Before I get started, I wanted to remind you to stay to the end because I just added a new section to the podcast titled “Pulling Back The Curtain” where I give you a behind the scenes look at how I’ve personally dealt with the topic I’m discussing in each episode.  Hopefully, it will give you a better idea about the person behind this microphone.

I also wanted to mention that The Smarter Accountant CPE Course “Everything You Need To Know About Procrastination” is on Wednesday, May 21st at 4 pm EST.  You can sign up at https://thesmarteraccountant.com/cpe/.  You’ll not only get CPE credit but I will also be sending the replay and a workbook so that you can apply what you learned.

Tax season’s over—finally. You got through the long hours, the crazy deadlines, and all those last-minute surprises.

And now that it’s behind you, it’s totally normal to just want to move on. You might be thinking, “Let’s not even talk about it until next year… or maybe the next extension deadline.”

But here’s the thing—what if now is actually the best time to hit pause? Not to beat yourself up, but just to take a quick, honest look at how it really went.

We’re so used to powering through that we rarely stop and ask, “What would I want to do differently next time?” The problem is, when you don’t stop and reflect, it’s easy to fall right back into the same hard season again and again.

This isn’t about guilt or shame. It’s about curiosity—for just a few minutes.

You already know tax season takes a toll. On your time, your body, your mind, your family. But do you know where it hit you the hardest?

It’s kind of like finishing a big project and never checking to see what actually worked… or what totally fell apart. You just keep doing it the same way, even if that way isn’t really working.

And let’s be clear—you’re not lazy, and you’re not disorganized. You’re just busy. But what if a little reflection now could make a huge difference later?

Imagine if next tax season didn’t feel so chaotic. What if a few small changes now could help you feel more in control next time?

Whether you realize it or not, you’ve already learned a lot. You’ve just been too tired or too slammed to notice.

And no, I’m not saying you need to spend hours reviewing every detail. But what if you gave yourself just a little space to look back—without judgment?

Because here’s the thing: if you don’t look back, your brain assumes everything went fine. And that means next year will look exactly the same.

But what if this year could be the last one that felt this hard? What if this is your chance to start doing things smarter?

Most people won’t take the time to reflect. That’s exactly why it matters so much when you do.

You don’t need a perfect tax season. You just need some clarity.

So here’s the big question: What would you find out if you looked back with fresh eyes?

Let’s talk about it.

What Is a Tax Season Autopsy?

A Tax Season Autopsy is just a simple way to look back once the season is over and do a little digging. It’s where you ask yourself, “What actually worked for me? What didn’t? And what would I want to do differently next time?”

It’s not about pointing fingers or beating yourself up. It’s just about paying attention, from a non-judgemental space, so you can learn from what you just went through.

Think about it like this—athletes watch game replays, surgeons talk through what happened in the OR, and performers rewatch their shows to see where they can improve.

They’re not doing it because they messed up. They’re doing it because they want to keep getting better.

That’s exactly what this is. A Tax Season Autopsy is your way of saying, “Okay, let’s hit pause and see what this season taught me.”

It’s really just about awareness—slowing down long enough to notice what helped and what hurt. Because the truth is, most of us are so quick to move on that we don’t even give ourselves the chance to take anything useful from the experience.

Smarter Accountants don’t treat tax season like something to forget as fast as possible. They look at it like a goldmine of clues—clues about how they work, how they feel, and where things went off track.

They don’t make it personal. They look at it like information. Not drama—just data.

And once you start doing that, you realize how helpful it actually is. You can make small changes that stick, instead of trying to overhaul everything next year in a panic.

No guilt. No shame. Just a chance to reset with a little more clarity and a lot more intention.

When you look at it that way, a Tax Season Autopsy isn’t about the past—it’s really about giving yourself a better future.

So if it’s this helpful, why don’t more accountants do it? Let’s talk about that next.

Why Most Accountants Skip This Step

Let’s be honest—once tax season ends, the last thing most of us want to do is look back. You’re tired, you’re fried, and all you want is to feel normal again.

And that totally makes sense. Your brain is wired to avoid anything that feels uncomfortable. Thinking back on a tough season can bring up regret, frustration, or even guilt, and your brain would rather you skip all that.

So it gives you thoughts like, “It’s done, just move on,” or “Next year will be different,” or even, “Why bother thinking about it now?” Those thoughts sound harmless, but they’re sneaky—they keep you stuck in the same loop.

The problem is, if you don’t take even a few minutes to learn from what happened, you’re probably going to repeat it. Not because you’re doing anything wrong, but because your brain assumes, “Well, I guess this is just how we do it.”

