UltimQuest

“Don't be afraid to start over. This time you're not starting from scratch, you're starting from experience.”

Starting from “scratch” - willingly or unwillingly - is not an easy place to be. You wonder if you’re making the right decisions and doing what will benefit you and your loved ones. You face confusion and self-doubt - you question yourself and think about whether you are wasting your time and your potential. It makes you examine what you are capable of doing and what you really want out of your life.

But the truth is, we are never truly starting anything from scratch. Life gives us a series of experiences and opportunities, some expected and many unexpected. We learn, grow and evolve as a result of each one of these experiences. Therefore, we never go back to the same place twice and never truly start anything “over.”

If you’re feeling unhappy, dissatisfied or unfulfilled with your work and your career, pause for a moment. Think about what’s holding you back from attaining happiness, satisfaction and fulfilment. Your answers may circle back to you - your beliefs, expectations, fears and hesitations.

Don’t be afraid of re-evaluating your career trajectory and changing directions at any point in your life. That will take courage and involve risk, but may lead you to a much better life.

It's a hard thing to do, and it requires willpower, commitment, risk and even sacrifice. But it’s well worth it.

If you are a professional accountant, it’s already clear that you have the discipline, skills and the work ethic to make great things happen!

Our approach to CPD is to offer practical and relevant insights on complex matters. We do our best to refrain from discussing only theoretical concepts, and dive deep into actual real life examples of issues that CPAs face every day. We also take our evaluations and feedback very seriously, continuously modifying and improving our content so that our audience can walk away feeling empowered and confident in their abilities.

👉🏽Check out our upcoming live deliveries on our website and our on demand 20-hr CPD packages. Visit www.UltimQuest.com.

If only issues at work could come with a big label saying
"Ethical Matter Inside - Handle with care."

The reality is that things often get complicated, convoluted and confusing far sooner than we realize that we have an ethics-related issue at hand.

Here are 8 red flags to watch out for at all times that can tip you off and help you identify potentially unethical behaviour at work. No matter what position you hold or what level of your career you're at, these can help you stay vigilant and aware at all times.

🚩Negative news is often spun to soften the blow.
🚩Management hides information from the board and from auditors.
🚩The CEO is surrounded by people who never question or criticize them.
🚩Employees are dissatisfied with information from top management and supervisors.
🚩People express beliefs that rules are for others and not for them.
🚩The system rewards employees even if the means of achievement are suspect.
🚩There seem to be conflicting goals (i.e. pressure to reach unattainable targets while being ethical).
🚩Debates over current policies are squashed.

If you see any of these, keep your eyes and ears open and pay attention to the situation as they unfold.

The fundamentals in any discipline or in life don't change over time. However, new situations arise and we have to apply these fundamentals and principles to tackle those situations.

You might feel that the fundamentals don't apply when it comes to emerging issues, such as automation, artificial intelligence, the space program, and other brand new scenarios that we are facing.

However, fundamental realities have not changed in centuries. For instance, what Aristotle and Plato said thousands of years ago is still of value to us today. Similarly, John D. Rockerfeller rose from humble beginnings in poverty and lack. His first job was that of a bookkeeper, and then he went on to eventually become the wealthiest person in the world. Even though he lived over 100 years ago, we can still learn something from his life journey today.

Therefore, we should not abandon fundamental principles or knowledge, unless they are proven to be totally incorrect.

There is a Chinese saying that "when the child is lost, it goes back to the mother." This is referring to going back to foundational principles when dealing with new situations.

Our lead instructor, shares his story about how he even applied this thought when he was writing his final CA exams.

"If I came to a question where I drew a blank - I would think about the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Generally Accepted Auditing Standards. I tried to relate those standards to the questions at hand. This approach helped me to interpret the question and start generating my answer."

Have you identified the fundamental values and principles in your life? These can guide you in unchartered territory, such as the massive disruption we face today.