The #1 Secret to Becoming an Excel Pro (and What to Learn First)

Hey John,

You might think the secret to mastering Excel is formulas… or Pivot Tables… or maybe Power Query.

But none of those are the real secret.

The biggest factor in becoming an Excel pro is your mindset!

Once I realized that every Excel task had a better, faster way to do it and that it was up to me to find it, I improved dramatically.

I committed to learning, experimenting, and investing time up front to save hours later.

That long-term view is what separates "average users" from experts.

Now that you've got the right mindset, here's where to focus your learning if you're just starting out.

1. Pivot Tables

Your easiest win. Every industry relies on making sense of data, and Pivot Tables let you analyze and summarize huge datasets with simple drag-and-drop actions.

2. Formulas

The foundation of Excel. You don't need all 500+ functions, just the core 50 or so that handle 95% of real-world work.

Mastering them unlocks almost anything you want to build.

3. Power Query

Your data-cleaning superpower. Most Excel work starts with messy data from somewhere else.

Power Query automates that cleanup and preparation so you can focus on insights, not grunt work.

If you learn just these three tools (and keep the growth mindset), the tasks that once felt slow and frustrating will suddenly become easy.

And don't worry, you're not doing this alone. I'm here to guide you every step of the way.

Kind regards,

From John MacDougall at How to Excel

Also, when you're ready, there are a few ways I can help you Excel!

1. Dashboard template exercise packBuild stunning, interactive, professional dashboards that will impress your boss!

2. Advanced formula course Unlock the power of advanced Excel functions such as LET and LAMBDA.

3. Pivot table course Discover the power of pivot tables for data analysis with our comprehensive masterclass.

🤓 For the Excel nerds, check out my Excel merch. All orignal and designed by me.

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