The 10-second solution to your most annoying Excel task 👀

Hey there! Is it normal to prep for a July 4th BBQ with a spreadsheet that includes guest headcount, burger-to-bun ratios, and cooler logistics? Asking for a friend. (It’s me. I’m the friend.)

Say Goodbye to Manual Lists in Excel 👋

Imagine you have a list of names in Excel, but you need those names formatted as one line of text for a third-party system. So you start the tedious copy-paste dance, adding commas between each item like a data entry robot. 🫠

If you’re thinking, “There has to be a better way,” you’re right! Meet ARRAYTOTEXT, the function that’ll do in 10 seconds what would’ve taken you 10 minutes. Here’s how it’s done.

But what if you want to do the exact opposite: Turn a single line into an array? That’s where TEXTOSPLIT comes in. Here’s a 60-second explainer. 

The Real Enemy Isn’t What You Think 🌊

When I was younger, I got tumbled by a wave. Bad. (We’re talking salt up my nose, sand in my eyes, tossed underwater like a rag doll.) From that day on, I refused to go in the water past my ankles—and for 15 years, I told myself I “wasn’t an ocean person.” 

But in 2019, a friend invited me to a surf retreat in Morocco. 

Surfing? In Morocco? I started spiraling. What if I get tumbled again? Or worse? But something inside me said: Go. 

So I did. I spent five days learning how to surf, and I had the most incredible time. That trip made me realize that the ocean wasn’t my enemy, the fear was. And if I’d listened to it, I would’ve missed one of the best experiences of my life. 

What else do we miss out on because of fear? 

How many opportunities do we avoid because we’ve labeled ourselves as someone who “can’t” do that? How many adventures get skipped because we’re letting one bad experience from years ago call the shots? 

I came home from Morocco with a totally new perspective on fear: It protects you from danger, yes. But if it goes unchecked, it can also prevent you from living. 

Everybody has their own “ocean.” For you, that might be public speaking, building a business, or learning a new skill (like Excel 😉). Whatever it is, ask yourself: Is this really just a story I’m telling myself? 

Whatever it might be, stop fighting the ocean and fight your fear instead. 🌊

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• Two Harvard grads share everything they learned in just 38 minutes. 

• Nine words that are secretly weakening your work emails. ✉️

Thanks for reading! May your 4th of July be relaxing and your spreadsheets…not like this. 😂

Stay Exceling,

Kat