What does that word associate for you when you’ve heard it in December, in years past?
Did your parents ever have one of those advent calendars that you opened the little paper door on each day until Christmas?
If you’ve ever seen Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo (and come on, who hasn’t?) they even use one as a segue device to show the viewer what point of the month they’re at in the story.
I was brought up Presbyterian. Simple reason why: it’s what my parents were. So, we did the advent calendar thing at least a few times, and sang the songs in a fairly large congregation, too.
Well, faithful follower, did you know it begins today? Yup, it doesn’t have to be December, it turns out.
Just four Sundays before Christmas.
Today, Sunday, November 28th.
I, of course, am doing a lot of thinking still about my gratitude for the abundance of the year that is now drawing close to an end, and also the benchmarks I have hoped to hit in my own business.
More importantly, of course, I’m also preaching the word of benchmarks to you, whether you’re a client of mine yet or not.
The last Sunday of November means that, other than 2 short days, we’re in the homestretch month of December.
What do you hope to accomplish this last month of the year?
Do you have a financial goal? Or, have you cleared that bar (or know that you will soon), and have a goal of taking some well-deserved family time off for the holiday?
Entrepreneurs, with the Advent of the Christmas season, and the beginning of the last month of the year, I am stressing for myself, as well as for others, the importance of gathering up all income and expense documents, and preparing for the final Estimated Tax payment deadline on January 18, 2022.
That includes your wage-earner family member’s final paycheck stub. The YTD information on that is invaluable for estimations.
The fourth quarter ES deadline is usually the 15th, but the weekend, and honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., gives us a little bit of extra breathing room.
We can do this right, folks! My free advice of the week is simple:
Start gathering up your acorns of data for the winter now, in short spurts of effort, and keep the pressure off.
You’ll be thanking me in January.
And April! (Because of the hundreds in savings on underpayment penalties).
Here’s wishing you, and all of your friends and family, a truly blessed holiday season.