Financial Freedom Press

I took a nap today. I dropped my daughter off to work. Then I came home, caught up on a few emails, and returned a few calls. Afterwards, I curled up in my bed and allowed myself to lay there and fall asleep. It’s a weekday and just a week away from the beginning of the school year. I had a zillion things I could have been doing, but I listened to my body and rested.

I was tired, partly because the week was filled with hanging out with good friends and loved ones in celebration of my born day anniversary, and partly because I was feeling the exhaustion from working, running a household and parenting my twice exception children on my own. It can all be so exhausting. Yet, the consensus is still to just push through and get things done while continuing to ignore your body and mind’s cry for rest.

Twice today, I heard the words “you will rest when you die”. I heard it once after I told my friend about my plans to nap in the middle of the day. I heard it again today while listening to the Vice-Presidential candidate’s speech. And if I’m honest, it’s the way I have lived most of my life, and too often have let those words slip from my own mouth. Though this is the second year I’ve been intentional about taking a significant amount of time to rest from the normal busyness in my profession, I still must work at keeping the commitment. I look at my “to do” list and feel selfish about taking so much time off from work, but then I look at my list of things that are just as important to my mental and physical health and ask myself why I prioritize one over the other?

Why should we have to wait until we die to rest our minds and our bodies? That statement is steeped in a system that I don’t buy into anymore. I will have no need to rest when I have transitioned; I want to enjoy the benefits now, of sitting still, laying down and allowing my mind the opportunity to envision the best life for me. It’s only when I step away from the day-to-day grind that I can really see how I’ve been neglecting my own dreams.

I invite you to find space in your busy-ness to be intentional about carving out time to rest. You will be surprised at the clarity you will experience when your body is rested, and your mind is given permission to slow down, dream and lead you to what you should do next.

I suggest you start slowly by informing your clients/staff/family that you will be shortening your work week by one day, then extend it to one week a month with a plan to take off for an entire month. Seek out the support you need to destress, decompress and discover what really brings you joy. For me this time is a gateway to transformation. I hope you will try it and see what type of clarity comes to you.

Reminder: Our calendar and offices will be closed until mid-September, reopening September 15^th. It’s our time to enjoy the rest (pun intended) of the summer, study the new tax laws, close out some old projects and set our goals for next year. I always receive great clarity when I step away from it all, and get quite, so rest assured there will be some big changes in our company that we’ll announce upon our return – and it’s all good!

We appreciate your support and understanding while we step away from the computer for a few weeks. I won’t leave you hanging so here are a few resources that may help you do the same:

• Clear Your Mind – It may be Mercury retrograde, menopause, stress, depression or ADHD (or all of the above) but if  you’re feeling brain fog, this article from Dr. Sharon Saline may have some suggestions that you may find helpful.   

• Important Deadlines:
  • September 15^th: Deadline for S-Corp and Partnership Extensions
  • October 15^th: Deadline for Form 1040 (Individual) and C-Corp Extensions
  • November 15^th: Deadline for Form 990 Extensions (with 12.31 year end)

• Valuable Resource: We are getting great feedback about our Less Taxes More Money video course! If you have questions about what you can deduct as a sole proprietor/business owner, what expenses you should be considering when filing your tax returns and how to calculate your estimated tax payment for the IRS, this course is for you and ONLY $44! Click HERE to pay and get your personal link to the course.

• Free Resources on Marketing Your Business: Yes, our Sleep Better at Night consultations provide you with a wealth of knowledge, but we never hesitate to also provide our clients with FREE resources to support your growth. SCORE always has on demand and online or live classes in a variety of subjects.

I hope this information is helpful. If you would like us to cover other subjects, please email support@mtaustinandassoc.com.

Have a great rest of the summer and we’ll look forward to supporting your transition when we return! ~ MT