Before we dive in, I want to let you know I’m doing something a little different starting this week.

At the end of each episode, I’m going to start sharing something I’ve never really done before—something more personal. I’m calling it “Pulling Back the Curtain,” and it’s where I’ll talk honestly about what I’ve learned the hard way in my own accounting career.

It’s not about tips or strategies—it’s about the real life. The behind-the-scenes struggles that I can share about each week’s topic and shifts that helped me become a Smarter Accountant.

So be sure to stick around to the end—because what I’m sharing today might be exactly what you didn’t know you needed to hear.

On this 100th episode of The Smarter Accountant Podcast, I wanted to give you a sneak peek into what I’ve learned over the past 35 years and what I’ve been teaching accountants for over a decade.

When I started out as an accountant, I thought stress and long hours were just part of the job. It felt normal to always be busy, constantly checking my to-do list, and telling myself, “I’ll catch up soon.” But no matter how hard I worked, that moment never came.

For years, I tried working faster, staying later, and using every time management hack I could find. But I still felt like I was barely keeping my head above water. And I know I’m not the only one.

That’s why I wrote The Smarter Accountant and started my coaching business—to help accountants find a sustainable way to work. In my 6-week program, every accountant starts by taking The Smarter Accountant Quiz to see what’s really getting in their way. Then, they choose three key struggles to focus on, and after years of coaching, I’ve noticed the same challenges come up again and again.

There are a few core issues that keep us feeling stuck, stressed, and exhausted—no matter how many hours we put in. And honestly, it makes sense. The deadlines, client demands, and never-ending to-do lists make it easy to feel like you’re always behind.

But here’s the thing—working harder isn’t the solution. If it was, you’d feel better by now. Instead, most of us just keep pushing through, thinking, “Maybe next week will be better,” or “Once I get through this deadline, things will calm down.” But they never do.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why can’t I get ahead?” or “Why does it feel like I’m working all the time but never actually catching up?”—you’re not alone. You might think you just need better time management, but the real issue is what’s happening underneath.

Most accountants assume stress, long hours, and pressure are just part of the job. But what if that’s not true? What if the things making work so frustrating aren’t just “how it is,” but patterns that can actually be changed?

That’s what I see in coaching all the time. These same struggles show up again and again, but once accountants learn how to shift their thinking, everything changes. They don’t just work smarter—they feel better. They stop spinning their wheels and start making real progress, not just at work, but in every area of their life.

So, what are these struggles? And why do they keep showing up? That’s exactly what we’re going to talk about today. I’m willing to bet you’ll recognize at least one of them in your own life. And by the end of this, you’ll see them in a whole new way.

Why Accountants Feel Constantly Stressed and Overwhelmed

As I said earlier, I’ve been keeping a tally of the most common issues that accountants want to work on with me and for years, stress has been the #1 issue.  But in a few minutes I’m going to share the issue that has actually surpassed stress and overwhelm (if you can believe it!).

But right now, let’s talk about stress and overwhelm—because if you’re an accountant, I know you’ve been there. That feeling of constantly being behind, like no matter how early you start or how late you work, there’s always more to do.  

I remember starting my day thinking, “Today, I’m going to get ahead.” But before I knew it, the day was gone, and my to-do list had somehow gotten longer. No matter how hard I worked, I was always scrambling, always reacting, always playing catch-up.

Even when I got things done, I never really felt relieved. As soon as I crossed one thing off, ten more popped up. It felt like running on a treadmill that wouldn’t stop, no matter how fast I moved.

The real problem? Stress doesn’t just drain your energy—it wrecks your focus and decision-making. When you’re overwhelmed, your brain runs on emergency mode all the time. You start making rushed decisions, struggling to concentrate, and feeling completely drained. It’s no wonder accountants burn out. You’re not just doing the work—you’re carrying the weight of the work.

And here’s what makes it even trickier—your brain isn’t prioritizing important work. It’s prioritizing urgent work. You end up reacting to everything instead of making real progress. It’s like spending all day bailing water out of a boat instead of fixing the leak.

I used to think the solution was just working harder—starting earlier, staying later, making better to-do lists. But no matter what I did, I still felt overwhelmed. That’s when I realized something big: overwhelm isn’t just about how much you have to do. It’s about how your brain processes what you have to do.

Your brain isn’t built to handle everything at once. It sees all your tasks, emails, and deadlines as equally urgent, even when they’re not. That’s why your to-do list feels impossible.

