Recently I needed to pull together all my financial paperwork for an upcoming meeting with my accountant. We’re talking spreadsheets and receipts and such.
Now I love money, but anything tax-related doesn’t really make me want to jump for joy. Nonetheless, I needed to get this paperwork together.
Dragging my feet
In the past, this has literally been at least a day-long process. If I’m being honest, sometimes it has taken even longer than that.
Because there’s been a lot of feet-dragging on my part and distracting myself with anything and everything except the tax stuff I’m supposed to be focused on.
Alignment + question
So, as I approached this tax-related To Do this year, I got in alignment first—that’s always first—and then asked myself this question: What is the most fun way I can think of doing my taxes?
Notice the question doesn’t ask whether there is a fun way. No, it asks what is the most fun way…
This question made all the difference!
The fun way
I put on my comfiest clothes. I broke out the most premium, coveted bar of dark chocolate. I set up a little workstation with awesome views of downtown Ann Arbor. I put on music from Focus@Will, which is a fantastic music service based on human neuroscience that helps you focus.
And do you know what? I was done in just over two hours!
It was so quick and painless —especially compared to years past. At first I thought I must have overlooked some category of business expenses. No…
Inspired versus forced
The difference was taking inspired, aligned action versus forced action.
Flow couldn’t find me in the past with my forced action. Ease couldn’t find me.
But when I got in alignment and took a light approach, What’s the most fun way?, then inspired, aligned, effortless action followed. Action that was full of ease.
Taxes = joy?
Abraham says: “Action inspired from aligned thoughts is joyful action”. Now, I don’t know if doing my tax paperwork quite got to the level of joy, but it was darn close. And the dark chocolate helped!
With aligned action, the work itself didn’t have to be a slog. And the task didn’t have to be something I dreaded and procrastinated about.
In fact, inspired action eliminates procrastination. It’s a non-issue. Because when you’re inspired to act, there simply is no procrastination.
Do you have something you “need” to do? Ask yourself: What’s the most fun way?—and then take the inspired action.
