As both an accountant and a mom, your ability to balance your career and motherhood is truly remarkable. Even if you don’t see how amazing you are, I do; you are doing your best to make it all work, and I celebrate everything you do.
But let’s talk about something that might be putting an unintentional dent in your superpowers: the misuse of continuing education. We all get bombarded with emails and social media posts about upcoming continuing education seminars and learning opportunities.
Continuing education is like fuel for our professional growth, keeping us up to date with the latest trends and regulations in accounting. It’s a vital tool that empowers us to excel in our careers and serve our clients with expertise.
For those of us that are CPAs, it’s a yearly requirement to have a particular number of hours to maintain our CPA license. However, there’s a catch. Sometimes, in our quest to be the perfect mom, accountant, and CPA, we fall into the trap of misusing this valuable resource.
We live in a society that places immense pressure on women to excel in all areas simultaneously. The supermom archetype weighs heavily on us, expecting us to effortlessly juggle all aspects of our lives without missing a beat.
As both accountants and moms, the pressure to prove our competence can be even more intense. Continuing education can seem like an opportunity to demonstrate our expertise, to validate ourselves as capable professionals, and to quiet that nagging voice of self-doubt.
But here’s the thing – in our pursuit of perfection, we often over-commit ourselves. We sign up for every continuing education course that catches our eye, attending endless webinars and adding more certifications to our already impressive resumes.
We believe that by accumulating more knowledge and qualifications, we’ll become invincible. The irony is that the very thing intended to enhance our skills can end up overwhelming us, leaving us feeling stretched thin and on the brink of burnout.
As accountant moms, we’re constantly pulled in multiple directions, toggling between client meetings, school runs, and endless to-do lists. When it comes to continuing education, we might find ourselves multitasking, trying to absorb information while simultaneously tending to our little ones or responding to work emails.
Amidst the chaos, we forget that taking care of ourselves is not only important for our well-being but also essential for our productivity. Neglecting self-care can lead to exhaustion, diminished motivation, and ultimately, a counterproductive approach to continuing education.
And let’s not forget the power of unrealistic expectations, where society tells us we can have it all, and we believe it. Before we know it, continuing education becomes a double-edged sword.
This week I’m going to discuss the pressure of perfection, the misuse of continuing education, and what you can do about it.
The pressure of perfection
Ah, the pursuit of perfection—the invisible cape we accountant moms wear as we try to do it all. We want to excel in every aspect of our lives: a successful career, a loving family, and, of course, continuous professional growth.
While the desire to be the best version of ourselves is admirable, it can sometimes lead us down a treacherous path when it comes to continuing education.
As accountant moms, we often face the weight of expectations. We feel the need to prove our competence not only to our clients or colleagues but also to ourselves.
Continuing education becomes a way to validate our skills, build confidence, and silence that nagging voice of self-doubt. However, this pressure can push us to overcommit and take on more than we can handle.
We sign up for every course, attend every seminar, and accumulate certifications like badges of honor. While it may seem like we’re invincible, the truth is that we’re stretching ourselves thin.
The pursuit of perfection can quickly lead to overwhelm and burnout. The more courses we take, the more tasks we add to our already busy schedules.
We convince ourselves that more knowledge equals more success. But in reality, we end up overwhelmed, running on empty, and unable to enjoy the benefits of the very education we sought. The result? Our well-being suffers, and our effectiveness as accountants and mothers diminishes.
In our relentless pursuit of professional growth, we often unknowingly neglect other important aspects of our lives. We may become so focused on continuing education that we forget to nurture our relationships, take care of our health, or simply enjoy life’s precious moments.
We forget that being a well-rounded individual is what truly contributes to our success. By solely prioritizing our careers, we risk sacrificing our happiness and the very essence of who we are.
The pursuit of perfection can be a tempting trap, but it’s essential to recognize its pitfalls. By letting go of the need to be perfect, setting realistic goals, and balancing personal and professional growth, we can make the most of our continuing education journey.
Remember, being a superhero accountant mom doesn’t require perfection—it requires resilience,
The misuse of continuing education
As accountant moms, we often find ourselves shouldering the weight of unrealistic expectations. Society bombards us with images of supermoms who effortlessly balance a successful career, a loving family, and a thriving personal life.
