During tax season, my house gets messy.
Cleaning is like paying bills. If you don’t do it on time, you get penalties and interest.
When not kept in check, the mess spreads. A sandwich plate with a few crumbs, that would have taken only a few moments of time to rinse off, inherits the slime of dishes packed on top. Unable to find things that have piled up, I overturn the piles and spread the mess further.
The clients that rebel the most against paying their taxes end up paying the most to the government in the long run. Those who do not set aside money for their taxes, year after year are punished with penalties, interest, garnishments, tax liens on credit reports, and more.
I shouldn’t judge if I don’t set aside the time to keep my house clean during tax season, knowing the consequences. To set aside something requires joy, or an understanding and control of chaos, or just plain discipline if all else fails. It is like exercise and healthy diet – fun to some, sensible to others, and an act of force by the rest. Without it, you get sick, overweight, depressed. It isn’t something you can do only sporadically.
What else is paying bills analogous to?