A Lesson to Learn From Cross Country Skiers: Pace Yourself

This is the First in our Series on Health & Wellness
Part II: Don’t Let the Trivial Trump the Important
Part III: Minimize Assumptions & Take the Guesswork out of the Equation

Pace yourself: Wisdom suitable for a seasoned athlete … or a dedicated tax and accounting professional. With the 2010 Winter Olympics just around the corner, many Americans will be tuning in to watch the elegant figure skaters and speed hungry bobsledders. And would someone please help me understand the allure of the 500 year-old sport of curling?

Some of the Olympic events don’t receive as much televised attention but are just as remarkable for skill and endurance. Take, for instance, the cross country ski competition. True, watching it won’t raise your blood pressure or make your heart pound, but it does provide at least one valuable lesson for everyday life — if you want to be a winner, you must pace yourself. A part of the winter Olympics since its inception in 1924, cross-country skiing is one of the most difficult endurance sports. Its motions employ every major muscle group in the body and burn more calories per hour in execution than many other sports. A cross country skier requires both upper and lower body strength, so conditioning involves a variety of exercises.

The Olympic competition involves several different times, lengths and combinations (the biathlon combines cross country skiing and rifle marksmanship), but the longest event is 50 kilometers. One can have the finest skis and equipment, be physically prepared by the best trainers and have national support, but if the athlete does not pace himself for the long haul, all of the knowledge, preparation and equipment won’t mean a thing.

So what can cross country skiers teach tax and accounting professionals?

It’s pretty simple, actually — the importance of pacing oneself for the long haul. As you enter this busy tax seasons, don’t attack your job like you are fighting off bumble bees. If you do, you’ll likely lose all of your steam before April 15. Is that a problem? Absolutely. Let me explain.

An un-paced life is wearisome. Expending your energy quickly may be good for a sprinter, but it is disastrous for a distance athlete, leaving him weary when he needs the strength to finish. Too many weary days and you’ll be flirting with burnout. As burnout sets in, your demeanor becomes irritable and inconsiderate. Tempers flare. Words become terse, patience grows short and email responses take on abrupt feelings that leave people wondering how to interpret them. Your usual, loveable personality packs up and goes on an extended vacation. And while you may be able to keep it together for the sake of your clients, your family often suffers through your meltdown when you shuffle through the front door.

An un-paced life often lacks integrity. When you bite off more than you can chew, some responsibilities are hard to swallow. You get IRS heartburn — Integrity at Risk Syndrome. Some wise sage once said, “The person who burns the candle at both ends isn’t nearly as bright as he thinks he is.” When exhausted, you are more tempted to cut corners in order to finish the work regardless of its quality. Cutting corners isn’t ethical; it prevents you from doing your best for your clients. What’s more, you won’t find personal satisfaction in a job poorly done.

As the burnout deepens, you’ll be tempted to do more than just cut corners. You may even consider compromising your integrity for personal gain. Normally, such credibility-challenged thoughts would be easily dismissed, but when you are mentally and emotionally exhausted, integrity can take a beating.