One of the first things I did when I started a business was outsource bookkeeping and accounting. While it was a good move, I also think I handed off the reins far too much and for too long.

It wasn’t difficult for me to find other priorities to care about—sales, marketing, operations, HR—but at the end of the day, I used them to avoid financial planning. In other words, when I delegated the work, I also decided to avoid the problem. I didn’t want to think about accounting and finances.

Those things don’t need to happen at the same time, and they’re certainly not consequences. You can have someone else do the work and still learn more about it autonomously, and keep closer tabs on the progress. It’s an easy trap for entrepreneurs to fall into, because there is always a lot to do.

When you fall into this pattern of avoidance, you’re driven to escape or disconnect from reality, which robs you of your ability to change the long-term outcome. It can have consequences that go far beyond a business function. In Still Standing, Cherry Rose Tan writes:

Thirty-five of the 50 founders (70%) cited avoidance as the number one reason for their business failures. People were holding on to their secrets and masks and they were hurting themselves, their families, and their companies.

The solution was simple: stop avoiding it and lean into responsibility. As the bookkeeping got simpler, I decided to take it on myself and make time for it. With the help of Perplexity, I got much more familiar with the bookkeeping software, which had recorded what the bookkeeper did previously. I’m still learning, but I have decided to stop avoiding the problem (and other problems). That’s progress.

Learn more about Still Standing here.