels easier to prepare more—just in case.

But preparation has its limits. There’s a point where it stops being helpful and starts being a way to hide. And that’s where many of us get stuck.

Confidence isn’t something you can download or earn with a certificate. It doesn’t come from reading more or sitting through another training. It comes from showing up and using what you already know, even when it’s uncomfortable.

So if you’ve ever wondered why all that learning hasn’t made you feel more capable, this is why. It’s not about how much you’ve learned—it’s about what you’ve done with it.

And believe it or not, your brain plays a big part in all of this. That’s where we’re headed next.

The Brain Science Behind Why We Keep Signing Up for More

Your brain isn’t trying to hold you back on purpose—it’s actually doing what it was designed to do. It wants to keep you safe. And learning, especially when there’s no risk involved, feels very safe.

That’s why signing up for another course or checking off a CPE box can feel so good. Each certificate gives your brain a little hit of dopamine—the feel-good chemical that says, “Nice job!” Even if you didn’t apply anything new, your brain still thinks it made progress.

The tricky part is that your brain can’t always tell the difference between being busy and being effective. And in a profession like accounting, where being busy is often rewarded, your brain starts to believe that more activity equals more value.

So instead of doing something hard, like asking for help or making a bold decision, your lower Toddler brain votes for something that feels easier—like clicking “register” on another webinar. It keeps you in motion, but not in growth.

But here’s what’s also true: your higher Supervising Parent brain, the prefrontal cortex, is built for real growth. It’s the part of your brain that makes thoughtful plans, takes healthy risks, and follows through even when things feel uncomfortable.

The only problem is, you can’t activate your higher brain when you’re stuck in the loop of overlearning. You have to interrupt the pattern and choose action—even small action—if you want to move forward.

Once you understand how your brain is wired, it gets easier to spot the difference between useful learning and just staying busy. And that’s exactly what smarter accountants learn how to do.

Next, let’s look at what that actually means in practice.

What Smarter Accountants Do Differently

Smarter accountants don’t sign up for courses just because they’re available. They pause and ask themselves why they’re taking the course in the first place. Is it truly useful—or just a way to feel busy?

Instead of trying to learn everything, they focus on what matters most right now. If a course isn’t directly helping them solve a current problem or improve something they’re already working on, they skip it. Their goal isn’t to collect credits—it’s to grow on purpose.

They also understand something really important: confidence doesn’t come from knowing more. It comes from doing more. Smarter accountants build confidence by following through, not by endlessly preparing.

They choose to spend their time in a way that actually moves the needle. They learn, then they apply. They don’t try to be perfect—they focus on progress. And as a result, they create outcomes, not just accomplishments.

It’s not about having the longest list of courses. It’s about using what you’ve already learned to make a real impact in your work and in your life.

Let me share a story that shows how powerful this shift can be.

Becoming a Smarter Accountant: Handling Continuing Education In a Smarter Way

I worked with a coaching client who was the queen of continuing education. If there was a free webinar, she was on it. Her certificate tracker was spotless. On paper, she looked like the picture of professional development.

But here’s what she told me during our first session:  “I’ve taken so many courses, but I still don’t feel confident. I don’t speak up in meetings. I still second-guess myself. I thought maybe if I just learned more, I’d finally feel ready.”

What she didn’t realize at first was that she wasn’t learning—she was avoiding. Every time she felt unsure or overwhelmed, she’d look for a new course to take. It felt productive, but it was just another way to delay taking action.

I suggested she try one of the CPE courses I created, where we focus less on collecting information and more on applying what you already know. She picked a course that lined up with a real issue she was struggling with at work.

And for the first time, she approached continuing education with intention.

She didn’t just take notes—she made changes. She practiced what we talked about in the course. She stopped hiding behind the excuse of “I need to learn more” and started using what she already knew.

Within a few weeks, her emails were more direct. Her calendar was more focused. And her confidence didn’t come from a certificate—it came from seeing herself follow through.

She realized she didn’t need another badge of honor. She needed to trust herself. And once she did, everything started to shift.

That’s the difference between more learning and smarter learning. And it’s what I try to teach every accountant I work with.

Key Takeaway and Action Item

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the right things—signing up for courses, earning certificates, filling your calendar with webinars—but still feel stuck, you’re not alone.

Many accountants fall into the trap of overlearning. Not because they’re not smart, but because their brain is trying to stay safe. Learning feels comfortable. Taking action feels risky.

