When things don’t go as planned…
Why do you need a purpose at work?
What will you do before the Big One comes for you?
If there are three things you can stop or start doing today in your profession, what will it be?
These are only some of the questions that I raised during my 30-day journey of crafting LinkedIn stories—stories that embody my life principles as a practicing accountant/auditor, as a friend, as a family, as an employee. It is not the whole of who I am, nor will it be the end of my quest.
Even people like you and me who practice straightforward, practical arts tend to question life sometimes, although many of us feel afraid or ashamed to let people know.
We bury ourselves senselessly at work, not giving space to reflection and retrospection. After all, what is there to think about when we’ve already exhausted our minds thinking about how to improve financials, how to please clients, how to finish projects on time?
But believe me, pausing for a while, recalling experiences, pivotal moments, and testy situations can make the difference between living a full, happy life or a half-life.
Let these mini accountant stories pave the way.
21/30 Why Do You Need a Purpose at Work?
One hot afternoon while walking to the client’s office, I asked one of my colleagues.
“Why do you do what you do?”
The common response I receive: “I do it for my family”.
The easiest answer: “It pays the bills”.
Each one of you must have your reason, too. But…do you really need a purpose behind your work?
Is it ok not to have any clue about what you want to do with the rest of your life?
Does your life’s purpose need to be attached with your work’s purpose?
For me, the “why behind my work” only started to shape up when I had my first international assignment. Before that, I was also just clocking in and out for the sake of money.
Since then, my “why” took on several forms. It took me many trips, encounters with different people, and exposure to various uncomfortable situations.
If you haven’t find your “why” yet, don’t worry. Your purpose may not even exist at work. And that’s okay too.
If you’re someone who found purpose at work, you’ll forget it sometimes. Sometimes, you become too scared that you abandon your why or intentionally lose it.
Whether you don’t have a why yet or you forget or abandon what you have, it doesn’t make you any less than yourself. You’re already whole before you find your work’s purpose.
Having a clear why simply adds to your layers.
22/30 Three Lessons I Learned from My Unplanned 9-Month Sabbatical
In October 2019, I resigned from my five-year job as an auditor.
I was expecting a two-month break before I restart a new work in 2020.
Two months turned into nine.
My unplanned 9-month sabbatical went like this.
In November, I went back to the province and started reconnecting with my family. Every day, I tended to my dogs, helped out on a small farm, ate fresh vegetables, and drank coconut juice. Life was bliss.
In January 2020, my exit requirements got into a hitch. Additional documents were needed. It will take time to compile everything. My start date got delayed.
By February, news of an infectious virus was already spreading in our country. People feared a worldwide pandemic.
By March, the lockdowns happened. Someone in the family got sick. I’m still unemployed.
I tried to do freelancing. But without a portfolio and a track record, I was an anchovy in an ocean.
It was then that I realized how ill-equipped I was to start a business on my own.
Lesson 1: If you’re planning to start a business, you need the right skills, mindset, and conditions. Few people are naturals when it comes to entrepreneurship.
The only reason I managed to survive that period financially is that I’ve been saving up ever since I started working.
Lesson 2: You never know when you’ll lose financial stability. Be smart with your money and save up for any unexpected situation.
At that time, I discovered, really discovered the things which keep me fired up. I missed being in an office, learning, and sharing what I learned. That’s when I started blogging, too. At first, I blogged to have a portfolio. Later on, I realized that I can also provide a different value through the stuff I write about.
Lesson 3: You might not need a 9-month sabbatical, but sometimes, all you need is a break to figure things out.
The 9-month break was a privilege I was thankful for. I don’t want it to happen again. But if by a stroke of luck, it happens twice, I’ll be more prepared to handle it.
Learn from my experience. Be ready for life’s surprises.
Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash
23/30 How to Become a Better Collaborator in a Remote Work
When I arrived in Belgium in July 2020 to work for an international company, I didn’t know anybody.
My mindset then was simple. Since I was new here, I must take the initiative to get connected.
I gained my first connections at work when I volunteered to facilitate a training in October.
But after that training, the lockdowns happened again.
Between October 2020 to June 2021, I did audits remotely.
I was not employed when the first remote working due to COVID happened so this was a first for me.
For someone who has been on field most of the time, the whole set-up felt strange…and totally different from what I’m used to.
I’ve never met my clients in person yet.
I’ve seen people’s faces mostly during status calls and closing meetings.
I’ve only met some of my team members in person recently.
I love the perks of remote working. But as a new joiner, I also found it tough to develop work relationships.
For someone starting a new job in a remote set-up, a couple of things might help you to become a better collaborator in this virtual work environment:
- Plan and engage in regular calls with your teams and clients.
- During one-on-one calls, you can also insert some non-work-related questions into the conversation.
- Ask lots of questions, but also take the initiative to find the easy answers.
- Be aware of your boundaries and exercise them. That means setting a limit for work, especially during the busy season.
- Have activities to enjoy outside work.
