“Which column am I in again?” 😩

How to set a custom freeze pane in Excel

May 15, 2025

Hey! Does your relationship with Excel feel a little…routine? 👀 Maybe you’ve mastered the basics, but it’s been a while since you felt the spark of discovering something new and powerful. ✨

If that’s you, you’ll love my power-packed free Advanced Excel Functions class! By the end of class, you’ll learn time-saving, game-changing functions that cut through busywork and make Excel feel exciting again. 

This was my number one most requested Excel class by far…which is why we’ve also added new dates to make sure you (and the thousands of people who’ve already registered) can make it! 

Register now before these new time slots fill up. Can’t wait to see you!

Meet Excel’s Chillest Feature

“I’ve scrolled too far and can’t remember what I’m looking at.” 🫠

If you’ve ever worked with a massive dataset, you’ve definitely muttered this to yourself. Navigating hundreds of rows, constantly scrolling up to check column headers, then jumping back down to your data isn’t just annoying—it’s a productivity killer. 

Enter: Freeze Panes. This Excel feature freezes your headers in place so they stay visible no matter how far down you scroll. 

Here’s how to set them up:

Step 1) Highlight the row below the area you want to freeze. In our case, we’d highlight row three because we want to freeze row two. 

Step 2) Navigate to the View tab in the ribbon and select Freeze Panes. Select the first option out of the three (also called Freeze Panes) to lock your desired column.

Step 3) Done! Now, when you scroll, your headers are frozen in place. 

P.S. Want to freeze both rows and columns? This Reddit post is your best friend. 🤝

My Most Requested Excel Class Is Finally Here!

I recently asked you which free Excel class you’d most like to see next. The winner by a landslide was Advanced Excel Functions—so that’s exactly what we’re covering!

Advanced Excel Functions are a skill that require less than an hour to grasp—but learning them pays off forever. After learning these functions, you’ll save yourself hundreds (if not thousands!) of hours in your career and have the kind of skills that get noticed when it’s time for raises and promotions. 😉 

Spots are limited—and based on the 3,000+ votes this class received, it won’t be long until they’re filled. Register today and I’ll see you soon!

This Meeting Increases Your Success Rate by 95% 📈

Imagine you’ve set a big goal. You’re motivated. You made the to-do list, color-coded your calendar, bought all the books, nailed the morning routine (read: you’re getting up at 5 AM 🫠), and started doing all the things to make it happen. 

But those aren’t the biggest factors impacting your likelihood to complete your goal, according to research from the Association for Talent Development. What is?

  • Committing to someone about your goal boosts your probability of success by 65%.

  • But scheduling an accountability appointment with that same person? That boosts your likelihood to 95%.

Isn’t that wild? Just the act of telling someone about your goal and checking back in with that person boosts your success rate majorly. But why are we so motivated by accountability? 

Executive mentor and trainer Stacey Hanke explains it like this: “When another person is involved, we avoid making excuses because we don’t want to disappoint them or disrespect their commitment to us.”  

In other words, we’re a lot more likely to get something done to avoid letting somebody else down. The best part is that implementing this strategy takes just minutes (and isn’t as painful as getting up at the crack of dawn 😅). 

The next time you’re staring down a goal, loop someone in. Text your friend to schedule weekly check-ins, or use sites that pair you with an accountability partner. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that things don’t always get done because we’re ready. They get done because someone’s waiting. 👀

  • Hate formatting in Excel? This easy VBA hack fixes that. ⚡

  • I thought I knew how to be productive until I found this question. 🙇

  • There are 270+ Excel shortcuts, which may seem overwhelming, but you can start by learning these 20. 

  • How to create interactive map charts in Excel in 45 seconds. 

  • “Totally using this!” says a comment on my video on Outlook’s newest shortcut.

Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to register for my brand new (and free!) class on Advanced Excel Functions! This has been my #1 requested Excel class by far and I can’t wait to see how it transforms your Excel skills. 💚

Stay Exceling,

Kat