Motivation is overrated

And how to give your Excel headers a glow-up

Hey you, happy Thursday! If you’re still scrambling to get gifts for friends and family (don’t worry, I procrastinated too 😅) you can always gift them a Miss Excel course. It’s ideal for that special someone starting a new job or anyone who just wants to level-up their résumé. Oh and, one last thing: I won’t be in your inbox next week, so enjoy your holidays and I’ll see you next year!

Give Your Headers in Excel a Princess Diaries Worthy Glow-Up ✨

Drumroll, please! 🥁 Today, we’re answering a reader submission from Jasmine:

That’s a great question! Back when we covered themes in Excel, we learned how to instantly give your worksheets a face-lift. (It’s like Instagram presets, but for Excel.)

Today let’s go a level deeper to learn how you can also insert images—such as a company logo—in the header of your worksheets to give them that “we are very professional” flair.

This tip is a crowd-pleaser and it's super easy. Here’s how Microsoft 365 users do this:

Step 1️⃣: On your ribbon, go to View > Page Layout.

Step 2️⃣: This will bring you to your headers, where you’ll see three separate header sections. Select the one where you’d like to insert your image and click “Header & Footer.”

 Step 3️⃣: Navigate to “Picture.” Excel will show you three options. You’ll want to select “From a file” since we’re uploading a picture from our computer. Find the picture and select “Insert.”

Step 4️⃣: Our picture is looking a bit *funky*, but don’t sweat it! Go to “Format Picture” and type 0.4 into the “Height” (the width will automatically adjust!).

Step 5️⃣: Click again on the worksheet and voila! Our logo now fits beautifully.

If you have an Excel question you’d like to get to the bottom of, you can submit yours right here.

Also, how cool are these gifs?! I spent an hour and three YouTube tutorials teaching myself how to create them (lol). Hopefully they make it easier for you to understand these tech tips!

Motivation Is Overrated

“How did you stay motivated while building Miss Excel?”

This is one of my top-asked questions (even more than “Why do you dance on TikTok to Excel tips?” 🤣). It’s not easy to stay dedicated to a passion project when you aren’t sure how or when it’ll pan out.

But my answer is contradictory—I actually rarely rely on motivation.

Honestly, motivation is overrated. It can be pretty inconsistent and doesn’t account for those days when you feel blah. 🌧

Instead of relying on motivation, I figure out the “why” behind my goal and use it as a North Star to remind me of the reason I’m pursuing the goal in the first place.

When I first started Miss Excel, my original “why” was “It’s a fun creative outlet and I enjoy teaching people how to use Excel.”

A perfectly good reason, right?

But as I kept digging deeper, I discovered my “why” was *so* much bigger than this. Miss Excel could lead to financial independence. It could help millions of people improve their Excel skills. It could retire my parents.

Now we’re talking. My “why” made me come alive and came in handy on those days when I didn’t feel 100%. But most importantly, it gave me a reason to appreciate hard work because I realized it was the ticket to my dream life. 💭

If you want to figure out your “why,” here are the three questions to ask yourself:

Question 1️⃣: “Why is this important to me?”

Question 2️⃣: “How will this goal benefit me and those around me?”

Question 3️⃣: “How does this goal help me create my dream life?”

Your “why” will be unique to you, so take your time to get clarity about what’s driving you forward. And once you do, you can stop relying on motivation—you’ll be guided by something much bigger than yourself. ✨

• Jasmine Katatikarn is an Amazon employee and runs a side hustle that nets her $17,000 a month—here’s her story.

• Here’s your monthly reminder of why flash fill is the best function ever created.

• Do you snack while working (or watching Netflix)? ✋This guide shows you how to clean your keyboard!

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• If you want to level up your to-do list, try turning it into a video game.

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The holidays can be a really tough time for some people. If that’s you, I see you and I’m sending you good energy. Here are some things you can do if you’re alone this holiday season.

My favorite tip? If you can, drive or bike (or just walk) along the streets. Chances are, they’ll be completely empty and you’ll have some peace and quiet. 😌

Happy Holidays,

Kat