Career Advice- Out of Office

Prior to becoming a part owner of a tax firm, I rarely fretted about taking vacation. I was not concerned about the team whilst away, and I happily added an out of office response to my emails. Yet now, the thought of a vacation especially during tax season fills me with worry. Although there is rarely a tax emergency, the knowledge of my inbox filling up with hundreds (yes hundreds) of emails that I need to tackle upon my return is panic inducing. Yet, I decided to live a little. I longed to create a birthday trip tradition for my daughter between the 1099 and pass through filing deadlines. As my husband and I will be traveling to Greece and Jordan in the summer for two different weddings (sans baby girl), we thought it only fair that our baby also journey somewhere new, preferably mountains. After price checking various winter destinations, we opted to visit Vancouver with a day trip to Whistler. Plus, a friend from Seattle will join us for a day or two! Win win

As you might have read here, Canada stole our hearts during our honeymoon, so it was an easy decision to return. Added bonus, we can stay at a Fairmont, our preferred hotel chain.

Now back to the heart of this post, I am jetting off during one of the busiest times of the year for many tax professionals. As many individuals and businesses have received their tax documents, clients are eager to file without an extension.

So why did I decide to go out of office despite all of the above? I decided to take my own advice and TRUST. Trust that if there is an urgent matter, our staff can service the client. Trust that without me, our staff will continue to operate as business as usual. In our office, we employ a fabulous group of women who ensure our office operates smoothly. There are a variety of tasks that are no longer on my plate, as I have delegated that works to make space for new clients and engagements. I have laid the foundation over years of practice to trust that our staff are smart, capable women who have all the tools to work without me being behind my office door.

I am deciding to not be shackled to my desk between January and May. I am headed into the unknown and hoping for the best. And guess what? You will never know until you try. So here I am with an out of office message clearly dictating that I will have no access to emails, and ready to relax and recharge with my favorite people in the whole world and look out to a beautiful view, both outside and at my table.

I ask you to not let things that scare you, keep you from trying. As the quote from a cinema masterpiece, Cinderella Story, said. Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game.

UPDATE: EVERYONE SURVIVED.