Monthly Archive for January, 2008

After a couple of hectic weeks at work I’ve finally got a chance to sit down and take stock and post my thoughts coherently here on my blog for once.

Its been a very busy 2-and-a-bit weeks but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Its been a tremendous challenge but one that I’ve embraced openly with both arms. Its certainly a step up from the usual processing grind that I had become used to. Now you might be thinking what precisely this all has to do with Plettenberg Bay. Well, let me enlighten you. Newlande has graciously offered me the opportunity to visit her and her family over the 2nd weekend in February at their house in Plett on the Goose Valley Golf Estate. Needless to say I jumped at the chance! I’ll be getting an awesome vacation in one of the most beautiful spots here in the lovely Western Cape and I’ll also get to meet the wonderful Miss Van Rooyen.

Newlande has sent me some pics from her previous visits there and I’ve been amazed at how wonderful the are looks. I can remember it only vaguely from a brief car drive I took nearly 10 years ago through the area. I’m looking forward to seeing its beauty up close and personal. its going to be quite an adventure as I’ve never had to drive so far by myself before and as you most probably can guess, I’m not the world’s most calm traveller. There is also the chance that Newlande won’t be able to make it in which case I of course won’t be going through, but I’ll think optimistically for now. Its certainly going to be a great relaxing weekend to help me unwind from my first month in my new position. Plett, here I come!!

So my first week in my new position has come and gone. My thoughts? Its a lot more work entailing a lot more organisation and planning on my part. I have to try and complete all my clients’ work while at the same time reviewing the junior clerks’ work and getting it out on time. The end of January will be especially hectic with the deadline for individual tax payers’ returns looming up. We’ve also had some problems getting certain programs to work that we use to import information from clients into Pastel.

I am quite enjoying the heady thrill of working to tight deadlines though. There’s a certain buzz or high you get from working your way through a pile of work. Each and every file I manage to get out gives me a sense of accomplishment. Its probably bets summed up by this excerpt from Scott Adam’s blog:

When I was done, my desk was breathtakingly clear of debris. Gazing at my uncharacteristically pristine work space, a peculiar joy came over me. As I walked from my office back to my home, I felt lighter. There was a bounce to my step. I’m reasonably sure my body was creating extra endorphins.

It made me wonder if other people get an actual physical pleasure from doing work, at least the kind where you accomplish something, no matter how unimportant. My guess is that people who work long hours get a sort of charge every time they complete a discrete task. People who don’t get that charge, on average, probably find jobs where they can work fewer hours.

I recall my corporate days, where I would spend eight hours refining a Powerpoint presentation that, in all likelihood, would have no impact on the business. I always felt a charge of pleasure when it was done. Each time I reviewed the beauty and majesty of my graphs and bullet points, I would get a new little surge.

I think the pleasure of completed work is what makes blogging so popular. You have to believe most bloggers have few if any actual readers. The writers are in it for other reasons. Blogging is like work, but without coworkers thwarting you at every turn. All you get is the pleasure of a completed task.

I suppose that that is why I’m particularly attracted to accounting, especially for smaller businesses. You’re presented with a wide array of info that you have to collate into a sensible and logical whole. The multitude of ways that you can play around with the figures to present it to your clients for specific reporting needs is almost endless. That’s probably why I’d look into management accounting and a CIMA qualification in a few years time.

Overall I’m enjoying this step up in my accounting career. Its a new and refreshing challenge. I get to meet and interact with clients on a more regular basis as well. Strangely enough I seem to have developed quite a knack for forging positive relationships with clients. I’ve come to realise that this is an essential cornerstone to working in the accounting industry. the closer your ties with your clients, the better the standard of the work you are able to deliver.

So with the arrival of 2008 fresh in our minds I thought it best to get the obligatory new year’s resolution list out of the way. So here goes:

• Bungie jump Bloukrans (survival optional)
• Go sky diving (survival optional)
• Go for a long weekend to Plett with Newlande and Graeme (survival imperative!)
• Travel to Bloemfontein to see the Scottish shopping mall.
• See Snotkop perform and attend various other Afrikaans music festivals
• Attend RAGE
• Attend gym (and out perform Roger in the weight lifting!)
• Get a LCD TV.
• Get a PS3. (See above)

So as you can see, its a relatively grab bag of excitement awaiting me for the forthcoming year! What the heck, as they say you only live once. Might as well go out with a bang, or in the case of the sky diving, a splat! Here’s hoping everyone has a great year ahead of them!