Originally posted at Cirillo Hooper & Company

15 May is one of the most important days in an accountant’s calendar. It marks the end of the tax season, and for many in the tax discipline, it is the proverbial calm before the storm that is end of financial year. The important word here is, calm, things will be quiet in the compliance department of our office (the same can’t be said for management accounting, sucked in Markus).

I have been working long days and weekends for the past month, and my health (and sanity) has taken a huge hit. Fortunately I am going on holidays tomorrow, 17 May 2012 for 10 days on a cruise around the South Pacific. I won’t have cell phone reception, which is probably a good thing, I’m calling it my ‘digital detox.’

This brings me to an important point. I am now committing publicly, that I am going to take at least one week off between 15 May and 30 June, for every year from now until I retire. Why? Because it is important to take a rest every now and then, or else you will crash and burn out.

I have been contacting a lot of my major clients this week to tell them that I will be on holidays, I was shocked to hear many of them haven’t taken time out of their business in years (even decades). While business owners are some of the most inspiring people I have ever met, they are also often the most highly strung (it might have something to do with the 16 hour days).

Just remember guys, as the Roman poet Virgil once said, “The greatest wealth is health.”