Nothing too crazy here. The most important part of collaborating in this virtual set-up is to learn each other’s working and communication style and circumstances. Then, find a healthy mix.
If some of the tips I mentioned above also worked for you, share them to inspire fellow young professionals who struggle in this virtual environment.
Share your best practices too!
24/30 What Will You Do Before the Big One Comes For You?
Back in Manila, when they first announced that the Big One is coming, I imagined that it will happen on a day when I would be at the office, doing a late-night’s work.
As I review a client’s financials, the walls will shake. The floor will crumble beneath me.
I will grab my bag first. (I’ve gone into the habit of bringing important documents with me in case I am unable to return to my apartment).
Then, I debate on whether I will grab my laptop, thinking that if a ceiling chunk falls on it and destroys the hard drive, my work will be history.
But—I’m just kidding myself.
If that 7.2 magnitude earthquake does happen and I’m still alive, there’s no way I’m going back to work.
The Big One didn’t happen yet but when COVID-19 hit my country just like everyone else’s, it’s as if the joke was on me and the others.
You were expecting the Big One, but you’re not expecting a pandemic.
After this is over, if it is ever going to be, your life will never be the same.
Many deaths will haunt you, reminding you of how thin the thread is between this world and the next. How it can snap with just a breath or a little sneeze.
Every single day that you still wake is a precious chance to make a difference.
In every single moment, there is a possibility waiting to happen.
Each choice is a yes or no to a life of purpose and fulfillment.
Will you live today just like yesterday?
Or will you spend today differently?
25/30 Why Delays can Sometimes be Blessings in Disguise
What’s the worst delay that you’ve ever experienced?
Mine happened twice.
The most recent was a delay in my employment.
The other delay was during the Philippine CPA Licensure Exams that I was supposed to take in May 2014.
In both instances, I remember the agony of waiting.
I remember almost giving up.
But every delay has its reason.
You can either make the most out of it or you can let the delay sap your motivation.
I chose the first.
If I gave up on taking the board exam, I would not have been a CPA today.
I would probably be the same shy and awkward girl with limited opportunities.
If I bypassed the regular process for exiting my country, I would not have been with my family when the first wave of the pandemic hit.
I would not also have the chance to re-invent my career nor discover the things which fuel my energy.
There is another dream which I have been delaying for many years now.
When that dream finally happens, I know that it will be for the right timing.
If you’re experiencing a major delay right now, you can expect any of these reasons behind:
- You’re being prepared for the right timing.
- You’re avoiding an even worse situation because of it.
26/30 How I Became the Last One in Our Batch to Stay in Audit
I vowed never to enter an audit firm.
I had a negative perception on audit firms due to the horror stories I heard from college.
“Try just one year for experience,” I told myself while job-hunting soon after the exams.
That was how I convinced myself to enter public accounting.
I didn’t expect to last more than a year.
During our first year, every batch gets asked with this question, “Who would be the “alay” (or sacrifice)?”
The “alay” refers to the last person who will stay for the longest time in audit.
People find it fun to make such predictions.
The names change almost every year depending on the turn-over.
By luck, in my first year, I ended up in pretty good teams with seniors and managers who help you discover your potential.
These people pushed me—for the better.
They taught, guided, and inspired me to become a competent auditor and a well-rounded professional.
Even if most of them already left for better opportunities, they left me with lots of guiding principles that I later used to survive for another year.
And another.
And another.
And another.
Until the prediction came true.
I was the last one in our batch to stay.
This is why being placed in good teams at the start of your career is important.
Your first team can either make or break you.
Photo by Anna Samoylova on Unsplash
27/30 Inspiring Happiness
Two senior leaders died in the firm where I used to work. They were well-respected, highly-competent individuals. Their deaths triggered some of my reflections toward work.
My introspective self can’t stop asking, “Were they happy when they died?”
It may be a sensitive topic for most people. It was quite hard for me to write.
But is it just me, or did the pandemic really snap us out of our senses?
I may have achieved a lot in my career.
But I’m not happy.
If I can slow things down, I would.
But the world around me invites me to compete, excel, and produce results.
When I took a break from work, I was happy spending time with my family and dogs.
I was happy that I didn’t have to wake up early for meetings nor beat the traffic.
I was happy to write again, read, watch, and do anything I like.
I thought that I could do it forever. But at some point, money became an issue.
I realized that a provincial, idyllic life is not for me.
I would always be happy to return home, but I’m not meant to stay for long.
I’ve always wanted to see the world, to meet interesting people, and to learn about their stories.
This wanderlust started as a childhood fantasy.
I never imagined that my work would bring me closer to this dream.
My job does not bring me 100% happiness. But I figured that I can shape my work around areas that increase my happiness meter.
Writing is one.
Sharing what I learned is another.
Coaching young people at work and facilitating training also counts.
Will this make me happy in the long run?
I don’t know. But I’m happy doing these now.
This was why I recently changed my byline to “inspiring young professionals to grit their way to happiness” instead of “grit your way to success”.
So whatever is keeping you busy now, whether your work or your business, look for the areas which increase your happiness meter.
