Why Give?

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Give not because you have enough, not even because you expect a payback some day, and not even because you want to be celebrated by those you give to.

But give because there is a God in you. Give because when you give and put a smile on someone else, that smile is infectious and allows your heart to glow with joy unlimited. The kind of glow that wakes up the creator above to remember your prayer of need. Did you know that a human heart has enough energy to light up a city? Imagine the energy of a joyful heart, it keeps the Sanctuary of God on Atert for you. When you give let go of the gifts and have no attachment to it. Just give and walk away. The universe will celebrate you when you least expect

What comes back to you is always shaken and pressed down for enormous overflow. The Entire Univers becomes a universal womb ready to conceive and give birth to what you desire. It fills your life with the magic of five small fishes feeding five thousand hungry men.

I have learned in my professional life one key Principle When someone asks me to teach them one thing in computers, I choose to teach them 10 things without holding back or asking for any extra payment. The results have been heartwarming. When you see my life today. it's a product of that principle

Today choose to give

CALCULATING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO DATES

 WHAT IS THE FORMULA FOR CALCULATING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO DATES

While it is easy to just click like in our example table below cell B2-A1 which automatically gives the difference in days, what if one needs the difference to be in Months or Years. Therefore, to calculate the difference between two dates with the foregoing in mind, see the applicable formula in the table below and take note of the unit measures in double quotes "D", "M", and "Y" in the formula that allows the difference to be in days, months and years.

Examples:

Bringing efficiency to the office: Automate tasks of sending letters to multiple recipients using Mail Merge in Microsoft Word 2016

Microsoft Word's Mail Merge, the task Automator

The most tedious task I have seen in word processing is the task of sending a similar letter to multiple recipients. Most Microsoft users are not aware of the mail merge feature in Microsoft Word, which comes in handy when sending bulk messages or letters using a mailing list. It is the easiest feature to learn in Microsoft Word and one can never regret using it.

Most often one sees secretaries or other administrative staff go through a stressful time when trying to send invitation letters to more than one recipient by typing in the recipient’s contact details manually where after printing, the current recipient is deleted and a new one typed in, and the cycle goes on until the list is exhausted which could even be 1000 recipients long. Sometimes it’s the copy and paste syndrome employed. 

To use Mail Merge, all you need to have is a mailing list in a Microsoft Excel or Access table and your main document such as an invitation letter in Microsoft Word. With that in hand, you can now invoke the power of Mail Merge in Microsoft Word to automate the task of sending the letter to recipients in the mailing list beautifully customized for each recipient for you in less that 5 minutes

Well, why not learn the mail merge feature and make the word processing life easier and enjoyable. Click the link to the video tutorial below for a step-by-step guide on how to use Mail merge in Microsoft Word

USING MAIL MERGE VIDEO TUTORIAL

Relative Referencing and Absolute Referencing Explained

 

There are two main types of cell references in Microsoft Excel namely relative and absolute although there is another reference TYPE called mixed reference where part of the reference is Relative and part is absolute. The two main types of reference behave differently when copied and filled DOWN to other cells.

Relative references change when a formula is copied to another cell. While Absolute references, on the other hand, remain constant no matter where they are copied. In order to understand how the two reference types are used, go to the tutorial in the link below

RELATIVE AND ADSOLUTE REFERENCE VIDEO TUTORIAL

How I developed Excel Skills: My Personal Journey

I knew it was important to learn Microsoft Excel, I had used Lotus 123 in the mid-90s but Lotus was slowly losing popularity and I had to take on the new Elephant in the House called Microsoft Excel which was gaining wider use in Industry. However, the people who learned how to use Excel first were so selfish and not willing to share hoping to keep the knowledge within a closed circle. Having learned Lotus 123 before, I knew I had to take on the same attitude I used with Lotus on Excel and I vowed to learn Excel and break the unproductive circle wide open for anyone to enter. It has been the sharing attitude since that has opened doors of opportunities for me. The 10 below summarises how I learned and improved Excel skills

