Getting the Most Out of Your Time

Accountants are smart people.  The thing I find curious is how they invest their time.  If time is money, and I don’t think it is—time is your life—then why aren’t accountants better stewards of their time?  Why don’t accountants invest their time like they invest their money—for the most part, well?

Steve Jobs gave a famous speech at Stanford University about how he used time uncertainty—how long will my life on earth last?—to motivate him and inspire him to do great things.

He said, “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

There is a sweetness and sadness to the sentence.  Jobs is saying treat your time with scarcity. If there is one place ReNew will advocate scarcity it is in how you invest your time.

When we ask accountants what they like best about being an accountant, most say advising clients. We then ask how much of your time is invested in advising clients?—typically 20% or less.

The critical question moving forward is where do you want to invest your time and what moves do you need to make better use of your time.  How you invest your time should be inspiring and impactful.

You can always make more money but you can’t make more time.

Choose success over survival.

Shannon Vincent is founder of ReNew Group. Since 2001, Shannon has consulted with Top 100 firms to sole practitioners, helping them create sustainable and profitable businesses.

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