The secret to beating negativity? 💌

Hey there! I’m writing to you while surrounded by three beverages: one for energy (Starbucks), one for hydration (water), and one for fun (La Croix). What’s your three-beverage rotation? 🥤

Find Sales Changes in Seconds 🏃‍♀️

POV: You’re updating a company sales spreadsheet when your boss says, “Hey, can you send this over so I can see the percent change from each sales associate?”

Instead of just forwarding the spreadsheet, you add an XLOOKUP formula that helps your boss find exactly what they need in seconds—leaving them seriously impressed. 

Want to learn how it’s done? I got you! 

All you do is type this in your desired cell: =XLOOKUP(B2,A5:A14,E5:E14) 

Here’s a closer look at our formula: 

Close your formula and you’re all set. Now your boss can easily toggle through each employee and instantly find the exact percent change! 

Do you feel that? It’s your promotion getting one step closer to becoming reality. 🙂 

Don’t Forget to Add This Skill to Your Resume

I give a lot of ❤️ to Excel in this newsletter (I am Miss Excel after all!) but we can’t forget about Google Sheets. It’s a powerhouse in its own right! More and more companies want people who know their way around Google Sheets.

Translation? Mastering it can help you become more employable.

That’s where my course Sheets Smarts for Google Sheets comes in! It takes you from the basics through advanced techniques, helping you become a Sheets pro (as Grace will tell you!):

I’m giving Workbook readers (that’s you 👋) 20% off with the code SHEETS20. Get access today!

Save Your Compliments 💌 

In 2019 (tbt to my corporate days!), I had an annual performance review I’ll never forget. I sat across from my boss, who smiled and said, “There is this one area you could improve in, but otherwise, you’re doing an amazing job.” 🫠

What do you think I fixated on for the rest of the day? The compliment? Or the critique? Unsurprisingly, it was the latter. 

It’s not just me—the tendency to focus on the negative is human nature. In the past, this skill was critical for survival (it’s more important to remember the poisonous berry than its beautiful flowers). 

This negativity bias is so powerful that research found we need to hear five positive statements to counteract a single negative one! 

That’s why I’m such a huge fan of saving compliments. Whether they’re from a friend, a family member, or a total stranger, I scribble down all compliments that come my way. 

So whenever I’m feeling “blah” or receive unhelpful comments, I can return to these compliments and a positive headspace. Here are a few other ways to do it: 

• Screenshot positive feedback from others and put them in a folder on your computer (I call mine “Kind Words”). 

• Use the Snooze feature to forward nice emails to yourself so future you can be pleasantly surprised. 

Recording compliments seems simple, but it’s such a great way to increase positivity in our lives. Not only does it counteract our natural inclinations toward negativity, but it’s also a confidence boost (perfect when you’re gearing up to ask for a raise or apply for that new job 😉). 

• Did you know you could add ChatGPT to Excel? Now you do. 

• Instead of Googling “Excel Macro for beginners,” watch this! 

• Solid life advice for anyone in their 20s or 30s. 

• Turn your PowerPoint presentation into 24 Karat gold with this tip.

• This person got up at 5 AM for one year—and says it did more harm than good. 💭

Thanks for being here! I loved this post about how it’s up to us to create moments of happiness in our lives. What’s something you can do today to take control of your joy?

Stay Exceling,

Kat