But here’s the thing—it’s not just the workload. It’s your thoughts about the workload that create overwhelm. When I used to think, “I’ll never get this all done,” or “I have too much to do and not enough time,” my brain went into panic mode. And a panicked brain isn’t efficient. It jumps from task to task, gets distracted, and burns out faster.

If stress and overwhelm have been running the show for you, trust me, I get it. But here’s the good news—once you learn how to manage your thoughts about your workload, everything changes. The goal isn’t to get rid of work—it’s to stop feeling like it’s crushing you. And that is absolutely possible.

The Real Reason Accountants Struggle With Time Management

If you’re like most accountants, it probably feels like there’s never enough time. You start the day with a plan, but before you know it, emails, last-minute requests, and interruptions pull you in a million directions. It’s like the entire world is on a mission to keep you from getting anything done.

And the most frustrating part? You are busy. You’re constantly working, constantly checking things off, constantly doing. But somehow, at the end of the day, it feels like nothing really got accomplished. You think, “Where did the day go?” or “Why am I working so much but not making real progress?”

I used to think the solution was simple—just get better at organizing my tasks. I tried all the systems. I made detailed to-do lists, color-coded my calendar, and planned my day down to the minute. But no matter how much I planned, I still felt scattered and behind. That’s when I realized something big: time management isn’t just about planning—it’s about decision-making.

Here’s what I mean. Every time you sit down to work, your brain has to make decisions. “What should I do first?” “How long should this take?” “Is this even the best use of my time?” But if you don’t make those decisions ahead of time, your brain defaults to whatever feels urgent in the moment. And urgent doesn’t always mean important.

This is why so many accountants spend their days reacting instead of managing their time. You bounce between emails, answer questions, and handle whatever pops up—because when you don’t have a clear system, everything feels equally important. And before you know it, your entire day is filled with low-impact tasks that don’t actually move the needle.

The real problem isn’t a lack of time—it’s a lack of intentionality with time. When you don’t have a clear way to prioritize, time just disappears. It bleeds into your personal life, your evenings, and your weekends. You tell yourself, “I’ll just catch up later,” but later never comes.

And let’s talk about to-do lists for a second—because, honestly, they don’t work the way we think they do. We treat them like a magic fix, but they’re just a storage system, not a time system. 

They remind you of what needs to be done, but they don’t actually help you do the work. That’s why you can have a long to-do list and still feel stuck—because checking things off doesn’t mean you’re focusing on what actually matters.

If you feel like you’re always busy but never truly productive, you’re not alone. The good news? You don’t need more hours in the day—you just need a better way to decide how you’re using the ones you already have.

Why You’re Busy All Day But Still Feel Unproductive

If you’ve ever worked all day, checked off tasks, and still felt like you accomplished nothing, you’re not alone. It’s frustrating to put in long hours and wonder, “Why does it feel like I got nothing done?”

A big part of the problem is distractions. You sit down to focus, but before you know it, you’re answering emails, responding to messages, and getting pulled into something else. Then you finally get back to your task—only to get interrupted again.

And then there’s procrastination. You have important work to do, but suddenly checking email or organizing your desk seems urgent. You tell yourself, “I’ll start in five minutes,” but an hour later, you’re even more behind.

Here’s the truth—working more hours doesn’t mean getting more done. If you’re constantly switching tasks, getting interrupted, or putting things off, you’re spending time working without real progress. And that just leads to more stress and frustration.

So why is it so hard to stay focused? Because deep, focused work takes effort, and your brain prefers easy tasks, like checking email or skimming spreadsheets. That’s why you feel the urge to do anything except the thing you’re supposed to be doing.

And procrastination? It’s not about time management—it’s about avoiding discomfort. When a task feels overwhelming or boring, your brain looks for an escape. You tell yourself, “I’ll feel more ready later,” but later comes, and you still don’t want to do it.

If you’ve ever wondered why you struggle to push through, it’s not about discipline. It’s about how your brain is wired. But once you understand what’s happening, you can stop feeling guilty and start working with your brain instead of against it.

Because productivity isn’t about working harder—it’s about staying focused on what actually matters. And once you figure that out, everything changes.

How Accounting Work Is Affecting Your Relationships

If you’re an accountant, you’ve probably felt how work takes over your life. By the time you get home, you’re exhausted, but your brain is still stuck on work. You want to be present with family or friends, but that little voice keeps saying, “I should be getting more done.”

I know that feeling. I’ve sat at family dinners, nodding along while mentally running through my to-do list. I’ve told myself, “I’ll just check one quick email,” only to lose 30 minutes. Even when I promised to unplug, work was always in the back of my mind.

