Even Geniuses Waste Time

Folks are rarely kind to procrastinators, particularly the IRS. While the Internet hasn’t exactly improved conditions for lingerers and dilly-dalliers, men and women from antiquity to the pre-internet era have fought time-wasting battles of their own. It’s probably fair to say, history’s first instance of procrastinating occurred when the first job was assigned. The following list is of famous slow-starters when it came to getting a job done.

1.) Leonardo Da Vinci

The ingenious artist only completed no more than 20 paintings during his professional career, spending almost 14 years on the Mona Lisa. Instead of putting brush to canvas, Leonardo enjoyed drawing designs of strange flying contraptions and engines of war. Today, we call those doodles a helicopter and tank. Maybe Leonardo was on to something with this whole procrastination thing…

2.) Virginia Woolf

While her most famous works are Mrs Dolloway, To the Lighthouse, and Orlando, Ms Adeline Virginia Woolf could’ve produced even more classics if it wasn’t for her main vice – the telephone. A diary entry from Woolf states, “Such a good morning’s writing I’d planned, and wasted the cream of my brain on the telephone.”

3.) Ernest Hemingway

“Papa” was no stranger to long nights and strong whisky. His ability to shrug of a hangover and put words to paper was legendary. However, procrastination reared its ugly head towards Ernest in the form of visitors. Never one to turn away a friend or shun a good conversation, Hemingway took to his boat to keep companions at bay.

Everyone procrastinates, especially when it comes to taxes, but it’s not too late to hire an experienced CPA who can serve you remotely. Our account executives at Strive Accounting and Tax Solutions will provide you with the kind of amazing customer service that even DaVinci couldn’t dream of. Call (757) 269-9099 or visit strivecpa.com to learn more about how we can take care of you.

The Homer Simpson School of Working from Home

Working from home is like calling a trick play in football – if you produce great results, you’re an innovative genius, but when distractions take over and projects stop getting done, well, you start to look like coach John McKay. Finding equilibrium between work and home life is vital to successfully managing a home office. Two ways of striking that balance are through humor and tax breaks.

Humor is the opposite of stress. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are multiple short and long-term health benefits from using laughter as a stress reliever. It’s important to schedule time in your home office where you can have some fun and get your giggle on. Whether it’s taking ten minutes every hour to listen to a comedy tape, or watching your dog chase squirrels in the backyard, scheduling time during the workday for a brief stretch of fun is vital to your work-from-home success.

Managing the financial aspect of your home office is another way to maintain a healthy work/life balance. You may be able to deduct expenses for your home office regardless of whether you rent or own. It’s important to note that eligibility for the deduction is based on whether or not you use a part of your home regularly and exclusively for business purposes. The part of you home must be the principal place of business and where you meet clients or customers in the normal course of business. It can also be a separate structure not attached to your home, like a garage or studio.

For more information on home-office tax deductions, contact a Strive Accounting and Tax Solutions account manager at 269-9099 or visit us at strivecpa.com. If you’re in need of a quick laugh, or more information about how your business can save money, check us out on Twitter @StriveCPA.