But progress doesn’t come from staying comfortable. It comes from deciding what matters, learning what’s relevant, and doing something with it.

Smarter accountants don’t chase more education. They choose the right education and apply it in meaningful ways. That’s how they grow their confidence and their careers.

If you want to start using continuing education in a smarter way, try asking yourself this:

“Am I taking this course to grow—or to avoid something I don’t want to face?”

That one question can shift everything.

And when it comes to continuing education, not all courses are created equal. The ones I offer aren’t about adding to your resume—they’re about helping you become the kind of accountant who gets real results.

Okay, as I finish up, let me pull back the curtain and share a personal story of how I had to learn this the hard way too.

Pulling Back the Curtain

Now let me pull back the curtain…

Years ago, I was the same way. I would sign up for every CPE class I could find, especially the free ones. I had folders full of certificates and felt like I was doing what a “good” accountant should do.

But no matter how many credits I earned, I still had moments where I doubted myself. I still held back in meetings. I still avoided the big decisions. And I couldn’t figure out why more education wasn’t helping me feel more confident.

It wasn’t until I started paying attention to my mind, not just my knowledge, that things changed. I stopped hiding behind over-preparation and started trusting myself more. I didn’t need more facts—I needed more belief.

That’s why I created The Smarter Accountant CPE courses to be different. They’re not just another checkbox. They’re designed to help you think, apply, and grow.

If you’re interested in learning more about The Smarter Accountant CPE course of the month, head on over to www.thesmarteraccountant.com/cpe.

If this episode hit home, take the first step toward becoming a Smarter Accountant.  Take The Smarter Accountant Quiz at www.thesmarteraccountant.com. Then schedule your free 30-minute call with me at www.thesmarteraccountant.com/calendar.

And if you know another accountant who’s drowning in continuing ed but still stuck in self-doubt, share this episode with them. It might be the nudge they need.

The truth is, you’re already smart. But this podcast will show you how to be smarter.

Before I get started I wanted to share something that I haven’t in awhile – a testimonial.  I have so many amazing accountants that I get to work with in The Smarter Accountant Programs and I’m always touched by how impactful these programs are on their lives.

Here’s a testimonial from one of my recent clients:

“Thanks to Dawn and working with her I have discovered paradigms about myself that have been holding me back for years. I have lots of work to do but feel I am on the right track in gaining confidence and making life a whole lot easier.  Life doesn’t have to be stressful and hard; Dawn has taught me that.  Dawn’s program is life altering and it can be for you as well.  Her models are incredibly powerful!  Thank you, Dawn, for helping me to be the best version of myself both professionally as a CPA and personally.”

Isn’t that amazing?!  It’s the biggest honor of my professional career to have a positive impact on the lives of my fellow accountants.  It’s why I built my coaching business, wrote my book, and created this podcast; to be a thought leader in this industry and to help all accountants have more sustainable accounting careers.

Well, if you would like to be the best version of yourself both professionally and personally, that starts with taking The Smarter Accountant Quiz at www.thesmarteraccountant.com and then scheduling a 30-minute call with me at www.thesmarteraccountant.com/calendar.

Managing people is one of those things that sounds easier than it actually is. If you’ve ever tried to lead a team, work with a difficult coworker, or even help a client, you know it can be tricky.

You might think the hardest part is getting other people to listen or cooperate. But what if the hardest part is actually something else?

Most of us were never taught how to manage people in a way that really works. We just kind of figure it out as we go.

We watch what others do, we try to be helpful, and we hope it all works out. Sometimes it does. A lot of times, it doesn’t.

There’s often stress, confusion, and frustration. You try to be nice. You try to be clear. But people still don’t do what you expect.

It can start to feel personal. Like maybe something is wrong with you or with them.

And it’s not just at work. Even managing your own kids can feel impossible some days. You ask them to do something simple, and they push back—or ignore you completely.

But here’s something interesting—what if managing people isn’t really about them at all?

That idea might sound a little strange at first. But it’s something I’ve seen again and again.

When things go wrong in our work with other people, it’s easy to point the finger outward. But what I’ve learned is that the real power is actually inside of us.

The way we handle ourselves in those moments makes a huge difference. And I don’t just mean staying calm or keeping a smile on your face.

I mean the way we think, the way we feel, and the way we respond. All of that starts with us—not the other person.

