People may equate resilience with being able to “tough it out” when facing adversity.
This perception can lead to professional exhaustion and less-than-resilient firms. In fact, articles in Harvard Business Review frequently focus on what resilience is not. It’s not linear (either you have it, or you don’t). It’s not a trait that requires soldiering on without rest. It’s also not an excuse to blame people as weak or lazy when they have a vulnerable moment.
The accounting profession has been described as a challenging career choice due to the potential long hours per week, the slow transition to leadership/ownership and the continuous educational requirements. To be resilient in this profession may require a unique set of characteristics, but resilience in this profession can also be extremely rewarding.
Take the case of the 20-year veteran of accounting who has close relationships with his clients; he enjoys mentoring them and his team members. He has found purpose and meaning through helping closely held business owners survive into the third and fourth generation. He enjoys developing new professionals and guiding them toward opportunities in the industry.
How do you get to that place of meaning in your career? How do you get beyond daily deadlines to the bigger reason for your work? Here are 3 characteristics that may help you reframe your career long game. It’s a marathon, not a sprint!
1. Pursue Quality
How do you define quality experiences? Is it the delivery of a high-quality audit or the few minutes you spend with a client getting to know them better? By defining what quality means to you, you will stop the comparison game and realize that your work pace and work style are different from others on the team.
When you focus on quality over quantity, you will demonstrate to yourself and others that you care about the outcomes of the work you do. This will require serious conversations with your direct supervisor to set realistic expectations, break down larger tasks into smaller, achievable ones, or improve your time management skills.
The accounting profession is deadline oriented, and you can be resilient with a pace and quality focus that fits you.
2. Relinquishing Control
As much as we like to see other people change or circumstances change, we can only control our own attitude and choices.
Imagine two scenarios: In one scenario, you walk into a meeting with dread because it feels like a waste of time, and you would rather be anywhere else. In another scenario, you walk into a meeting with an open mind and curiosity. In which scenario will you contribute more and learn more?
Each day is a series of decisions regarding what we control and what we don’t control. By focusing our energy on areas of control and letting go of how we expect things to turn out, we may be pleasantly surprised that our open and positive attitude is infectious. It can also lead to more exciting accounting career opportunities than we first imagined.
3. Maintain Focus
Relinquish control, but don’t lose focus. Each day offers distractions that drag down our energy and effectiveness. Focus is a key characteristic of resilience because we need to stay focused on the higher meaning and goals of our work.
For example, if an annoying co-worker drags you down, you will lose enthusiasm, energy and time. In another case, you may lose focus because you are consumed by personal distractions. Do you spend too much time on media? Reduce your consumption of news or entertainment and see if it helps your attitude and time management.
Communication and self-regulation will support better focus in your accounting job. If you are emotionally or physically distracted from the work at hand, realize that these situations are often temporary. Discuss your priorities with your supervisor or a trusted colleague. Get advice on how to carve out focus in the midst of unexpected distractions or chaos. Keep your eyes on the big goal of advancing your career and providing for yourself and your family (present or future). Get enough rest and eat a balanced diet to maintain healthy brain focus, too!
You are resilient. That doesn’t mean you should endure overwork or difficult co-workers forever. Stay focused on your goals, let go of things you can’t control, and deliver quality work. See where that takes you. Then reevaluate. Time is on your side.