When work bleeds into personal time, relationships suffer. At first, it’s subtle, but over time, you feel more disconnected. Maybe your partner seems distant, your kids don’t come to you as much, or friends stop reaching out. And the more disconnected you feel, the more stress you carry.

That stress follows you back to work, creating a cycle—more work leads to less connection, which leads to more stress, making you work even more. Before you know it, work is running your entire life.

So why is it so hard to shut work off? Most accountants believe working more makes them better. There’s this unspoken rule that true dedication means answering emails late at night, always being available, and putting in extra hours. It’s easy to say, “I’ll slow down after this deadline,” but there’s always another one.

The truth is, your brain isn’t wired to balance priorities naturally. It prioritizes what feels urgent, so work will always win unless you intentionally make space for personal time. That’s why it’s easy to ignore family time but impossible to ignore a work email.

If you’ve been feeling like work is taking over, you’re not alone. But real success isn’t about working more—it’s about creating a life where work and personal time both have space. And being a great accountant doesn’t have to mean sacrificing everything else.

Why Accountants Struggle to Set Boundaries With Work

Another common issue that accountants want to work on is boundaries. It’s hard to say no when people are counting on you. You don’t want to let anyone down, so you take on more, answer emails at all hours, and convince yourself, “It’s just easier if I handle it myself.”

At first, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. You stay late, squeeze in one more task, or check emails after dinner. But over time, work takes over, and personal time disappears. You keep saying, “I’ll slow down after this deadline,” but there’s always another one.

Then resentment kicks in. You wonder, “Why do people expect so much from me?” But the more you say yes, the more they assume you always will. When you finally try to set a boundary, guilt creeps in.

So why is saying no so hard? Most of us don’t want to disappoint others. We fear being seen as difficult or unreliable, so we convince ourselves, “It’s just this one time,” even when we’re already stretched too thin.

But here’s the truth—setting boundaries doesn’t push people away. It actually teaches them to respect your time. When you protect your schedule, others adjust. When you stop answering emails at night, people stop expecting instant replies. When you set limits, you do better work because you’re not running on empty.

If you’ve been struggling with boundaries, you’re not alone. But you don’t have to wait until burnout to set them. Boundaries aren’t about shutting people out—they’re about making sure you don’t lose yourself in the process.

What Causes Imposter Syndrome in Accountants (And How to Spot It)

Remember I said earlier that stress had been the most common issue that accountants want to work on, but that there was another issue that had become even more common?  Well, that issue is imposter syndrome.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re not as good as people think you are, you’re not alone. You might look like you have it all together on the outside, but inside, there’s this little voice saying, “I don’t really know what I’m doing,” or “What if they find out I’m not as good as they think?”

No matter how much experience you have, you still second-guess yourself. You double-check your work, then check it again just to be sure. You compare yourself to other accountants and think, “They seem so much more confident. Why don’t I feel that way?” And no matter how many wins you have, they never seem to be enough to quiet the doubt.

Imposter syndrome doesn’t just mess with your confidence—it holds you back. Instead of speaking up in meetings, you stay quiet because you don’t want to say the wrong thing. Instead of going after new opportunities, you hesitate because you’re not sure you’re ready. And when you do get recognition for your work, you brush it off, thinking, “They’re just being nice,” or “I just got lucky.”

And here’s the tricky part—it makes you work even harder. You over-prepare, overthink, and put in extra hours just to make sure no one ever questions your abilities. But no matter how much you do, it never feels like enough. Instead of feeling more confident, you just feel more exhausted.

So why does this happen? Why do so many accountants, even the most skilled ones, struggle with self-doubt?

The truth is, your brain is wired to focus on what’s wrong, not what’s right. It has a negativity bias, which means it’s constantly scanning for mistakes, weaknesses, and reasons why you might not be good enough. And once your brain starts looking for evidence that you don’t measure up, it finds plenty—because that’s what it’s trained to see.

But here’s the thing—confidence isn’t something you either have or don’t have. It’s a skill. The only difference between confident accountants and those struggling with imposter syndrome is what they believe about themselves. Confident people aren’t always the smartest or the most talented—they just don’t spend all their time questioning whether they belong.

If you’ve been stuck in self-doubt, you’re not alone. But the good news is, imposter syndrome isn’t a sign that you’re not good enough. It’s just a sign that your brain is doing what brains do. And once you learn how to shift those thoughts, you stop feeling like an imposter and start owning what you already bring to the table.