That’s why this topic matters so much. If you’re working with people in any way—or even trying to manage your household—learning how to manage yourself first changes everything.

You don’t need to be the boss to learn how to manage people better. This applies whether you’re leading a team, helping a client, or raising kids who leave their socks everywhere.

And once you understand what’s really going on, you’ll see people differently. You’ll stop wasting energy on things you can’t control.

You’ll start showing up in a way that makes things easier, not harder.

So if you’ve ever felt stuck when dealing with someone difficult, or if you’ve ever wondered why some people are easier to work with than others, keep listening.

There’s something about this way of thinking that can make a big difference—for them, and for you.

Why Managing People Starts With Managing Yourself

If you’ve ever tried to manage anyone—whether it’s a team member, a client, or even your own kids—you know it doesn’t always go smoothly. People don’t always listen, cooperate, or follow through the way you expect. And when that happens, it’s easy to get frustrated and think they need to change.

But here’s the truth: the most effective way to manage other people starts with managing yourself first. That means paying attention to what you’re thinking and feeling, and taking responsibility for how you show up in those moments.

You can’t control what other people do, but you can control how you respond. And that one shift changes everything.

When you focus on managing your own mind and emotions, you stop reacting out of frustration and start responding with clarity. That’s when you become a leader—even if your job title doesn’t say so.

It’s not always easy, but it is possible. And once you understand why this matters, you’ll never look at people management the same way again.

So let’s talk about what makes this so challenging—and why it feels like other people are the problem.

The Real Problem With Blaming Other People

When you believe that someone else is the reason you’re upset, stressed, or frustrated, it feels like you have no control. You’re stuck waiting for them to change so you can feel better.

But here’s the problem with that—it puts all your power in someone else’s hands.

You start reacting instead of thinking clearly. You blame, you shut down, or you get defensive. And even if you don’t say it out loud, you start building a case against the other person in your mind.

This is what’s called emotional childhood. It means you’re letting your emotions be controlled by what someone else says or does.

When you’re in that state, managing people becomes really hard. You can’t lead, guide, or influence anyone when you’re feeling out of control yourself.

And it’s not your fault if you do this—most of us were never taught another way. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay stuck there.

There’s a much better way to handle the people around you, and it starts with taking your power back.

Let’s look at the brain science behind managing people because managing your brain changes everything.

The Brain Science Behind Managing People

Your brain’s main job is to keep you safe. It’s always on the lookout for anything that feels like a threat—even if that “threat” is just a coworker’s tone of voice or a client’s email.

When something feels uncomfortable or challenging, your brain can quickly go into fight, flight, or freeze mode. That’s when your heart races, your shoulders tense, and your thinking gets cloudy.

The part of your brain that helps you plan, reason, and stay calm—the prefrontal cortex—gets pushed aside. Instead, the emotional part of your brain takes over and wants to either lash out, shut down, or avoid the situation altogether.

This is completely normal. But it’s not helpful when you’re trying to manage people or handle tough conversations.

If you’re not managing your thoughts, your brain will keep treating everyday challenges like emergencies.

But when you take a pause and manage your own reactions first, you give your thinking brain a chance to come back online. That’s when you can make smart decisions and lead with clarity instead of emotion.

So before you try to manage anyone else, it helps to know what your own brain is doing first.

Let’s make this relatable by sharing what Smarter Accountant management actually looks like and see if it might be helpful for you.

What Smarter Accountant Management Looks Like

Managing people the Smarter Accountant way doesn’t mean being a pushover or ignoring problems. It means staying calm, clear, and grounded—no matter what’s going on around you.

For example, let’s say a team member misses a deadline. Instead of instantly feeling angry or blaming them, you pause and notice what you’re thinking. 

Maybe the thought is, “They don’t care about the work.” Well, how is that thought going to make you feel?  It’s probably going to make you feel frustrated—and that frustration will drive how you speak to them.

Now imagine you manage your thoughts first in that situation. You might choose to think, “Something might have gotten in the way—I’ll find out more.” That shift helps you feel curious instead of upset. And from that place, the conversation will go a lot differently.

Here’s another example: A client sends a rude email. You feel your chest tighten and your brain instantly starts defending itself. The thought might be, “They’re being completely unreasonable.” That thought might make you feel disrespected or angry, which can lead to a defensive or snippy reply.

But with a managed mind, you could choose to think, “They’re probably stressed about something.” That thought can help you feel more grounded and patient, and your reply might actually help calm the situation instead of adding to it.

