We have all heard the saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
It goes without saying that during the months of January through April, for the majority of Tax Preparers, it really is “all work and no play.” However coming in to the home stretch does it really have to be?
The March 15th deadline is over and what better way to get geared up to face the April 15th deadline then to fill out your brackets and get ready for March Madness!!!
Many CPAs may be groaning right now while shaking his/her head and saying “I don’t have time for March Madness. I still have returns that need to either get filed or extended in less than a month.”
I get it, I really do, but I politely disagree with that train of thought. Why? For several reasons:
- Office Pools. What a great way to bring about some friendly office competition while also building up camaraderie! We all have our reasoning behind bracket picking – be it actual knowledge and/or love of a team, a fondness for a team’s colors or random guessing based upon the team rankings with some variety thrown in. Regardless the winner is usually the one person you wouldn’t expect due to the random upset that no one saw coming!!! And that is what makes March Madness fun for everyone!
- The Cinderella Story. Like I said in point number one, there is always a random upset that no one saw coming! Not only do we hope this happens, many of us root for it to happen. We have all watched Hoosiers and have repeatedly failed miserably trying not to cry at the end. March Madness allows us to get the NCAA version of the High School Cinderella Story.
- The Nail Biters. When you have two amazing teams battling it out, the last minutes. and likely seconds, of the game leave you on the edge of your seat. For a large amount of onlookers, it actually leaves us standing on the edge of our toes, as if we are about to attempt the winning shot. The rush of adrenaline and excitement in the air is shared with all that are watching.
- You’ve Earned It! You’ve been working your tail off so take the time to sit with family or friends and enjoy a game or two (or three or four). Not only will your loved ones, who have missed seeing your face for the past few months appreciate it, so will your mind and your body!
And if you need some additional convincing, take a look at this article that will let you know why, scientifically, March Madness is exactly what an accountant needs so you can power through this next month!
Good luck with your picks and the rest of the busy season!!