#48 June 28th, 2022
Blake Carroll, CPA
PwC People Team - Manager | Helping Aspiring CPAs Navigate the CPA Exam with Confidence
Thought of the newsletter: Yes it is generally a positive thing to hold yourself to a high standard and expect to be a high quality producer/worker. BUT it can become a problem if it strays too much into becoming perfectionism. High standards are motivating, but perfectionism can be debilitating. It’s so difficult to take even one step if you’re expecting a flawless outcome. It’s so unlikely to achieve perfection, so often that makes people not even try because why try if you know you’re going to come up short? Getting something done is better than staying at the starting line because you’re afraid of what others will think if you make a mistake. Do you expect others to be perfect? My guess is probably not, so why do you expect it of yourself?
We all have had the experience of fear holding us back from taking a risk towards something we really want. Our brains are designed to keep us safe, not to bring us happiness or fulfillment. Our brains crave the known and are naturally afraid of the unknown, which is why fear can creep in in order to try to keep us where we are now even if we aren’t happy where we are now. Fear makes us think about what might go wrong and what we lack, when we can choose to focus on what can go right and the things we have that are in our favor. Often when we explore our fears the outcomes that the fear creates are not even that bad. They’re not even real either, so how silly would it be to be held back by that???Often we are afraid of being judged, failing, or not being enough but we can look at the inverse of every one of those things to gain courage to move. Taking baby steps and starting to make some small progress will give us the motivation to start to overcome our??fear
You will put a ceiling on how much you can accomplish if you are not good at working with other people. I think we all can think of examples of other people who have that almost intangible spark that enables them to get along well with others and communicate effectively. Charismatic is a term frequently used to describe such people. So how can we develop this trait? We need to use language that is both relatable and hits the senses so that people can picture it in their minds. Sensory language helps get your message across and helps people remember it. You must be aware of your body language because your audience will not get your message if your words are confident but your movements are not. Lastly, we must have the self-awareness and audience awareness to adjust and pivot our communication styles depending on who you are talking to. You may think you are born with a set amount of charisma but it is absolutely something that can be grown and developed.?
领英推荐
A common discussion point when it comes to fitness and exercise is rest days. How often should we take them, how necessary are they, and what even constitutes a rest day? Is a rest day doing absolutely nothing, or is a light work out still a rest day? While there can be general advice that is best for most people, it still is up to the individual to figure out what works best for them and for their body. We each have to be able to tune in to our own bodies and determine if we are pushing too hard or maybe not pushing enough. For example the author found his work out after rest days were actually worse from doing too little on his rest days. We each need to figure out what works best for us, and realize that it might change on a week to week basis depending on how we are feeling and how hard we have worked that week. Don’t be afraid to pivot from what you’ve been doing.
This is an interesting article describing the full picture of what founders and entrepreneurs should consider when partnering with investors. It’s easy to get tunnel vision on who will give you the largest valuation, especially in the age of social media and news’s headlines, but there are so many other factors to consider that are as important if not more so. How will the investors actually bring value to your company? For example, things like skill set, networking contacts, subject matter expertise. You will be working together closely after all. They need to bring more than money. How do they improve your day to day operations? Do you actually like the investors? In some ways they will be like a boss and we know how much better life is when you enjoy being around the people you work with. What brand and track record do the investors have? Are they known for honest dealings and successful exits, or is there a track record of failure? Founders need to make sure they’re considering the full picture and every important factor.?
Even if marketing is not relevant to you this article has an interesting perspective on the power of storytelling. Often we’re not even aware of the stories we believe about ourselves and the world, and how those stories shape so much of what we do. It’s almost like a computer program running in the background. We need to think about what we actually believe not just what we say we believe. It’s also a useful tool for making presentations or speaking in public. What does your audience believe about themselves? If you know that you can create a message that really resonates and impacts them