Ugh, it’s tax season. Anyone else avoiding some math?? Raise your hand if you’d rather watch TV!
But WHY do we find this so hard to do? What gets in the way?
Is it just PROCRASTINATION?
Like the old Saturday night live skit, Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt….and procrastination is rarely just procrastination.
Usually, when we avoid engaging in a task, there is a reason – and often that reason is an emotional one. Some will say it’s “too boring” to do their taxes; I will grant you that it can be. However, most of us do boring tasks all the time without that much difficulty. How many people blow-dried their hair today, or loaded the dishwasher, or ate a piece of toast while staring into space?? All arguably boring tasks. What really gets in the way is, probably, anxiety.
Did I make enough money this year? Will I do the math right? What if I can’t find the information I need, or I can’t understand what I have to do? What if I owe too much and have trouble paying it? Tax season brings up anxieties of different kinds for all of us – some as basic as the feeling of a 2nd grader afraid to make a mistake in arithmetic class! What if the teacher yells at me and I am embarrassed in front of everyone?
If you find yourself procrastinating, try to identify what it is about the task that makes you uncomfortable. What are your anxious thoughts? Gently challenge them. Push your way through the fear to your goal. Tell yourself that it won’t be that bad if you sit down and get started. Remind yourself that you can read, and write, use a calculator, and ask for help if you need it. Gather some papers, and start to take a look. Even if you make a mistake, it won’t be as bad as it is in your imagination.
If you have kids, talk to them about how you are helping yourself face your anxiety. You can do your taxes and model good coping skills all at the same time!
Whether you do the math right or wrong, made enough, or owe too much, avoiding the answers will only make the problem worse. Sitting down with a pencil, and possibly a friend, will likely give you better answers than you were expecting and will certainly lead to more solutions than any additional denial.