- The Workbook
- Posts
- Failure is a cosmic redirect
Failure is a cosmic redirect
Plus, dynamic screenshots đđź
Happy Thursday, folks! đťThese past few days, Iâve been thinking about confidence. Itâs a skill, meaning we can harness it with preparation and positivity. Looking for a raise? Prepare by collecting previous praise and successes. It wasnât approved? Thatâs okayânow, youâre aware of your capabilities (and emboldened to apply elsewhere!). With a dash of knowledge and optimism, you can embody confidence. đŤ
Lights, Camera, Action đ¸
Excelâs Camera feature is a great tool with no negatives (pun intended).
This tool allows us to take a snapshot of any selected graph, table, or range of data and paste it as a linked picture in a worksheet. The coolest part is if you make a change to your main workbook, itâll automatically update the data in the picture, wherever itâs pasted.
Think of it as a dynamic screenshot. đđź
But most people arenât aware this tool exists because you wonât find it on your Excel ribbon. To use it, youâll have to manually pull this bad boy out. But here's why it's worth the effort:
âââ Printing out specific data. Letâs say you only want to present the last two quarters of a companyâs earnings. You can copy and paste this data into an individual worksheet that fits on one printable page.
âââ Working with large data. If your data are spread across several worksheets, the Camera feature helps you screenshot and pin data you want to keep track of.ââ
â Keeping data unmodified by other users. Because the Camera feature reproduces a live image instead of the actual data, users canât make any changes to the image unless they have access to the original source material.
Hereâs how you go about adding the Camera feature to your toolbar on a PC: đ§âđť
Step 1ď¸âŁ: Right-click near the right-hand bottom of the Excel ribbon and select âShow Quick Access Toolbar.âÂ
P.S. Depending on the version of Excel you have, you might have to left-click âFileâ > âOptionsâ > âQuick Access Toolbarâ instead! From there, follow the instructions at Step 3.
Step 2ď¸âŁ: Navigate to the left-hand side of the Excel ribbon and click on the downward arrowhead. Then select âMore CommandsâŚâ
Step 3ď¸âŁ: Switch âPopular Commandsâ to âAll Commands.â
Step 4ď¸âŁ: Scroll down to âCameraâ (the list is alphabetical), click on âAddâ and press âOK.âÂ
Woohoo!
But now that itâs downloaded, how do you use it?
Select the cells youâd like to copy, click the Camera icon, and then click on wherever youâd like the data to appear. Yep, itâs that easy.
One last tip: You can use Excelâs Camera feature to paste data into Word and PowerPoint documents! Happy snappinâ đ¸
Got Excel tips or tricks on your mind? Shoot me a line! Iâd love to hear both your questions and hacks. đ¤
Failure is a Cosmic Redirect
âUnfortunately, weâll be delaying all promotions until next year.âÂ
It was March 2020 and my company had just announced the bad news. I was bummed. Iâd been pumped (and working like nuts!) to possibly get promoted.
The bright side? Since I didnât have to learn new skills for a new role, I had lots of extra time.
And this extra time was crucial in inspiring me to create and become Miss Excel. â¨
When it comes to our defeats, roadblocks, or frustrations, weâre quick to label them as âinconveniencesâ with zero upsides. But as Marie Forleo, entrepreneur extraordinaire, reminds usâŚ
âDonât be so quick to judge your supposed failures. A flop might be a cosmic redirect, guiding you to a better, bigger purpose.âÂ
Or as your Millennial manager might put it, âItâs just one flop. Itâs not a flop era.â
On a serious note: Whenever I run into the unexpected, I tell myself itâs either a lesson or a blessing.
When the possibility of a promotion disappeared, I couldâve sulked. Instead, I convinced myself it could be a good thingâI just had to keep my eyes peeled for the silver lining. đ
Because to some extent, âbad thingsâ are subjective. As Shakespeare says, âThere is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.â Itâs our mindset that determines whether an event is an obstacle or an opportunity.
Hereâs what I meanâŚ
đ°You lose the promotionâbut find more time to focus on your passion project. (đ)
đĄThe place you wanted is takenâbut three months later, you find your dream home.
đ You get rejected from a job for the 20th timeâbut realize youâre now one ânoâ closer to your dream job.
I try to go through life with the mantra that life happens for me, not to me. You get to decide if a disappointment will bog you downâor if itâs a blessing.Â
Looking to deepen your relationships? Try these 99 mindful conversation topics!Â
Dream Job: this person earns $100K from his dog walking business. đž
Hereâs a simple (yet underrated) way to rearrange your pivot tables!Â
If youâre looking to level up your data, try this handy percentage calculator.Â
A useful visualization on how to get over fear to move the needle of your life.Â
If you feel like giving up, this quote from author James Clear might help:
âThis moment when you donât feel like doing the work? This is not a moment to be thrown away. This is not a dress rehearsal. This moment is your life as much as any other moment. Spend it in a way that will make you proud.â
This moment of your life, reading this newsletter, is just as important as any other. The right time is nowâso go out there and make it count. â¨
Stay Excelent,Â
Kat