Some suggestions of ways to relieve pressure as you rush toward the last-minute crunch deadline.
1. Eat lunch out of your office.
2. Go for a 15-minute walk in the middle of the afternoon instead of eating a snack.
3. If you eat a snack, make it fresh fruit…or an ice cream sundae (and bring it in for everyone).
4. Respond immediately to any client complaint.
5. If you won’t meet a promised deadline, call your client as soon as you know it and give a new date. Don’t call two days after the deadline date.
6. Do something fun in the office on April 1st. Read my April Fool’s blog at www.partners-network.com .
7. Call an aunt you haven’t spoken to lately.
8. Block out time to watch the NCAA finals, or buy a ticket for opening day of the baseball season. And go!
9. Read for enjoyment. (I always did and still do and it really relieves pressure.)
10. Realize that while you are working under extreme pressure, your staff, your spouse, your staff’s spouses and/or partners also feel that pressure. Be gentle with them. Further, no one else feels that pressure so watch how you act and treat people who say or do really “stupid” things that annoy you.
Edward Mendlowitz, CPA, is partner at