Or maybe someone on your team keeps asking the same questions over and over. An unmanaged mind might think, “Why can’t they just figure it out already?” That will likely make you feel irritated, and that irritation will come through in your tone or body language.

Now imagine thinking, “Maybe I need to slow down and explain it differently.” That helps you feel more open and helpful—and the other person will pick up on that, too.

Smarter management is about responding on purpose instead of reacting in the moment. It’s about leading from a place of emotional strength, not emotional chaos or emotional childhood.

It also shows up in small, everyday moments. Like how you give feedback. How you handle interruptions. Or how you deal with someone who’s always negative.

When you manage yourself first, people notice. You become the calm in the storm. And that’s what real leadership looks like—whether you’re the one with the title or not.

Now let me share how one of my coaching clients made this shift—and how it changed everything for him.

Becoming a Smarter Accountant: Changing Everything Without Changing Anyone Else

One of my coaching clients came to me feeling totally drained by someone on his team. He said, “He’s lazy, he doesn’t care, and I’m the one picking up the slack.” Every day felt like a battle, and it was starting to affect how he felt about his job.

At first, he was sure the only solution was for the other person to change. He’d tried being nice. He’d tried being direct. Nothing seemed to work, and his frustration kept growing.

So we looked at what was really going on. Not what the other person was doing—but what he was thinking about what the other person was doing. What we uncovered was that his main thought was, “He doesn’t respect me.”

That one thought was making him feel angry, resentful, and stuck. And every time he interacted with him, he showed up with that feeling—without even realizing it.

We worked on shifting that thought to something more helpful. He didn’t jump all the way to “He’s doing a great job,” because that didn’t feel true. But he could believe, “He’s doing the best he can with what he knows.”

That simple shift changed everything. He felt more in control, less triggered, and clearer about how he wanted to lead.

What’s wild is that the other person didn’t actually change—not right away. But my coaching client’s attitude did. His tone changed. His expectations changed. And over time, the team member started showing up differently, too.

It wasn’t magic. It was self-management. It was emotional adulthood and taking responsibility for the thoughts that were making him feel triggered.

And once he saw how much power he had over his own experience, he felt more confident dealing with everyone else—not just that team member.

That’s the beauty of managing your own mind first. The outside world may not change, but your whole experience of it can.

Let’s wrap up with a quick recap of what you’ve learned today.

Key Takeaway and Action Item

We’ve talked about why managing people often feels so frustrating—and why the real issue usually starts with us. When we don’t manage our own minds, we end up reacting instead of leading. We get stuck in blame, stress, and emotional overload.

But when you take a step back and focus on managing yourself first, everything changes. You think more clearly. You respond more calmly. You lead more effectively—even if you’re not in a formal leadership role.

So here’s the question I want you to ask yourself, especially in tough moments:

“Am I managing myself right now?”

This one simple question brings the focus back to where it matters most—you. It helps you pause, take a breath, and decide how you want to show up.

Because the truth is, the most powerful person in the room is the one who knows how to manage their own mind. Not the loudest. Not the one with the title. The one who leads themselves first.

That’s what being a Smarter Accountant is all about.

Okay, as I finish up, let me pull back the curtain and share a personal story of how I had to learn this the hard way too.

Pulling Back the Curtain

Now let me pull back the curtain…

I’ll be honest—this lesson about managing myself before managing others was one I had to learn the hard way. Years ago, I worked with someone who constantly rubbed me the wrong way. She was negative, always had something to complain about, and I felt like I had to walk on eggshells around her.

Every time I saw her name pop up on my calendar, I’d get tense. I’d replay past conversations in my head, imagining how she’d respond to whatever I had to say. I kept thinking, “She’s the problem. If only she would change, everything would be better.”

But nothing changed. In fact, things got worse. I was short with her. I avoided meetings. I vented to coworkers. And truthfully, I wasn’t proud of how I was showing up—but I didn’t know what else to do.

It wasn’t until I started coaching and learning about mind management that I realized what was actually happening. I wasn’t just frustrated with her—I was reacting to the story I was telling myself about her. My thought was, She makes everything harder than it has to be. That thought made me feel annoyed and defensive, which of course shaped how I acted.

Once I saw that it was my thought creating my experience—not her behavior—I had a way forward. I started shifting to a more useful thought, like She’s probably doing the best she can, even if I don’t agree with it. That one thought helped me show up more grounded and less reactive.

