February reminds me that our world evolves around love. Despite the anger, fear and hate that I see in today’s world when Valentine’s Day comes around, I think of love. I have a special man in my life, Steve my husband. We have been married for 24 years. Steve is a key part of my life. He is my rock and my cheerleader. Everyone needs someone like that in their life, to be accepted just as you are. Along with a strong marriage I have created other elements in my life that I love.

Small business owners wear many hats to keep the business operating.   They find their customers, deliver product and/or services promised, keep cash flowing and stay in out of trouble by following the law as best they can.   A good balance between those challenges makes a healthy business. Most business owners dread the accounting & tax side of the business.  However, with just a little time set aside each week, they can conquer it and improve their financial results!  So how do small business owners keep being financially successful? The key is finding the habits that work for you.

Now that 2020 is over I want to reorganize my life.  Tax season is just around the corner and I need to prepare to handle the tsunami that is coming.  My inner organizer has kicked in.  Since the year started with a long weekend at home, it started at home.  I packed away the Christmas decorations.  I sorted and got rid of stuff that I haven’t used in years.  I already reorganized my clothes closet and dresser.  I keep in mind Marie Kondo’s motto “keep what I love and get rid of the rest”.

The panic and fear of COVID-19 made my life very chaotic this year. I was challenged adapting to the many changes during tax season, February through April. My thought process was that I could not take any more change that I usually dealt with. Later I did realize that I did take the change and rolled with it, with more resistance that I cared for. I am so very thankful that this year over. However, I refuse to let that chaos reign in the upcoming year. Recently I took some time to review the mental tools that I have to get back in charge of my life.

My strongest and most precious holiday tradition is putting up the Christmas tree. Ever since I put up my very first tree, forty years ago, I take a personal journey when I decorate my tree. I have always decorated the tree all by myself. I have the same process.

This time of year, I think of charitable giving. This is challenging at a time when more people are in need of assistance but fewer are in a financial position to be able to provide it. I encourage you to think of others if you are in a position to give. However, I want you to give wisely, thus here’s some guidelines to assist you.

With Thanksgiving here, I found a quiet spot to think about what I am grateful for. The usual list came up - sunshine, clean water, a refrigerator full of food, my great health, my loving family, my husband’s love, having my own special someone to love, among many other things. As I looked back, I realized that I have fear to be thankful for. Fear is a great motivator. Fear is a warning sign. I don’t change unless the pain is great enough.

This year has been crazy for business owners. Some have too much to do and many others were closed down. Small Business Owners put blood, sweat and tears into their business every day. Now is the time to plan to understand and minimize your tax bill.

I am tired of all the fear in society today. Halloween is supposed to be scary. Usually it’s ghosts, goblins and someone chasing someone with a chainsaw. This year we have Covid 19 and the Presidential election. I want to erase the scary and find the magic for this Halloween season.