We internalize these ideals and believe that we, too, can achieve it all. This mentality seeps into our approach to continuing education, where we set impossibly high standards for ourselves.
The supermom archetype portrays an image of a woman who can do it all—excel in her career, maintain a picture-perfect home, engage in meaningful relationships, and still find time for personal growth. It’s an exhausting standard to live up to, and yet we often strive to meet it.
We feel the pressure to prove that we are just as capable as anyone else, if not more so. However, this relentless pursuit of perfection can be detrimental to our well-being and our ability to effectively utilize continuing education.
One of the challenges accountant moms face is the all-or-nothing mindset. We feel that if we can’t excel in every aspect of our lives simultaneously, then we’re failing.
When it comes to continuing education, this mindset manifests as the belief that we must achieve every certification, attend every seminar, and be at the top of our game in every accounting specialization. We set unrealistically high expectations for ourselves, often overlooking the fact that we are only human.
When we inevitably fall short of these unattainable ideals, we experience a sense of failure and inadequacy. We question our abilities, wondering if we’re doing enough or if we’re good enough.
The irony is that continuing education, which was meant to empower us, can become a source of frustration and self-doubt. Instead of celebrating our progress and the knowledge we’ve gained, we focus on what we haven’t achieved, leading to feelings of disappointment and discouragement.
Thankfully there are some things you can do to stop the misuse of continuing education.
What to do about it
It’s time to release ourselves from the grip of perfection. Instead of striving for an impossible ideal, let’s embrace imperfection as a natural and beautiful part of being human.
Recognize that it’s okay to have limitations, to make mistakes, and to not know everything. By accepting our imperfections, we can alleviate the immense pressure we put on ourselves and create space for growth and self-compassion.
Rather than chasing after every certification and attending every webinar, let’s set realistic goals for our continuing education. Assess your professional needs and focus on courses that align with your career objectives.
Prioritize quality over quantity. By doing so, you can dedicate more time and energy to truly absorbing the knowledge and skills that will have a meaningful impact on your work.
Remember, continuing education is just one aspect of our growth journey. We must also prioritize personal development, self-care, and nurturing our relationships.
Set boundaries and allocate time for family, hobbies, and relaxation. By achieving a harmonious balance between personal and professional growth, we not only become better accountants, but also happier and more fulfilled individuals.
It’s time to challenge the unrealistic expectations we’ve internalized. We need to recognize that we are not superheroes capable of doing everything flawlessly.
Instead, we are human beings with limitations, and that’s perfectly okay. By reframing our expectations, we can set ourselves up for success and a healthier approach to continuing education.
Instead of overwhelming ourselves with an unattainable list of goals, let’s focus on setting achievable and meaningful targets. Reflect on your career aspirations and identify specific areas of growth that align with your professional objectives.
By narrowing your focus and setting realistic goals, you can channel your energy and resources into courses and certifications that truly enhance your expertise.
Life is full of surprises and unexpected challenges, especially when balancing career and motherhood, which is why we need to embrace flexibility and adaptability. Recognize that circumstances may change, and it’s okay to adjust your goals and priorities accordingly.
Give yourself permission to pivot and make choices that align with your evolving needs and responsibilities. Remember, it’s about progress, not perfection.
So hopefully you can now see that unrealistic expectations can undermine our ability to make the most of continuing education. By acknowledging the weight of society’s supermom standards, reframing our expectations, setting achievable goals, and embracing flexibility, we can free ourselves from the burden of perfection.
Let’s remember that our worth as accountant moms is not determined by meeting impossible ideals, but rather by our dedication, resilience, and continuous growth. We don’t have to do it all, but we can do what aligns with who we want to be, both professionally and personally.
Acknowledge your value now; not when you’ve added some additional credentials or learned a new program or Tax Code. Your knowledge is just a tiny piece in the whole of you, so make sure you’re giving yourself credit for all that you do, rather than looking for extra CPE credits to improve who you already are.
Summary
Continuing education can seem like an opportunity to demonstrate our expertise, to validate ourselves as capable professionals, and to quiet that nagging voice of self-doubt.
But here’s the thing – in our pursuit of perfection, we often over-commit ourselves. We sign up for every continuing education course that catches our eye, attending endless webinars and adding more certifications to our already impressive resumes.