What I've Learned

By Carson Messenger, CPA

As I write this blog, I’ve been working remotely for almost 8 months due to the Coronavirus pandemic. I’m just like every other professional that had to unexpectedly get used to a new work routine, environment and process. Also, I’m a parent of a toddler that has had to adapt to combining working, playing, and parenting like millions of other parents. I’m by no means an expert, but I think after eight months I’m qualified to share what I’ve learned thus far from this pandemic.

First thing I’ve learned is I’m a workaholic. Many people have tried to point that out to me over the years, but it took the pandemic for it to finally hit me. Working each day with my wife and daughter around me finally opened my eyes to how much I’ve missed from the amount of time I spend working. I love the firm, the people, and the culture; that won’t ever change. However, what I’ve learned is that there is a better way to manage my work life and family life. Those extra 2 hours I would try to squeeze in each day during busy season can be cut out by working more efficiently and diligently, so I can come home and spend as much time with my family as possible. Working from home during the longest busy season anyone has experienced, along with multiple extension deadlines, has given me enough time to try out multiple methods that I now use to improve my work-life balance.

Second thing I’ve learned is that when your child asks you to hang out with them, no matter their age, you always say yes. For myself personally, my daughter has already grown and changed faster than I thought was humanly possible. I have no idea how much longer I’ll be working remotely with her around each day, so I want to take advantage of as many opportunities I can. The flexibility of working at home has been amazing because it has allowed me to randomly take a break and go to the park with her or sit down and watch part of a movie with her. Those are the experiences and memories I’ll cherish when I’m old and think back about this pandemic.

Other things I’ve learned:

• Sports with little to no fans in the stands is way better than no sports.
• Wearing anything but work attire will be hard to give up when we go back to working in an office.
• My commute time to and from work each day is extremely short when working from home.
• Make sure you know where your toddler is before starting a Zoom call. There’s nothing like looking at the screen and seeing them doing something crazy behind you.

Overall, working remotely has so many more perks than I anticipated when this all started. Yes, there are things about working in an office each day that can’t be fully replicated at home, but nothing beats getting to spend more time with your family each day while getting your work done.

Carson Messenger, CPA | Supervisor
CMessenger@MHCScpa.com