And you know what happened? The working relationship got easier. Not perfect, but easier. And it had nothing to do with her changing—it was all because I did.

So if you’re struggling with managing someone, whether it’s a coworker, a team member, a client, or even someone at home, I want you to know—there is a way to feel better without waiting for them to change.

If you haven’t already, go take The Smarter Accountant Quiz at www.thesmarteraccountant.com. And if people management is something you want to feel more confident about, book a free 30-minute call with me at www.thesmarteraccountant.com/calendar.

We’ll talk about what’s really going on and how managing your mind might be the solution you didn’t even know you needed.

And if you know another accountant who’s struggling to deal with a difficult person at work—or maybe just feeling drained by managing others—send them this episode. It might be exactly what they need to hear today.

The truth is, you’re already smart. But this podcast will show you how to be smarter.

Before we dive in, I want to ask you a quick question—does managing your time feel harder than it should?  If you’re like most accountants I work with, you’re working hard but still feeling behind, overwhelmed, or stuck in the same patterns day after day.

That’s exactly why I created The Smarter Accountant Time Management Personality Quiz. It only takes five minutes, and it reveals your unique time management style—why you work the way you do, and why certain things keep tripping you up.

Once you take it, you’ll get personalized insights and strategies tailored specifically to accountants, so you can finally align your day with the way your brain actually works.

Hundreds of accountants have already taken the quiz and told me how eye-opening it was for them. Don’t miss out—take it today and start making your workday a whole lot easier.

You can take it at www.thesmarteraccountant.com/personality-quiz

Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel like you’re falling behind? You’re doing the best you can, but it still feels like it’s not enough.

Maybe you forgot something important. Or maybe you stayed up too late trying to finish things that didn’t get done during the day. And even then, you still woke up feeling like you’re already behind.

It’s easy to think something’s wrong with you. Like maybe you’re just not as organized or focused as other people. Maybe you’ve even asked yourself, “Why can’t I just get it together?”

If that sounds familiar, you’re definitely not alone. A lot of accountants feel this way—especially when life is busy and work feels non-stop.

Sometimes we look around and assume everyone else has it figured out. We see someone who seems calm, collected, and totally on top of things, and we wonder what we’re doing wrong.

But what if you’re not doing anything wrong at all? What if the way you’re feeling isn’t a sign that something’s wrong with you—but a sign that something else needs to change?

It’s so easy to blame ourselves when we’re tired, overwhelmed, or behind. But blaming yourself doesn’t actually help. It just makes things feel heavier.

And when things feel heavier, it’s even harder to get anything done. That’s when the negative thoughts really start showing up—thoughts like, “I’m bad at this” or “I just need to try harder.”

We’ve all had moments like that. Moments when you feel like no matter how hard you try, there’s still more to do, and not enough time to do it.

But here’s something to think about—what if you’re not the problem? What if the way you’re working or the way you’re thinking about time is what’s actually causing the struggle?

That might sound like a strange idea at first. Especially if you’ve always been the one to take on more, help everyone else, and try to push through no matter what.

Still, it’s worth asking: is it really you that needs fixing—or is it time to look at things a different way?

If you’ve ever felt like you’re behind in life or work, even though you’re trying your best, you’re in the right place. You’re not lazy, you’re not broken, and you’re definitely not alone.

So let’s take a step back and look at what might really be going on here. Because maybe, just maybe, you’re not the problem at all.

Why So Many Accountants Blame Themselves When They’re Overwhelmed

When things feel out of control, most accountants don’t ask what’s wrong with the system—they ask what’s wrong with themselves. That’s because we’ve been trained to believe that if something isn’t working, it must be our fault.

You miss a deadline or forget something small, and suddenly your brain jumps to: “I should be better at this.” Or maybe your to-do list is never-ending, and instead of asking if it’s even reasonable, you wonder why you can’t keep up.

This is what I call the self-blame loop. It happens quietly and quickly, and most of the time, we don’t even realize it. 

We just assume that if we were smarter, faster, or more disciplined, things wouldn’t feel this hard. It’s like your brain is holding performance reviews in the background while you’re just trying to find time to eat lunch.

But here’s the thing—accounting as a profession often rewards overworking and perfectionism. It encourages pushing through no matter how tired or stretched you are. There’s an unspoken message that says, “If you can’t handle it, maybe you’re not cut out for this.”