Becoming a Smarter Accountant: Transforming Stress, Time Management, and Imposter Syndrome

Now let me share about one of my coaching clients.  When he first came to coaching, he was completely overwhelmed. Every day felt like a race he was losing. He told me, “I wake up stressed, rush through the day, and go to bed feeling like I didn’t do enough. No matter how much I work, it never feels like it’s enough.”

He worked long hours but never felt accomplished. Even after finishing a big project, he thought, “I probably missed something,” or “Anyone else could have done this better.”

Time management was another struggle. He started each day with a plan, but the minute an email or request came in, everything fell apart. He jumped between tasks, reacting all day, and by evening, he had no idea where the time had gone.

Then there was self-doubt. Despite years of experience, he constantly questioned if he was good enough. He compared himself to colleagues, hesitated to speak up in meetings, and brushed off praise, thinking, “They’re just being nice,” or “That was just luck.”

When we started working together, we focused on stress. He assumed it came from his workload, but he realized a big part of it came from his thoughts about his workload. Every morning, he’d think, “I have too much to do,” which made everything feel worse. We worked on shifting those thoughts so he could regain control.

Next, we tackled time management. Instead of overwhelming to-do lists, he started making clear decisions about what needed to get done, what could wait, and how much time each task deserved. By planning intentionally, he stopped reacting and started focusing on what mattered most.

Then came imposter syndrome. He had spent years feeling like he had to prove himself. Through coaching, he saw how his brain was wired to focus on mistakes rather than wins. He practiced noticing his successes, challenging negative thoughts, and trusting his own experience instead of assuming others knew more.

A few months later, everything felt different. He told me, “For the first time in years, I don’t feel like I’m scrambling all the time.” He was still busy, but stress, poor time management, and self-doubt no longer controlled his career. And because of that, everything felt easier.

If you’ve ever felt this way, know this—it doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to feel constantly behind or doubt your abilities. Just like he did, you can take back control. And when you do, everything changes.

Key Takeaway and Action Item

The key takeaway from today’s episode is that the biggest struggles accountants face—stress, time management issues, imposter syndrome, and more—aren’t just part of the job. They’re patterns that can be changed. 

The truth is that when you learn how to manage your thoughts, make clear decisions about your time, and stop doubting your own abilities, everything gets easier. You don’t need more hours in the day—you just need a better way to use the ones you already have.

For this week, ask yourself, “What’s the one struggle that’s causing me the most stress right now?”

Maybe it’s constantly feeling behind, second-guessing yourself, or never having enough time. Whatever it is, recognizing it is the first step to changing it. Because once you see what’s really getting in your way, you can start to take back control.

And if any of what I talked about today sounds familiar, take The Smarter Accountant Quiz. It only takes five minutes, and it will help you get clear on what’s holding you back. Once you know that, you can start making real changes that actually last.

Take the quiz now and see what’s standing between you and a smarter way to work. You might be surprised by what you find.

Pulling Back The Curtain

As I said in the beginning, I’m going to start switching things up at the end of the podcast and I’m going to start sharing some behind the scenes, personal experiences with the topic of the week.

I think it’s the perfect time to go a little deeper and let the listeners see more of me—the accountant, the coach, and the human behind the mic.

With that said, pulling back the curtain for a second…

I still remember sitting at my desk years ago—kids were little, I was working full-time in public accounting, and I’d come home every night completely drained. Not just tired—emotionally fried. I’d lie in bed thinking, “Is this really what my career is supposed to feel like?”

But I kept pushing through. I told myself I just needed to work harder… get more organized… be better. Meanwhile, I was waking up anxious, second-guessing my work, and silently comparing myself to everyone else who looked like they had it all together.

I didn’t talk about it back then. I didn’t even realize how common it was to feel overwhelmed, behind, and not good enough—especially as an accountant.

That’s part of why I started this podcast. And in this 100th episode, talking about the 6 most common issues accountants face? I wasn’t just sharing what I’ve seen in coaching—I was sharing what I’ve lived.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly chasing a finish line that keeps moving, like you’re capable but stuck, or like you’re the only one who feels this way… please know, you’re not. You’re actually in really good company.

That’s why I created The Smarter Accountant Quiz. It’s not fluff—it’s designed to help you spot the deeper issue that’s running in the background. And once you see it, everything can start to shift.

You can take the quiz in under five minutes at www.thesmarteraccountant.com. And if you want help figuring out what it all means for you, schedule a free 30-minute call with me at www.thesmarteraccountant.com/calendar. No pressure, just clarity.

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