#54 July 26th , 2022
Blake Carroll, CPA
PwC People Team - Manager | Helping Aspiring CPAs Navigate the CPA Exam with Confidence
Thought of the Newsletter: If you're in a funk and really struggling when it comes to CPA prep and study it may be helpful to take a step back and double check if you actually do believe that are going to pass and that you are capable of passing. Think about it, if deep down you actually think "there's no way I can do this," how is that going to affect how you study? If you do not think you are capable of achieving a goal, why even try? Why put in the time and effort if it's going to be waste because you think you can't do it? It's almost a form of subconscious self sabotage. You've got to turn that mindset on it's head and start to think that you can do it, that you expect to pass. It will take sustained time and effort over a long period, but the ultimate outcome you want will happen as long as you do not stop. Nothing happens without action but you have to also have the belief that your actions are worthwhile and will create the change you want because without that in place you will not take the needed action.
It’s easy to take for granted that anyone can easily create their own website and therefore their own online business. Any idea you have can be put out into the market with very little investment of time or capital. It doesn’t even have to be a business, it could just be sharing content and ideas. You can start connecting with other similarly minded people all around the world right away. People in the past had so many more difficulties to worry about with starting a business. The decreased excuses means an increased responsibility on the individual. The opportunity is there so if we are truly interested in starting our own online presence we have to go for it. The biggest thing standing in your way is you and your fear of what others may think if you fail.?
The author of this article was able to achieve early goals of financial independence, and he talks about what he has found to be the most effective way to influence and help others to do the same. The most powerful way to change other’s behavior is to be an example to them. This is a lot more effective than just telling people what they need to do. Who responds well to that? When people see you living a life that they would want they naturally will get curious about how you were able to achieve what you currently have. Their curiosity will lead to questions, and that opens up the door to share your knowledge. It’s much more effective to help a curious learner than to hammer ideas that the person may not even be receptive to. We each have the capability to influence those around us for the better, we just need to make sure we are ready for those opportunities when they come.?
领英推荐
Have you ever considered what the difference is between self-care and self work? Self work is trying to improve some aspect of yourself whether that be physical, mental, or related to your work or relationships. Self-care‘s purpose is to rejuvenate and restore you. It is something you are doing simply for the pleasure and joy of it, as opposed to having a goal in mind. It’s important to have both in our lives, not just one or the other. Which one we need more of will depend on what is going on during that season of our lives. It’s very possible for some activities to be self care at times but then self work at other times. What matters is the attitude and intention that we bring to the activity.?
I think one of the reasons we struggle with fear and vulnerability is we think we can avoid them, so then when we do feel those emotions we feel bad about feeling them. Feeling bad about feeling bad just makes us suffer needlessly. Fear and vulnerability are a natural part of human life because hopefully we are always going to be trying new things and figuring it out as we go. We need to learn to embrace discomfort and uncomfortable feelings as a normal thing rather than trying to avoid them. This article does a good job describing some of the common occurrences in the author’s life where she had to embrace fear and vulnerability. It can pop up at work or in relationships in many different ways. I think we all will be able to relate to the experience she describes. We gain so much power when we stop trying to avoid these feelings and instead embrace them and show up anyway. In the moments where negative feelings are present is when we have the capability for the most growth and change.
There is almost a base assumption for a lot of people that everyone else either has kids or wants to have kids, but that is definitely not the case. There are a host of reasons, ranging from biological to financial to personal, for why someone doesn’t want kids or may not be able to have them. The article has a very comprehensive list of examples. If people in those situations are constantly asked about children it could be pretty stressful for them and lead to feelings of guilt or shame. The problem is asking about kids is such an easy go to question for small talk, but there are other alternative things to discuss. Just something to be aware of when meeting new people!?