The Workbook
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Don't waste your energy saving face

Don't waste your energy saving face

Plus: Return last match with XLOOKUP!

August 29, 2024

Hey! Got any big plans for your last weekend of August? (I know, it snuck up on me too 🫠). I’m wrapping up a big month of travel and so excited to head home to Sedona, where I’ll be knee-deep in planning upcoming Excel classes. From Excel 101 to mastering Pivot Tables, I’ve got some fun stuff brewing that I literally can’t wait to share with you!

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Return Last Match Without a Snatch 🫰

“Can you help me find the last transaction made by the training department?”

Uh oh. Normally, you’d manually search. But with a spreadsheet this massive, that’d be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

There’s a better strategy than combing through your data (and giving yourself a headache)—and that way is with XLOOKUP. Here’s how:

Manually searching from this spreadsheet?! No thank you!

Step 1) Type =XLOOKUP and select your lookup value (in our case, that’s H2).

Step 2) Select the column the lookup value is in

Step 3) Select the column in which the return value is. Our formula is now =XLOOKUP(H2,C:C,A:A

Step 5) Skip [if_not-found] and [match_mode]

Step 6) Enter -1 for [search_mode]. The -1 tells the formula to search last to first!

Step 7) Close your formula and you’re set!

Did That Excel Tip Blow You Away?

If so, you can learn more in our Excelerator Course—the course that makes Excel fun, easy, and an actual joy to learn.

I created the course after realizing that most people who try to learn Excel get frustrated and bogged down by hard-to-follow instructions. But it doesn’t have to be this way, as our student Brian will tell you:

I’m giving Workbook readers (that’s you! 👋) 20% off with the code WORKBOOK20. Happy Exceling!

Don’t Waste Your Energy Pretending to Know it All

Back in college (shoutout to Binghamton 🧡), I attended this one lecture that still sticks with me. It was a small seminar with a super accomplished and slightly intimidating professor.

The professor started lecturing and I had no clue what they were teaching. Like, zilch. “Any questions?” they asked. The room was dead silent until one brave soul raised her hand.

How I mentally felt in that classroom 🙃

“I’m sorry, but I’m just not getting this. Could you explain it another way?”

Honestly, I was floored. Admitting she was lost took some serious courage. But it paid off! The professor rephrased everything and the material clicked for her (and me).

Since that class, I’ve made it a point to always ask questions when I’m confused, no matter how intimidating the situation—and it’s been a huge productivity boost. Why? Because instead of wasting energy pretending to know something or saving face, I’m filling in knowledge gaps and improving along the way.

Here’s my challenge to you: The next time you’re lost, whether you’re taking notes during your boss’s presentation or reviewing a complicated spreadsheet, say something.

It might be scary, but I can almost guarantee you that 1) you aren’t the only one wondering the same thing and 2) the knowledge you gain will be worth it.

Passing the Mic to You 🎤

While I have you, I’d love to know your thoughts on Copilot in Microsoft 365 Apps! Select the answer you best identify with:

Thoughts on Copilot in your Microsoft 365 Apps?

Five easy Excel functions I’ve been obsessed with this summer.
Turn a Word document into a PowerPoint in 12 seconds flat.
The Excel dashboard trick that’s been bookmarked 1,681 times. 👀
Here’s a simple (yet underrated) way to rearrange your Pivot Tables!

Thanks for being here! A tip I heard recently that resonated: It’s better to end your day when you’re at 85% instead of pushing to 110%. While going all out seems more productive, it can leave you mentally drained for days. Play the long game!

Stay Exceling,

Kat