12/14/2021
Blake Carroll, CPA
PwC People Team - Manager | Helping Aspiring CPAs Navigate the CPA Exam with Confidence
Quote of the week: “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment."?—Oprah Winfrey
All we have is this present moment. Don’t get too caught up in what you could have done in the past or what you want to happen in the future. We can’t change the past. And if you do what needs to be done right now then that future you’re envisioning will happen.?
So often we underestimate our ability to make a big impact in other peoples lives, even strangers. Any simple act of kindness toward another person, in whatever form it may take, can really make someone’s day and help them feel seen and loved and appreciated. If you ever think something positive about someone you should tell them in that moment or send them a text or message. I don’t think we ever would say oh yeah I really regret being nice to that other person. I’m sure we also can think of examples where a simple act totally turned around how we were feeling. We can do that for others just as much.?
Counter intuitive but very insightful article about all of the times that choosing more difficulty now often leads to a disproportionate return of ease down the road. Investing means less money now but more in the future. Exercising is painful now but you’re healthier long term. Developing that mindset of embracing a challenge now to make things easier down the road can truly differentiate us and set us up for success. We have to have the strength and foresight to sacrifice what we want now for what we want later. Delaying gratification is a skill that must be practiced as it does not always come naturally. We are programmed to seek instant gratification, but we know that is not always what is best for us overall.?
This article really helped me understand the great resignation more. It hadn’t really been making sense to me that supposedly so many people are leaving the workforce because that makes you wonder where are they going? You see all kinds of terms and statistics being thrown around in various headlines, and it’s tough to know what’s really going on. The author goes through three common myths to talk about the reality of the situation. Leisure and hospitality is where a lot of the turnover is happening but it is not people quitting, it is people changing jobs like free agents in sports. The data cited also shows that the turnover in white-collar industries is not nearly as big, and it’s probably also smaller than most people think. The workers that have “disappeared” are actually people in their 60s who retired early. Investments and real estate prices have crushed it since Covid started, not to mention the greater health risk for older people, so a lot of retirement age workers just left the workforce earlier than they were have otherwise and have not returned. It’s a much simpler and straightforward explanation than a lot of the news may suggest.?
For many the biggest reason you may not be making progress toward your goals is they were not set up in a way that primes you for success. Maybe you need to go back to the basics. This is a quick guide on how to make your goals SMART ones, and how that does a lot to increase your chance of success. SMART is a common acronym when it comes to goals, but it’s popular for a reason and it’s always good to use a refresher.?
Have a great week!