12 Steps to learn Excel and become awesome @ work in 2019

Like many marketers, I have a bit of experience with Microsoft Excel. I’ve used it to organize events, plan meals, and sort data — but I don’t have nearly the advanced knowledge I wish I did.
And thanks to those limited skills, I’m constantly subjecting myself to the tedium of updating my spreadsheets manually.
Like me, you’re missing out on a world of Excel training courses that could teach me how to automate my reports and save hours of time.
When I asked even my most Excel-savvy colleagues where they picked up their knowledge, they told me things like, “I mostly learned from colleagues and friends,” or, “When I have a specific question, I ask someone or search on Google.” Fair enough. But as a beginner, I probably have a few too many Excel questions to rely on colleagues — or Google — to answer every one.
Obviously, everywhere you look this week, you find advice on how to do better this year.
Well, you don’t have to wait for a new year to become awesome at your work, any day is new year for the rest of your life.
So, today I want to share 12 steps to learn Excel and becoming awesome. But first I have a secret to confess…,

I think becoming awesome in Excel useless.
What we really want is, to become awesome in our work. Since we spend a lot of time using Excel (and other office software), knowing how to use these better can have a huge impact on how we do our work.

In that spirit, lets look at 12 steps to learn Excel so you become awesome in your work.

1. Learn everyday

Curiosity, humbleness & open mind can go a long way in making you awesome. So in order to become awesome in our work, we need to learn everyday. There is a wealth of free, useful & well designed information on net on almost any topic. For Excel, I suggest going thru our archives, category pages on Excel, Charting, Quick Tips, or the Learn any area of Excel page.
For more specific focus, check out Excel Beginner or Advanced Excel pages too.

2. Volunteer & Improve something at your work

No matter how good something is, there is always scope for improvement. I am sure you have similar situation at your work. So pick up any single process, report, model or procedure & improve it using readily available tools like Excel. It is one of the easiest ways to learn Excel. For example, you could improve the financial dashboard that gets emailed every month or track your training (L&D) better.

3. Help a colleague

The funny thing with knowledge is that, the more you share it, the more you gain. No wonder, when we think of very knowledgeable persons, we imagine teachers & authors. And in any workplace, your knowledge determines how awesome you can be.
So go ahead and help a colleague in need. Share what you know and see the magic.

4. Join a forum & solve a problem

Forums are a great place to find new problems & challenge yourself. Go ahead and contribute in a forum that focuses on your area of work. For Excel, I suggest checking out Forums.
You will learn new things & the best part is, you are going to help a total stranger. The sense of satisfaction you get is unmatched.

5. Get a book

Despite the amount of information & variety available online, books continue to have a sense of magic. The moment you open a book, your mind opens a new world. So go ahead and indulge in a book or two this year. Learn something & then apply it to your work. See how far you can go.
For Excel & related books

6. Participate in a Contest

Contests are a great way to learn new things, experiment & win something cool. While finding a contest for your exact work area might be difficult, you can find several contests on Excel & other common office software. I am planning to run a few contests this year and I encourage you to participate in at least one of them.

7. Play with an unknown feature

Many of us continue to use software, tools without questioning our practices. For example, despite using Excel quite a bit, I rarely use Review Ribbon. I don’t know many of the things in there. I am sure you too have such gaps. This year, pick one such thing and play with it. Learn what you can do with that feature, do a bit of research, and if possible share your knowledge with people in your work life. If you are not sure what to pick, may I suggest Power Query? It is an incredible tool packed right inside Excel. Check out this intro and get started.

8. Replicate an idea from other industry to your work

Despite all the negativity in the world, we continue to see shining examples of innovation, hope & prosperity. Often, these are simple ideas implemented with finesse. You too can watch elsewhere for inspiration & copy the ideas to your work. For example, you can watch New York Times for interesting visualizations and copy the ideas for your weekly report. Or you can subscribe to blogs in a different industry so that you can get fresh ideas.
Related: Visualization projects.

9. Join a Newsletter or Subscribe to a Blog

While learning from other industries can give you new ideas, learning about your own industry increases your knowledge. So go ahead and join a newsletter or subscribe to a blog. Consume their content regularly and apply these ideas to your work.
For Excel users, I recommend joining our newsletter, Debra’s blog, Excel Jet or any site featured in our Excel links.

10. Jump to YouTube

YouTube continues to be a great way to learn new things. You can find instructional videos on any topic & learn from bite-sized clips.
For Excel users, check out our YouTube channel, ExcelisFun, MrExcel Podcast, Debra’s channel

11. Join a Training Program

One of the best ways to learn & become awesome is to join a class. So this year, invest in a training program that helps you in your work.
To learn Excel & how to use it for your work, I recommend our Excel School, VBA Class programs.

12. Believe that you are Awesome

One of my favorite quotes is,

Whatever human mind can conceive, it can achieve.
Napoleon Hill (in his book Think & Grow Rich)

So the most important aspect of becoming awesome is to believe you are awesome. No books, videos, blogs or contests can make you awesome if you don’t believe that you can be awesome.

Those are my 12 steps to learn Excel & become awesome, what about yours?

So those are my 12 ways to become awesome. What about yours? How are you planning to be awesome this year? Please share using comments.

More Resources to learn

If you want to learn Excel, Dashboards etc., check out these articles too.
Take a look at the free and paid resources below. Bookmark your favorites and get that much closer to working more efficiently in Excel.