The accounting profession is hardly the poster child for adventure. So what could my job as a Tax Partner in a 175-year-old global professional services firm possibly have in common with my passion for cycling and adventure motorcycling?
This was the question that sprang to mind while reading some of the musings of Mike Botan on advrider.com. Posting as “Ride2ADV”, Mike is living and recounting the dream of traveling the world on motorbikes with his wife. But before that, he worked as a lawyer in contract negotiation and procurement—also a profession not broadly known for risk-taking and excitement. Then I started to think about all the riders I know, many of whom are engineers, lawyers, accountants, mechanics, software designers, and the like. What gives here?
For one thing, I’ve observed that many of the professionals I meet in these fields thrive on establishing and maintaining control, paying meticulous attention to detail, and solving complex problems. These characteristics certainly apply to me. Although my days are spent immersed in the world of corporate advisory and income tax work, acquaintances are often surprised to learn that my education is actually in physics, engineering and English. Never even took one finance course back in school! But throughout my career, first in high-tech and then as an advisor, I’ve learned by doing and through mentorship, solving hard technical and business problems where discipline, attention to detail, and planned outcomes are vital to success.
Action on two wheels—motor optional—ticks many similar boxes for my inner control-freak. Central to the activity is the frankly bizarre need to balance on two wheels. Sure, it’s something most of us learned to do as a kid and now take for granted. But more advanced skills are needed to adapt to the increasing challenges posed by traveling far beyond the safety of the sidewalk in front of home. There’s mastering control at speed, learning how to turn on gravel, braking and steering down a descent on a rocky trail, jumping obstacles, negotiating water crossings. Incorporating a motor increases the possible range and speeds, but adds new challenges of route-finding, navigation, traffic, risk, and more. Then there’s full-blown adventure: packing your home on the back of your bike and setting off for days or even months of exploration with potentially vastly different terrain, culture, and language. On top of it all is learning how to be self-sufficient and efficient, from looking after your own health to that of your bike and gear.
All of these actions require planning, attention to detail, and continual practice and learning to master them and achieve an appropriate balance in all its forms. It means continual problem-solving, especially when the complexities of a motor are added to the mix. Sure, you can just “go for a ride”—and I certainly do that myself, whether it’s challenging my Strava PR’s on my road or mountain bike, ripping winter trails on my fat bike, or finding ghost towns on my motorbike. But in each case there’s a strong aspect of mindfulness required to avoid risk, achieve the desired outcome, and ultimately have fun in pursuing my passion.
Riding helps me build mindfulness. Mindfulness in turn sparks my creativity and drives my ability to make valuable new insights and discoveries, both personally and professionally. For me, the concept of mindfulness encapsulates the themes shared between two wheels and taxes, particularly around exploration. That is, the discipline and skills required of each domain are also key qualities of a successful pathfinder. As a professional problem-solver and advisor, my role is really to be a pathfinder charged with the responsibilities of being a leader, helping people frame their issues, finding valuable new insights, mentoring along the journey, and avoiding unreasonable risks.
Whether two wheels or taxes, it’s all about helping to improve myself and others by finding new paths to success—often on roads less-traveled.
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