That’s why every tax season can start to feel the same—rushed, stressful, and way too much. You fall into the same patterns, make the same choices, and cross your fingers that somehow it’ll be better next time.

But hoping things get better isn’t a real plan. And skipping this step means your brain keeps running the same playbook year after year.

Taking time to reflect might feel optional, but it’s actually one of the smartest things you can do. It’s what gives you the chance to do things differently—without having to work harder.

And if your brain is resisting it, that doesn’t mean you’re lazy or unmotivated. It just means your brain is doing what it thinks will protect you.

But maybe the real protection comes from understanding what actually happened. And that’s where knowing a little brain science can help. Let’s take a look at that now.

The Brain Science Behind Reflection

Your brain loves routine—even if that routine is completely draining. It’ll keep doing what’s familiar, even if it’s not really working for you.

That’s because your brain sees familiar as safe. If you made it through tax season doing things a certain way, your brain thinks, “Great! Let’s do that again.”

Unless you pause and reflect, your brain won’t stop to ask, “Was that actually the best way?” It just assumes, “Well, that’s how we always do it.”

Here’s the good news: there’s another part of your brain that can help you think ahead and make better choices. It’s called the prefrontal cortex, or what I refer to as The Supervising Parent—and it’s the part that helps you plan, evaluate, and make smarter decisions.

But there’s a catch—it only works when you use it intentionally or on purpose.

If you’re constantly rushing from one thing to the next, reacting to emails, putting out fires, and just trying to stay afloat, that smarter part of your brain doesn’t get much of a say.

That’s why slowing down to reflect is so important. If you want different results, you need different thinking. And that starts by giving your brain a moment to step out of autopilot.

So now that you know why reflection in the form of a Tax Season Autopsy matters, the next step is knowing what to reflect on. Let’s now talk about 5 questions to ask yourself after tax season

Five Questions to Ask Yourself After Tax Season

Once things start to settle down, it’s worth taking just a few minutes to ask yourself some simple questions. Not to overwhelm yourself—but to get a little clarity that could really help you next time around.

1. What actually worked this season?

Start by giving yourself credit. Even if this season felt tough overall, there were probably a few things that made it a little easier.

Maybe you stuck to your office hours more than usual, and that helped you feel less drained at the end of the day. Maybe you finally used that shared calendar with your team or batch-processed client emails instead of checking them all day long.

Even small wins count. This question is about seeing what did go well, so you can keep doing it or build on it next year.

2. What didn’t work—and why?

This isn’t about blaming yourself. It’s about getting real with what made things harder than they needed to be.

Maybe you agreed to take on too many last-minute returns, thinking you could squeeze them in. Maybe you worked weekends even though you promised yourself you wouldn’t—and now you’re more exhausted than ever.

Ask yourself why it didn’t work. Was it lack of planning? People-pleasing? Fear of saying no? The goal is to spot the patterns that tripped you up, so you don’t keep repeating them.

3. What would I want to do differently next year?

Think of this like setting your future self up for success. What would you want to change if you could do it all over again?

Maybe you want to build in time for breaks, or set firmer deadlines for when you’ll stop accepting new work.

And here’s the deeper part—ask yourself: What would I need to think or feel to actually follow through?

For example, if you want to turn down late work, maybe you need to think, “My time has value,” or feel more confident setting boundaries. If you want to delegate more, maybe you need to feel trust in your team. The mindset piece matters more than we realize.

4. Where did I lose time that I didn’t expect to lose?

This question can uncover the sneaky time drains you may not have noticed while you were in the middle of it all.

Maybe you were constantly pulled into client emergencies that could’ve been avoided with better upfront communication. Or maybe you spent hours trying to find documents or organize files because your systems weren’t solid.

This is a chance to look at time management with fresh eyes—especially the things that stole your time without you even realizing it.

5. Where did I feel the most overwhelmed?

Think back to the moments when you felt like everything was unraveling. Was it during onboarding new clients? Was it juggling home and work responsibilities? This question can help you see where things started to break down so you know what needs more support next time.

As you think through your answers, consider your boundaries, your energy levels, and your support system. What was missing? What do you wish you had done earlier?

These questions aren’t meant to solve everything at once. They’re simply a way to pay attention—and give yourself more options next time around.

And bonus points – have your team do their own version of a Tax Season Autopsy too. You’ll get a bigger picture of what worked, what didn’t, and how to make improvements as a team—not just as an individual.

Still wondering if this kind of reflection really makes a difference? Let me tell you about a coaching client who tried it for the first time—and what happened next.

