Michele A’Court’s advice to girls
Money is awesome. Try to make sure you have some. The awesomeness of money is not that it buys you things, but that it buys you choices.
When shitty things happen, it’s great to be able to say, “I could fix that, or replace it, or buy a ticket home, or survive till something better turns up, or do something cheerful”. Sometimes when I’ve felt anxious about life, I’ve realised that, really, I’m just broke. Having money in a savings account helps me sleep better because I know I can rely on me. That’s the thing about savings – they save you.
Here are some money rules I live by: Pay off your credit card every month – that way you don’t get into a habit of spending more than you earn and you don’t pay the bank any interest. Try a “cooling off” period when you go shopping – leave the store, go for a walk and see if you really do want it. Buy the best shoes you can afford (not the party shoes, the walking around kind). And never save anything “for best” – use the good stuff every day. The only thing you should put away for later is money.
The best way to get money is to do a job you like. Or, if possible, a job you love. I know there are people who find a job they can bear for five days a week to fund the things they want to do outside of that, but I could never manage it. I did some horrible jobs just to get by, but I could never sustain it.
When people ask me why I do what I do – comedy and writing – I tell them that when I’m standing on stage, or sitting in my office in my pyjamas putting words into a new and interesting order, this is when I feel the most like myself. It makes me feel like Who I Really Am. It still feels like “work”, especially in those terrifying moments before I walk on stage or when I’m chasing too many deadlines, but afterwards I feel light and happy, and nourished. More me, rather than less.
That’s not just because I do “creative” work where people clap at the end. You can see the same thing on the face of a builder who has made something they’re proud of, or an accountant, or teacher, or scientist – people who get a thrill out of what they do.
So think about the things that thrill you and see if you can make that into a job. And say “yes” to opportunities even if you’re not sure yet if you have the skills – chances are you will develop those skills before anyone works out you didn’t have them at the start.
There is a fascinating piece of research by Hewlett Packard which suggests women only apply for jobs when they feel they have 100% of the skills required, but men apply for jobs when they feel they only have 60% of what’s needed. Which might be part of the reason why America has more CEOs called “John” than CEOs who are women. John’s bluffing.
So obviously, what you need to do is take the excellent advice of Canadianbased writer Sarah Hagi and “carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man.” Then be your awesome self.