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The real reason why you procrastinate 🙇‍♂️

Plus: Get a side-by-side analysis in a snap

July 11, 2024

Hey there! It’s no secret: Excel can be intimidating. 

In fact, you might even have found yourself in the same position as one of my students, Jess, who admitted that Excel has brought her to tears on more than one occasion (happens to the best of us!).

But Excel is just a tool…and I’m here to help you master it—no tears involved.

That’s why Jess and thousands more are joining my free live Excel class where I’m covering how to optimize your spreadsheets with Pivot Tables and Data Analysis! 

I promise in just one hour you’ll turn your anxiety around Excel into confidence. Here are the class options:* 

  • Thursday, July 11 at 12 PM ET 

  • Friday, July 12 at 12 PM ET 

* If none of those dates work for you, you can register for any date to get the replay! 

Get a Side-by-Side Analysis in a Snap

It’s happened again. 

A client sent over a spreadsheet so massive, analyzing it would be like decoding the Rosetta Stone. (Fun fact: The Rosetta Stone was decoded in 1822 by Jean-Francois Champollion. Legend has it he fainted from excitement and didn’t recover until five days later. Talk about data overload. 😂) 

To avoid that headache, you’d like to set up a side-by-side analysis for a more ✨ digestible ✨ approach.

Let’s see it in action: 

Step 1) Go to Insert and select Pivot Table

Step 2) Press Ok 

Step 3) Go to PivotTable Fields. In our case, we’ll build our Pivot Table by putting Region under Rows and Sales under Values 

Step 4) Right-click your Pivot Table and select Copy 

Step 5) Press Paste 

Step 6) Customize your pasted Pivot Table! 

For example, place Month under Rows to see how much money each month brought in.

Comparing your Pivot Tables side-by-side is key to meaningfully interpreting your data (and not straining your eyeballs). I cover more Pivot Table tips in my free live Excel class, so don’t forget to sign up!

The Real Reason Why We Procrastinate 

“I’ll do it…later.” 

“It can wait until tomorrow.” 

“The deadline isn’t for a few more days.” 

If you procrastinate, you’ve probably repeated these phrases time and time again before finding yourself scrambling at the last minute. You might self-sabotage only to feel guilty or lazy. And you might even wonder to yourself…“What is up with me?”

But it turns out the real reason we procrastinate is far more nuanced than “laziness.” 

According to psychologist Adam Grant, procrastination isn’t about avoiding work altogether. It’s about avoiding the negative emotions that come from doing a task, such as boredom, confusion, anxiety, or inadequacy. 

For example, you could be procrastinating on…

  • Accounting because looking at reports bores you. 

  • Making a PowerPoint because you’re anxious to present in public. 

  • Creating an Excel sheet because you feel your Excel skills are lacking.  

Once you’ve identified the emotional culprit, you can strategize. Think: outsourcing accounting, attending a free Excel class to improve your skills, or practicing your presentation with a co-worker to ease those nerves. 

The next time you’re procrastinating, know it’s not because you’re not a hard worker. 

It’s because there is a deeper emotional component at play. The sooner you approach your procrastination with curiosity instead of judgment, the easier it’ll be to go from “I’ll do it later” to “I’ll do it now.”

Thanks for being here! I’ll see you in class! I promise you won’t want to miss it. The team and I decked out all the spreadsheets to make them Olympics-themed. 🥇

Register here to claim your spot! 

Stay Exceling,

Kat