Becoming a Smarter Accountant: Performing a Successful Tax Season Autopsy

One of my coaching clients used to hate the idea of reflecting—especially after tax season. Her attitude was basically, “It’s over. I survived. Let’s not bring it up again.”

She figured looking back would just make her feel worse. To her, it felt like picking at old wounds when she was already beyond exhausted.

When I first brought up the idea of doing a Tax Season Autopsy, she was not into it. She actually said, “Why would I want to rehash all that chaos?” But eventually, she agreed to give it a try—just once.

We kept it really simple. She answered a few questions, took 15 minutes to think about her experience, and that was it.

What came up for her was eye-opening. She realized how much time she lost saying yes to last-minute client requests, and how often she skipped breaks thinking it would help her catch up—when it actually left her more drained.

She also noticed how she avoided asking for help because she thought it would take too long to explain things. But in the end, she was doing everything herself and feeling totally overwhelmed.

The next year, she went into tax season with a plan. She set firmer boundaries with her clients, blocked time for focused work, and even gave herself catch-up time every week—something she’d never even thought to do before.

The change was huge. She was still working hard, but she wasn’t crashing and burning. She felt calmer, more in control, and way less reactive.

Now, she actually looks forward to doing a quick reflection after tax season. It helps her see what’s working and where she can make little adjustments that add up over time.

She didn’t overhaul everything overnight. She just gave herself the chance to learn from her own experience—and it made her smarter each year.

And honestly, you can do the same thing.

Key Takeaway and Action Item

Have you ever promised yourself that next tax season would be different—but it wasn’t? That’s exactly why doing a Tax Season Autopsy matters.

It’s not just a nice idea—it’s a habit that smart leaders rely on to stop repeating the same painful patterns. It’s how you start taking back control of your time, your energy, and your future.

Doing a Tax Season Autopsy isn’t extra credit—it’s what smart leaders do. It’s how you take control of your time, your energy, and your experience going forward.

For this week, I suggest asking yourself, “If nothing changes between now and next tax season, what’s likely to happen again?”

Really sit with that for a minute. Your answer is more important than any checklist or planner.

Because that answer holds the insight you need. It shows you exactly where to focus your attention now, so you’re not stuck in the same stressful cycle next year.

Don’t wait until next tax season to wish you had done things differently. Small awareness now leads to big change later.

And if you’re wondering what this looked like in my own career, let me pull back the curtain and share a story I’ve never told before.

Pulling Back the Curtain

I’ll never forget this one particular tax season, years ago, when I kept telling myself I just had to push through. No breaks, barely any sleep, nonstop stress—I figured that was just part of the job.

I kept thinking, “I’ll rest when it’s over.” I didn’t think I had time to slow down or reflect, so I didn’t. And by the end of that season, I was completely burned out.

The scary part? I didn’t even notice how bad it had gotten until weeks later. I was snapping at my family, couldn’t focus, and honestly, I felt like all the joy had drained out of my work. I remember thinking, “Wait… is this what it’s going to be like every year?”

And it didn’t help that it was my first tax season being married to my second husband. He was not happy with what tax season turned me into—and honestly, I couldn’t blame him. That was the moment I realized something had to change.

The first time I did what I now call a Tax Season Autopsy, I’ll be honest—it was uncomfortable. I didn’t want to look back. I wanted to forget it ever happened.

But I pushed through that resistance and sat down to ask myself a few simple questions. And once I did, it was like a fog started to lift.

I realized a lot of my stress came from how I was approaching the season—not just the workload. I noticed patterns I had never seen before. And for the first time, I actually had something I could work with.

That one small act of reflection made a huge difference. I started planning more intentionally, setting better boundaries, and thinking ahead instead of always reacting in the moment.

Was it perfect? Of course not. But it was smarter. And that alone changed everything.

If this past season left you drained or frustrated, you’re definitely not alone. And the good news is—you don’t have to do it that way again.

Taking time to reflect doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re wise. And it might be one of the smartest things you ever do for your future self.

If you’re interested in becoming a Smarter Accountant, I have The Smarter Accountant Quiz as the first step. It’s quick, it’s free, and it’ll help you see what’s actually getting in your way. You can find it at https://thesmarteraccountant.com.

And if you want help with anything you’re struggling with or figuring out what to do next, I offer a free 30-minute call. You can sign up at https://thesmarteraccountant.com/calendar.

And one last thing—if you’ve been enjoying this podcast, the best way you can support it is by sharing it with other accountants. Whether it’s a friend, a coworker, or someone who’s quietly struggling the way you once were, spreading the word helps more accountants discover there’s a smarter way to work.

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