Focus your energy on them.
Keep doing the things that make your heart leap—constantly.
The earlier you realize this, the earlier you will find your path to more fulfilling work.
If you need someone to listen to you and help you in the discovery, I’m around.
I am rooting for you to find your happiness, now or in the future.
28/30 This Little Girl Is Me
This little girl was in first-grade elementary when her father left the family.
“He went abroad, somewhere in Riyadh,” an older relative told her. It was a joke. She knew her father never left the country. He left her mother for someone else.
Her mother took the singular effort of raising three kids. She was the eldest.
“Finish your education,” her mother asked. “It’s the only gift I can pass on.”
“But she’s too shy, never smiles, and doesn’t recite much in class,” teachers wrote on her report cards.
“She’ll get pregnant early and end up like her mother,” relatives predicted.
She wanted to prove them wrong.
She wanted to prove to her father that he was wrong for leaving the family.
In the summer of 2005, this little girl climbed the stage to receive her first medals.
For the next year or so, she would always climb the stage, receiving her second, third, fourth medal set…
Several years later, her mother said, “You’re going to be a CPA.” And she did.
“You’re going somewhere…to far places,” her teachers said. And she did.
“You’re going to be a manager,” her colleagues said. And she did.
“You’re going to be a writer,” the little girl said to herself. And she’s doing it.
This little girl was me.
To all the little girls who dream in the shanties…
To all the little girls who dream in the farms…
To all the little girls who dream in the streets…
To all the little girls who dream while living with broken families or single parents…
This story is for you.
You will soon realize that your struggle is part of a bigger struggle.
You will grow up in a world where a woman’s place is no longer just at home or in her country.
You will see it becoming normal for a woman not to have family nor kids.
You will have women role models to look forward to, not just your mother and teachers.
Why am I telling you this?
Because 70% of girls feel more confident about their futures after hearing from women role models.
My first role model was my mother. Despite all our challenges, I am grateful to my mother for doing her best and for raising me with great values. Who I am today is because of her.
Photo by Tanya Dusett on Unsplash
29/30 Three Things You Can Stop or Start Doing Today as a Big 4 Auditor/Accountant or Whatever Work You Do
So…what do you do?
When people ask me this, I take two beats to answer.
Will I say that I’m an auditor?
In my experience, auditors usually get the bad rap.
Some clients view auditors as the enemy.
Fellow professionals look at us with pity.
Non-accounting people don’t understand the work that we do.
The common reactions vary between:
“Oh…you must be good at numbers.”
“You must be working long hours.”
“Are you getting paid well?”
Because of this, I would rather say the milder version. “I’m into finance. But my work is boring.”
Then, I switch questions.
Why is it that auditors find it hard to instill professional pride?
Is it because we don’t save lives?
Is it because we work long hours for little pay?
Ever since I realized the importance of having things to care about outside work, I created a manifesto that will change my perception of my work as an accountant/auditor.
This manifesto involves:
#1 No long working hours and no working on weekends.
#2 Keep upskilling and learning to increase your worth.
#3 Have activities that interest you outside work. Do not limit yourself to just doing an audit.
Having these clear guidelines enabled me to set the boundaries between work and personal.
I still don’t see myself staying for long in this profession but for what it’s worth, I’m making the most out of it.
I continue making an impact on the areas which matter.
At this point, meaning comes from helping train people to deliver quality audits and from sharing my corporate insights and experiences with fellow accountants/auditors.
What is the meaning behind your work?
30/30 Lessons Learned from My 30-Day Journey of Storytelling, Discovery and Self-Exploration Through AccounTINStories
I’m down to the last story of AccounTINStories, a personal project which I began in September.
Last week, I told my coach at work about my blog. His reaction was golden.
“It’s something personal to you,” he told me. “It should be fine.”
The response got me the validation that I’m working in a culture where people care not just about my work but also about my well-being.
This blog was indeed a personal thing which helped me maintain a positive mindset.
I started blogging in 2020 to build an online portfolio and to keep me busy during my unemployment days.
At the end of the year, I finally bought my first website.
Tinkering all around WordPress made me excited during those cold, winter weekends.
A blog also forced me to build a writing habit.
I wrote a new article at least once per month.
I started being more observant.
I became more comfortable interacting on LinkedIn.
Through writing, I’ve met new people and rekindled old connections.
Since I started blogging, I was happier. I felt that the experiences which became topics of my blogs are resonating with my target audience.
I receive some personal messages from time to time saying that they love to read what I write about.
Blogging + audit may be a weird mix. But my writing experience enabled me to create a more dynamic career that is not limited to just doing audit.
If your work doesn’t give you meaning yet, start exploring the things which give you joy.
Give yourself the time to do it.
Share your discoveries to your network.
Which of the stories resonated to you the most?
Feel free to leave a comment. Discover also the other AccounTINstories in Part 1 and Part 2.
Interested to start your own 30-day journey of storytelling and self-discovery? Message me or connect via LinkedIn and let’s have a nice, virtual coffee chat.
