I’ve been self-employed now for 11 years and I’ve always been really good at keeping on top of my bookkeeping. I’ve never liked the idea of it building up and up, then having to deal with a year’s worth of invoices and receipts in one lump. And yet, in the last year, that’s exactly what I’ve done. Urgh!
I was in a total state of procrastination and panic because I was really low on income, but I was over a year behind with my bookkeeping and that was preventing me from applying for the fifth self-employed SEISS grant from the government. In order to apply, I needed to submit accounts for the tax year 20/21 and I had just one month left before applications closed!
Lack of money causing anxiety → causing procrastination → causing inward frustration and panic → causing more anxiety. It was a vicious circle.
I’d had a few false starts in the spring where I tried to get on top of the paperwork but I really didn’t get very far. So, with an end of September deadline looming to apply for the grant and very little money in my bank account, I was starting to feel quite stressed about the fact that my bookkeeping was so behind. I just didn’t seem to have the headspace or time to dedicate to getting it all up-to-date.
A moment’s reflection had me thinking of all the lovely people who’ve donated to my JustGiving page but haven’t set me a challenge, and I thought I would use their generosity as a kick up the backside. I challenged myself to get at least up-to-date to the end of March 2021 in one weekend. I cancelled some social plans and just got my head down.
So, suddenly, thanks to this ’50 at 50′ initiative, I had the push I needed to meet the challenge and not let myself or one of my donors down.
I have to confess that I didn’t finish everything by the Sunday night but I got about 80% of the way there, and gave myself a few more days till the end of August to complete the task.
These photographs show me finally handing over my bookkeeping paperwork to my fabulous accountant David Turner at CP Finance, who is now crunching the numbers. Oh, and there are some of me burning the midnight oil trying to meet my original Sunday night deadline…
Thank you to Anna Williams; your donation gave me the determination I needed to get back on the bookkeeping straight and narrow!
0 Comments