So what do most accountants do? They keep pushing. They work longer hours. They sacrifice personal time. They try to “get it together” by trying harder.

The problem is, the more you push, the more exhausted you get. And the more exhausted you get, the more mistakes happen. That just adds fuel to the blame loop—making you feel like you’re falling short, even when you’re doing everything you can.

It’s easy to see how this cycle keeps going. You feel behind, blame yourself, try harder, get more overwhelmed, and then start over again. No one wins in that loop.

What makes it even harder is that this kind of pressure feels normal in our profession. Everyone around you seems busy, overworked, and stressed, so it becomes the standard. You don’t question the pace—you question yourself.

But what if the problem isn’t you at all? What if the real issue is the way the profession—and your brain—has been taught to respond to pressure?

Next, I want to talk about why this self-blame cycle is so common, and what’s really going on under the surface. Because understanding why this happens is the first step toward doing something smarter.

The Hidden Cost of Thinking You’re the Problem

When you believe you’re the problem, everything starts to feel heavier. You don’t ask for help—you just try to push through and hope no one notices you’re struggling.

That kind of thinking creates a cycle of guilt and shame. You blame yourself for falling behind, then feel ashamed for not being able to “fix” it fast enough.

Instead of reaching out for support or making small changes, you turn inward. You try to be more disciplined, more focused, more of everything—but it never feels like enough.

Over time, that self-pressure adds up. You might start to feel burned out, even though you’re still showing up and getting things done. You might even start to wonder if you’re really good at your job—or if you’ve just been lucky so far.

That’s what imposter syndrome often sounds like: “I should be better at this by now,” or “If they only knew how behind I am.” Those thoughts are exhausting.

You might also notice that you’re always reacting. Jumping from one urgent thing to the next. Putting out fires. Answering everyone else’s requests before you’ve even looked at your own priorities.

When you’re stuck in this cycle, it’s hard to make intentional choices. You’re too busy trying to catch up, and your brain is too tired to think clearly.

The problem isn’t just how you feel—it’s what those feelings stop you from doing. You can’t create a smarter plan when you’re busy blaming yourself for not having one.

But there’s a better way. And it starts with knowing what’s really causing the overwhelm in the first place.

Let’s talk about what you actually need—and why more motivation, more willpower, or longer hours isn’t the answer.

What Accountants Really Need to Manage Time Smarter

Most accountants were never taught how to manage our time, our brain, or our energy in a way that actually works long term. We were told to work hard, stay busy, and check things off a list—and that’s about it.

But real time management isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters, without burning out in the process.

Trying harder only gets you so far. If the approach is off, effort alone won’t fix the problem. You’ll just end up exhausted and frustrated.

That’s why motivation isn’t the answer. It comes and goes. And it definitely won’t carry you through back-to-back deadlines or weeks when everything feels urgent.

What actually helps is something most people don’t talk about—margin. Space to think. Time to reset. Room to make thoughtful decisions instead of reacting on autopilot.

You also need a clear way to make decisions about what gets your time and energy—and what doesn’t. Not everything deserves your attention, no matter how loud or urgent it seems.

And here’s the big one: you need support. Not more tasks. Not more pressure. Just real support for your brain, your time, and your well-being.

When you stop trying to “just push through” and instead give yourself smarter tools and support, everything gets lighter. You start to see what’s possible again.

But none of that works if you don’t understand what’s going on in your brain when you’re overwhelmed. So let’s talk about that next.

Why Your Brain Makes Time Management Feel So Hard

Your brain is always trying to help you be fast and safe. That’s its job. So it takes mental shortcuts—quick thoughts that feel true, even when they’re not.

When you’re overwhelmed, your brain doesn’t look for smart solutions. It just reaches for whatever is familiar. And for a lot of accountants, that familiar thought is something like, “I’m bad at this,” or “I just need to try harder.”

Those thoughts aren’t facts. They’re habits your brain has built over time. And when stress kicks in, those habits take over.

When you’re under pressure, your Supervising Parent brain—the part that plans and prioritizes—starts to shut down. Your brain sees stress as a threat and flips into survival mode instead.

And when your brain is in survival mode, it’s not interested in strategy. It just wants to get through the moment. That’s when reactive choices happen. That’s when time management falls apart.

This is why margin matters so much. Without space to think, your brain can’t access the part of itself that helps you make good decisions.

