Q. I have worked hard for years to develop accounting skills and I still make errors. It’s so frustrating!

A. If you are struggling to accomplish activities that are energy-expensive for your brain, you will likely continue to make errors (beyond the fact that you are human and human beings make mistakes).

I once heard a brain researcher report that if you expend large amounts of time and energy into developing skills that are difficult for your brain to accomplish, you can raise your competences from poor to mediocre. If you put that time and energy into honing skills that are easy for your brain, you can raise your competence from mediocre to excellent (if not outstanding).

Unfortunately, many were taught growing up that you had to work very hard for anything that was worthwhile. Yes, it will take time, energy, and effort to build skills and competencies—it will take less effort when those skills utilize functions that are easier for your brain to accomplish.

I suggest you invest some time, energy, and money in identifying the types of activities that your brain does easily. If those are not in the area of accounting, you may want to re-evaluate how you want to spend your energy.

Refer to the BTSA on my website as an example of a tool you might find helpful, or refer to the Energy Assessment Tool in my book Your Brain Has a Bent (not a Dent).