Get Ready for Showtime
About a year ago, I got flown out to California with my wife to record a course at LinkedIn Learning's headquarters. What happened there changed how I think about work forever.
Despite having recorded several courses before, I was used to a chaotic process: prepare some content, hit record, edit, scramble for more content, record again, and repeat. It was a constant cycle of switching gears and racing against time.
LinkedIn's approach was completely different. Everything was meticulously prepared in advance. All materials, talking points, and resources were ready before I stepped in front of the camera. I initially worried it was too slow, but when recording day came, it was one of the easiest, least stressful experiences of my career.
That's when it clicked: preparation isn't just helpful, it's transformational. By having everything ready beforehand, I eliminated the stress of context switching and last-minute scrambling.
If you're not setting up your workday to have things ready in advance (especially in finance and accounting, where precision matters), you might be adding unnecessary stress to your schedule. Those tax deadlines, month-end closes, and financial reports don't have to be panic-inducing emergencies.
Today, I'm excited to share everything I've learned about reducing stress through preparation and eliminating costly context switching.
The Hidden Cost of Last-Minute Work
What's the most stressful experience I run into time and time again when working with clients? That's easy - preparing for board meetings.
Board meetings are stressful because my client has to report to their client (the board of directors). If the board isn't happy, it's only a matter of time until someone gets fired. And if my client gets fired, there's a good chance I'll be next.
I've had moments where our board meeting prep was so seamless that everything went smoothly, and I became a hero. But I've also had the opposite - a total scramble where I almost lost the contract.
The difference always comes down to one thing: how early we have the materials ready.
There's an inverse relationship between stress and the time left before something is due:
When you finish work well before deadline = Low stress
When you finish right at the deadline = High stress
When you miss the deadline = Potential disaster
But there's an even more important reason to work ahead - context switching.
I firmly believe context switching is the number one killer of all productivity in today's world. It's too easy to get distracted by a new email, a social media alert, or a Slack message popping up.
We've reached a point where deep work is no longer prioritized. Instead, the approach has become "get it done when you can," which often means spending our precious business hours on shallow work.
If you restructure your day to prepare information using deep work in advance - without distractions - so that it's ready by the time it's due, you'll find yourself way more productive and your day much less stressful.
Einstein once famously said "If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions".
That's how your workday should go. Don't just jump straight into work, handle a million things at once, or react to every notification. Instead, get everything ready in advance, handle one thing at a time, then deliver an amazing performance when showtime comes around.
The "Mise en Place" Method for Finance Professionals
I first understood the power of preparation when I learned about "mise en place" - a concept professional chefs live by.
In my early cooking days, my process was chaotic: take an ingredient from the fridge, wash it, cut it, start cooking it, then grab another ingredient, wash it, cut it... and on and on. My kitchen would look like it was hit by a tornado, and I'd feel stressed juggling a million tasks at once.
Then I discovered mise en place, which literally means "everything in its place." The concept is simple but powerful:
Take ALL ingredients out at once
Wash EVERYTHING in one step
Cut EVERYTHING in one step
Organize ingredients in small bowls or on a tray
When it finally comes time to cook, you're just combining things in the right order. The process becomes seamless, less stressful, and significantly faster.
This is exactly how you should approach your workday.
1. Block Time for Deep Work
Start your day with at least one hour where you have no email notifications, no Slack messages, phone on silent, and door closed (if possible).
During this time, focus solely on what needs to be done. For example, if you're preparing financial statements:
Gather all data sources first
Review all transactions in one batch
Prepare all reconciliations together
Book all adjustments in one shot.
2. Prepare Materials Well in Advance
If you're working on a presentation for executives or clients:
Gather all financial data in one sitting
Create all charts and visuals together
Review with stakeholders with plenty of buffer time
Remember: The more time you have between completion and deadline, the less stress you'll experience.
3. Segment Your Calendar Strategically
Take this a step further by dividing your workweek into dedicated focus areas:
Designate specific days for client meetings
Reserve certain days for internal team collaboration
Block "no meeting" days for deep financial analysis
The key insight isn't about how much time you have. It's about how much energy you have. Your mental energy is directly connected to how you structure your day.
When you constantly switch between reviewing tax documents, answering emails, joining Zoom calls, and preparing client materials, you drain your mental battery much faster than if you batch similar tasks together.
By grouping similar tasks and giving yourself a strong lead time before "showtime" (whether that's a board presentation, client meeting, or filing deadline), you'll transform your workday from chaotic to controlled.
Putting it all together
The number one killer for most businesses isn't competition or market changes. It's founder burnout.
If you're not careful with planning your day, your day will control you (and not in a good way). You'll find yourself exhausted, frustrated, and wondering where all your passion went.
By investing a bit of time ahead of schedule and being strategic with your work, you can find yourself actually enjoying your day-to-day again. Better yet, you'll see everything else start to fall into place too: your team's performance, client satisfaction, and even your bottom line.
But that's just my take on all this. Now I want to hear from you!
Have you tried the "mise en place" approach to your workday? Did it make a difference? Or do you have another strategy that works better for you?
Let me know by replying to this email.
Have a great weekend!
Josh (Your CFO Guy)
Thanks for reading my article. My goal is to help you grow in your career with proper Finance and Accounting.
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