Dreaded Deadlines

I started a new accounting job about ten months ago. The ability to meet deadlines is an essential skill for my job. We have deadlines for preparing financial reports for our clients and deadlines for filing reports with state insurance departments. Not meeting reporting deadlines doesn't make the client happy but not meeting regulatory deadlines can result in some really stiff penalties.

At the beginning of the year when I was new at my job, the server went down for a week and I had to work over the weekend to get everything done on time. We were pressing the submit button at the end of the day on the due date for year-end filings. 

My boss told me that the guy who had my job before me always rushed at the last minute to get the quarterly filings done. I can tell that he didn't think much of him. He didn't want us to be rushing at the last minute because it is too stressful.

I am much more efficient now that I've learned my job. I get things done faster and with fewer mistakes. I know what needs to be done.

This quarter, my financial reports were completed almost two weeks before the due date. But I had to wait for my boss to review my regulatory filing. He gets distracted and pulled in many directions. He kept putting off his review. So I waited. And I waited. But I wasn't stressed because I knew things were in pretty good shape. Then finally, yesterday, the day before the due date, my boss came through and I got the go ahead to submit my reports.

It may not seem like much, but getting things done one day early took a lot of pressure off of me. When I'm not rushed, I don't make as many mistakes. I breathe easier.

Random Thoughts #4