The first 2 hours

I’ve learned a few skills throughout my life.

I know how to do graphic design, how to write, how to code, how to do 3D modelling, video editing and how to repair computers.

I learned some of those skills because I wanted to and some because I had to. It was frustrating at times but fun in other cases. I had times in which I wanted to stop and give up, and times in which I wanted to spend more time working.

A year ago I felt the need to learn something new and improve my skillset and after doing a bit of research I decided to give Excel a try. Excel is the software you’ll find pretty much anywhere you go. You either find it, or some version of it.

Not knowing how to use it is a clear disadvantage. Anyone who knows how to automate tasks with Excel and how to use spreadsheets to properly visualize data has a huge advantage over those who do not and instantly becomes more valuable than a person who can barely type in data in the software.

So, I decided to give it a try. I did a bit of research online regarding the learning process to try and figure out what steps I should take in order to make sure I’ll go about it the right way, but I couldn’t find anything good enough. In the end I managed to find a 2 hour tutorial that focused on the basics of the software — how to add data, how to manipulate it, how to do math, those type of things.

Those two hours were the bare minimum needed for me to learn how to use the software. I quickly went from being confused even by the interface to creating an entire spreadsheet to help me keep track of my income and expenses for a period of 6 months while I worked in another country.

Throughout time I kept on using Excel using only what I learned in those 2 hours.

Then I realized that this can apply to a lot of other skills that you might want to learn. The first two hours can help you learn the tools you need to be productive for quite a while.

Spending 2 hours learning the basics of Photoshop can help you understand how to add, move, transform, duplicate and rotate images, how to add effects, how to add shapes and add colour to them, how to overlap different textures to create a cool visual effect, and many other things. Such simple knowledge can help you create things like business cards, flyers, banners, all kind of things for yourself or others.

Spending 2 hours learning the basics of programming in a language such as Python can help you understand what variables are, how to make them interact with one another, how to use loops and how to use “if” statements. This little bit of basic knowledge can help you do simple things such as creating a password generator, a contact book, a text repeater and so on.

Spending 2 hours learning the basics of video editing will teach you how to cut clips, how to put them together, how to add effects, how to add text, masks, and a lot of other things. Knowing something as simple as cutting and putting multiple clips together can help you make a ton of useful videos whenever you need to.

So, every time you feel like learning a new skill, but you feel overwhelmed by how complicated it seems, think about the first 2 hours. Those hours will help you learn the easiest and, quite often, the most important parts / tools that you’ll need to do quite a lot of things.