That’s also why brain-based tools—like learning how to work with your brain instead of against it—aren’t just nice to have. They’re absolutely necessary.

When you understand how your brain works, everything starts to make more sense. You stop blaming yourself for how you feel, and you start giving yourself what you actually need.

And to see what that looks like in real life, let me tell you about a client who went through this exact shift.

Becoming a Smarter Accountant: Discovering He Was Not The Problem

When one of my clients first came to coaching, he was convinced something was wrong with him. He said he had always struggled with time management and figured he just wasn’t wired the right way.

He told me that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep up. His to-do list was always full, deadlines were always looming, and he often worked late just to feel a little caught up.

The worst part is that he blamed himself. He thought he just needed to try harder, be more focused, or stop being so distracted. But nothing he tried seemed to work for long.

As we talked, it became clear that he didn’t have a motivation problem. He had a margin problem. His brain was constantly in survival mode, jumping from one fire to the next.

We started working on small changes that gave him breathing room—things like building in short breaks, setting realistic expectations, and learning how to say no without guilt. We also looked at what he was thinking about his time and how those thoughts were keeping him stuck.

Within a few weeks, he started to notice a shift. He felt less scattered. He could think more clearly. He was no longer beating himself up for every little thing that didn’t get done.

He told me, “I used to think I just wasn’t good at time management. Now I see that I never gave myself a chance because I didn’t know how my brain actually worked.”

He didn’t become a different person. He just started managing his brain instead of letting it manage him.

That’s the power of knowing you’re not the problem—and giving yourself smarter tools instead of more pressure.

Let’s wrap up with a quick recap of what you’ve learned today.

Key Takeaway and Action Item

The key takeaway is that you are not the problem—especially when it comes to time management. Your brain is doing exactly what it was wired to do under pressure. 

The real issue isn’t a lack of discipline or motivation—it’s a lack of margin, support, and brain-friendly tools. When you stop blaming yourself and start working with your brain, everything starts to feel more manageable.

Any time you catch yourself thinking, “I should be better at this,” or “What’s wrong with me?”—pause. 

Instead of going into blame mode, ask yourself this instead:  “What would support look like right now?”

Whether it’s taking a five-minute break, setting one small boundary, or crossing something off your list that doesn’t matter—give your brain the margin it’s craving. Start there, and notice what changes.

When you stop seeing yourself as the problem and start giving your brain what it actually needs, everything begins to shift. You’re no longer fighting against yourself—you’re working with yourself in a smarter, more sustainable way.

Okay, as I finish up, let me pull back the curtain and share a personal story of how I had to learn this the hard way too.

Pulling Back the Curtain

Now let me pull back the curtain…

There was a time in my career when I honestly thought I just wasn’t cut out for this work. I was always behind, always tired, and always wondering why I couldn’t seem to keep up the way other people did.

I remember one week in particular—I had a full workload, a tax deadline coming up, and my kids needed me for a few things at school. I tried to push through like I always did, but one night I found myself sitting in the dark in my kitchen, just staring at my laptop and thinking, “I can’t do this anymore.”

What hit me hardest wasn’t the amount of work—it was the constant voice in my head telling me I should be better at handling it all. That voice said I needed to try harder, be more organized, stop complaining. And for years, I believed it.

But what I’ve learned since then is that voice isn’t the truth—it’s just a thought pattern. It’s my brain trying to protect me by pushing me to keep going. It meant well, but it didn’t help.

The shift happened when I stopped blaming myself and got curious instead. I started learning how my brain works under stress. I started building in more margin. I stopped treating myself like a machine that needed to work harder and started treating myself like a human who needed real support.

And everything changed.

If you’ve ever felt like I did in that kitchen—tired, overwhelmed, and wondering what’s wrong with you—please hear this: You are not the problem. You just haven’t been taught how to manage your brain yet.

That’s why I created The Smarter Accountant Quiz—to help accountants like you finally see what’s getting in your way and what your brain actually needs to manage time smarter.  You can take it at www.thesmarteraccountant.com.  

After you take the quiz, you’ll have the chance to schedule a free 30-minute call with me. We’ll talk about your current struggles and how to turn things around. You can schedule that call at www.thesmarteraccountant.com/calendar. 

And if this episode helped you, share it with another accountant who might need to hear they’re not the problem either. Because sometimes, all it takes is hearing those words to finally start changing everything.

The truth is, you’re already smart. But this podcast will show you how to be smarter.