Feeling the slump of the workweek and the call of the weekend? Yeah, us too. And that's exactly why we need to switch gears, mentally speaking.
We're all guilty of spending too much time scrolling our Instagram feeds and not enough time learning new skills. So we gave ourselves a challenge, and now we're giving it to you:
We dare you to learn one new skill before Monday.
The Career Contessa team is all about learning—and it's built into the function of the leanness of our team. If we need a video edited, we need to learn how to do it. If Instagram changes their algorithm (again!) we need to figure it out—and fast. We're always learning new things on the fly.
5 things we think you can learn this weekend—and how you can do it
It's not easy, but the internet makes learning new skills and solving unexpected problems way more accessible. We wanted to teach you a couple of things that we think you can start to master over the weekend.
1. Learn how to switch your mode of thinking—when it comes to you
You're the biggest expert on you, except for when you're not. Due to things like impostor syndrome, clouded self-perception, or lapses in confidence, sometimes you get in your own way—and in the way of your potential success.
Think about taking this weekend to change your point of view on you. We have a few resources and exercises that can help you reinvigorate your confidence and move forward.
Step 1: Discover your hidden potential. Use our SHAIM method to figure out where you are, where you want to be, and the steps you could take to get there. From here, learn how to create and perfect your perfect pitch to impress anyone and everyone—even yourself.
Step 2: Root out impostor syndrome. Then, kick it to the curb for good. Recognize the signs of impostor syndrome, then check out our webinar on impostor syndrome and learn how to overcome fear—and head straight to progress.
Step 3: Finally, create some goals. Might we suggest a Big + Bodacious Goal? Our Big Bodacious Goal Study Guide from positive psychologist, Dr. Sasha Heinz will help you set it—and get it.
2. Learn how to create better money habits—from scratch
Many times, we don't change our money habits because it seems overwhelming or downright scary. Here's the thing, though. It's totally doable. This weekend, you can take small steps to reimagine and reinvigorate your bank account.
Step 1: Ditch your money fears. Get rid of your self-directed narrative about how you're "bad with money" and inspire some financial confidence from within yourself.
Step 2: Create savings goals. We're not here to judge. Whether you're starting from scratch or even if you're deeply in debt, you can make it through to save money and build toward your future.
Step 3: Listen to success stories. We can tell you have to budget, save, and emotionally navigate money all day, but we prefer real stories to color how to actually do these things. We suggest listening to stories about building impressive savings, ditching financial anxiety, and preparing your finances for tough times.
3. Learn how to market yourself online
You're not going to let your Instagram feed go stale, but can you say the same for your LinkedIn profile or your personal website? We have tons of advice on how to build your personal brand online—to impress everyone (ie. future bosses, networking contacts, potential clients, and even your mother-in-law!)
Step 1: Clean it up. Before you dive into all things personal branding, you might want to do a little internet cleanup. Remember those Facebook photos from college parties? You might not want your future boss to see those before you get a chance to dazzle them with who you are professionally-speaking. Clean up for social media presence.
Step 2: Tell your story. Your story is at the root of who you are. Learn how to infuse your story into your resume, your cover letter, your LinkedIn profile, and your entire digital presence.
Step 3: Build your brand. Now that you've cleaned up and developed a riveting story, learn how to build your personal brand—and get it out to the world.
4. Learn how to enact a Power Moves approach in your career
This spring, Power Moves was published. In this career book, our CEO Lauren McGoodwin details how you (yes, you!) can build a career of purpose for you—designed by you.
Step 1: Take control. A seriously meaningful Power Move you can make is prioritizing your mental, emotional, and physical health. Make Power Moves by creating simple routines, restorative rituals, and habits into your day that ensures you are taken care of first.
Step 2: Go on a listening tour. Remember how we said you know yourself the best, except for when you don't? That's where a listening tour comes into play. If you need a little inspiration, go on a listening tour and put all of your preconceived ideas about success at the door. This Power Move allows you to enlist the help of other people who know you and can tell you about your biggest strengths and weaknesses.
Step 3: Always be curious (and learning). Your biggest Power Move is constantly learning. Learn from your successes and failures. Whether you're looking to up your productivity, transition careers, or pursue a management role, use the Power Moves approach as a repeatable process to access the next stage of your potential.
5. Learn how important your soft skills are—and develop them further
Soft skills are the most important skills in the modern workplace—especially as the workforce is increasingly remote. Here are the soft skills we think you should develop for success.
Step 1: Identify your soft skills. Soft skills are the skills we're born with—to an extent. Unlike hard skills like writing, coding, or math, soft skills tend to be more innate. Don't fret, though! They can be built up. Identify the soft skills you have—and the ones you want to build up.
Step 2: Clarify your communication. Communication is the most important skill in the workplace. Period. Whether you're a brain surgeon, a banker, or a social media manager, your communication skills need to be tight. Learn how your interpersonal communication skills make you a force to be reckoned with in any workplace.
Step 3: Solve all of the problems. Even with the best communication, organization, and detailed systems in place, problems still arise in the workplace. Learn how to combine critical thinking and problem solving to glide over any workplace hurdle.
