What are you so afraid of? 💭

Hey there! Life update: We’re converting our guest suite into Miss Excel HQ! After being a digital nomad for over a year I am so excited to build this dream office and boost my productivity in 2024. 🤩

Is being more productive a goal for you this year too? I got you! 

I’m hosting a free Excel class where you’ll master Lookup Functions like XLOOKUP and VLOOKUP as well as keyboard shortcuts guaranteed to save you time (and land you the reputation of “Excel Wizard”). 🪄

There are three class options available (space is limited so please only pick one!)

• Wednesday, January 24 at 3 PM ET 

• Thursday, January 25 at 12 PM ET 

• Friday, January 26 at 12 PM ET 

Grab your seat here. See you soon! 

^{* If none of these work for you, you can register for any date to get the replay!}

How to Snap a Screenshot in Excel 📸

Ever needed to grab a screenshot in Excel? 

Sure, you could use Shift + Command + 4 or Excel’s pesky snipping tool. But neither of these will give you dynamic screenshots (i.e. images that update automatically if you alter the source data). 

If you’re thinking: “When would I need dynamic screenshots?” Let me tell you: More often than you’d think! 

• 🔎 Track Data Changes. It’s tough to keep tabs on changes when you’re dealing with a large database (read: endless scrolling and fried eyeballs). A dynamic screenshot on your main worksheet lets you see updates in real-time. 

• 👩‍🏫 Present Data. Paste these screenshots onto different Microsoft apps (such as Word or PowerPoint) for a clean, professional aesthetic.  

• 🖥️ Create Excel Dashboards. Say goodbye to squeezing tables and charts onto your worksheet. These screenshots can be placed anywhere on the dashboard (and you can size them however you want!).

To get dynamic screenshots you’ll have to add Excel’s Camera Tool to your Quick Access Toolbar. Here’s how it’s done!

The Mindset Shift To Overcome Your Fears

Last year, I got an email that made my stomach drop. 

It was from Social Media Marketing World: “We’d love to have you as a keynote speaker at our 2023 conference!” I was elated: I’d been wishing for an opportunity to connect with people in person! 

But that gratitude was quickly overcome with fear. For context, your girl grew up with a debilitating anxiety disorder…and public speaking really triggered my anxiety (fun fact: People are more afraid of public speaking than death).  🙃

How would I overcome my fear to accept this opportunity?

I started with my go-to coping techniques: I meditated, vented to friends, and wrote a list of the pros and cons. But ultimately, it was a mindset shift that moved the needle: 

This first thought pattern gives energy to your fear—but the latter dismantles it. Here’s what I mean: 

• “What’s the worst that could happen?” ➜ “I could go on stage and faint. Or I could black out. Or throw up.” 

• “What are you so afraid of?” ➜ “I’m afraid of people watching me. I’m afraid of people watching me because they might judge me. I’m afraid of people judging me because I want them to like me.”  

The “worst-case scenario” mindset is intangible and theoretical. I have no control over hypotheticals, so there’s no point in obsessing over them.

But getting to the root of my fears? That’s something tangible I can work with. In this case, I could talk through my people-pleasing tendencies with a friend or dissect them in a journal to regain control over the fear. 

Another way this could help? Say you want to ask your boss for a raise: 

• “What’s the worst that could happen?” ➜ “They could be so offended that I even asked that they’d fire me on the spot!” 

• “What are you so afraid of?” ➜ “I’m afraid of my boss rejecting me. I’m afraid of their rejection because I’d question my worth at the job. I’m afraid of questioning my worth at the job because I tie my self-worth into my work.” 

Again, this is something tangible that we can reprogram! It’s so much more productive to spend your time dismantling a limiting belief (i.e., “my job = my self-worth”) instead of fixating on how you’d handle a theoretical scenario. 

After identifying the root of my fear, I could start moving past it. There was no way I was going to pass up this opportunity.

So, I accepted. I practiced my speech multiple times a day, every day, for weeks. And whenever the fear crept up, I thought: “Don’t let the fear of people perceiving you stop you from helping others.” 

That conference was last March—and I still can feel that overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Try this reframe yourself: I promise it’ll help you become your best self. 🤍

• Don’t waste time Googling “Excel shortcuts.” Here are 20 in 12 seconds. ⚡️

• Speaking of shortcuts…this Twitter thread of people’s favorite shortcuts is gold.

• I went on the Powerhouse Women podcast where we chatted about limiting beliefs and manifesting your wildest dreams. 🤩

• If you feel like you’re “always busy” but never getting anything done, read this.

Thank you for being here! Yesterday was my birthday (where are my fellow Capricorns?!) and I had such a lovely day with my loved ones and family. 🎂 Hyped to all bring you my best self this year. 🫶

Stay Exceling,

Kat