Some things don’t change. The sun rises in the east each morning and sets in the west each evening. Time continues to march on. But amidst the things that stay constant, many others do change.
I’ve reached the age where I attend more funerals than weddings. People keep dropping off my contact list—family, friends, clients, and acquaintances seem to come and go. This past month has been especially tough. Losing loved ones is painful, and I struggle to accept those losses. I try to rationalize by celebrating the good times and cherishing the warm memories, but there are still moments of sadness. I’m learning to accept the happy along with the sad. Time still marches on.
When we lose clients, I take it personally. It feels as if we’ve failed them in some way. I try to learn from each situation—what we can change to improve and how we can increase our value. Fortunately, our turnover rate remains very low, and for that I’m grateful.
Another area of change is retail. I’ve realized that many of the stores I shopped at growing up are gone—Sears, Kmart, Big Lots, ShopKo, SureWay, and others. I always loved a good bargain. But now? What would I do without Amazon? I’ve traded the hunt for bargains for the convenience of shopping from home.
My work is also evolving. Tax law is constantly being updated, and our economy and government never stand still. Artificial intelligence is beginning to disrupt our industry as well. I’m not sure exactly how yet, but I’m working on understanding it. Sometimes it feels as though the sand is constantly shifting beneath us.
My goal is to embrace change—to learn to roll with the peaks and valleys that come with it.
Mary Guldan-Lindstrom, CPA