1. In the first instance, Excel was created by a human being like me. Hence I decided to take on the mindset that Microsoft Excel was simple and easy to learn because if the guy who created it intended it to be difficult and complicated, then he or she must have been a fool. How can one create a product that potential clients would not be able to use? Therefore, the application was not beyond comprehension
2. I chose not to let other people’s opinions about Excel guide my attitude toward Excel spreadsheets. Like the Chinese would say don’t let anyone who has never built a house tell you it’s difficult. Hence, I took on any topic without fear of making mistakes, and knowing that the computer has the ‘Undo’ and ‘ESC’ options was a lifesaver. Others may have failed but they are not ‘Me’
3. I planned to learn at least one thing in Excel every day whether it was a basic task as simple as how to move spreadsheet rows or could be an advanced trick. I purposed in my heart that if I learned one thing a day, it translated into knowing 7 things in a week or 30 things in a month
4. Whatever I learned, I practiced the task at least 4 or more times to ensure my hands mastered how to accomplish the task without my brain being so actively involved. It’s like teaching your hand to sign your signature and letting it do the task without you thinking about the rest of your life.
5. Whatever I learned, I found someone else to teach. The best way to remember what you have learned is to be generous enough to teach others because as you teach the subject you are also relearning and reinforcing the information on your brain or your 'biochemical hard drive' if you like.
6. Don’t be stingy with information, being selfish with information is the fastest way to forget what you have learned. Teaching is also learning for the teacher. The attitude of thinking that if you are the only one intelligent on a subject, it means you are in charge! You are wrong. Like Eric Hoffer once said “In a world of change, the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned shall find themselves perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists” the choice is yours.
7. Whenever, someone asked me for help in Excel with one thing, I shared more than they asked for because through that I was able to discover other things that I may not have been initially aware of.
8. Took time to explore Microsoft resources such as Excel’s own online help and other online sources to learn more about various Excel tasks.
9. I was never shy to ask for help from other Excel users
10. Above all, I have learned that one does not need to be a mathematical genius to competently use Microsoft Excel. One does not even need to have passed mathematics in primary or secondary school, the only requirement is that one needs to be a human being and must have passed first grade in primary school. Just to have known how to write and count if you can put it that way for Excel use. But generally one only needs to be human because computers can also be used for artwork, music and many other things. I am sure we all have seen how 1 or 2-year-olds can play games on gadgets even when they can’t even read or write 

Microsoft Excel Tip for DATA ANALYSTS in 2022

One way to ensure DATA CONSISTENCY in Data Entry

Put simply, data analysis is described as the process of collecting, modeling, and analyzing data to extract information that supports decision-making or call it data-driven decision-making. The data used as a basis for analysis is captured or entered by either the data analyst or data personnel somewhere in some data room. The accuracy of the result of the analysis is determined by the accuracy of the source data (like they say Garbage In, Garbage Out). However, one of the issues that I have encountered in my line of work that can easily distort accurate reporting is the failure by data workers to enter or capture repeating data items in a consistent manner. Thankfully Microsoft Excel 2016 provides users the automatic drop-down list feature to control consistency in data entry. To Initiate an AUTOMATIC DROP-DOWN List is simple but uncommon trick using the keyboard short-cut ALT + ↓ (the ALT key + Down Arrow key). Let me show you how this works in the short video in the link below using an example from the health sector

INITIATING AUTOMATIC DROP-DOWN LIST IN EXCEL VIDEO TUTORIAL

Building Microsoft Excel competent User in 1hour! The 20/80 Rule Learning strategy from experience

 “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, you're right.” ~ Henry Ford

It does not matter at what level of computer skills one may be whether new or otherwise. It has been achieved before and I relate this from practical teaching experience that anyone can become a competent Microsoft Excel user in 1 hour or less. The 20/80 rule works wonders in computer application skills training as a totally new user with practically no previous exposure to the application can be transformed. In the 20/80 rule, we use 20% of the time to introduce the application (content delivery) and 80% on building muscle memory or motor skills. This training model is quite useful when dealing with adult learners above the age of 35 or 40 (practically Adults).

How does this work? Let’s take the example of driving schools, the driving instructor knows that any new trainee knows what a car is including the steering wheel, gas or brake pedal and the newbie can actually drive the car in their mind. However, the new trainee’s hands and feet do not know, as experience has shown that whenever you let someone who has never driven before to try to drive, you can see how their hands and feet become epileptically out of sync in trying to get the vehicle even to move an inch. Why? Because whilst the mind knows something about the car, the hands and legs have absolutely no driving motor skills or muscle memory on the equipment. Are you catching the idea? Remember the first time you signed your signature! Your brain worked with your hand to ensure that the hand can actually scribble the signature the way you wanted it to look. In the initial signing sessions your brain was alert to ensure that the hand reproduced the same signature. However, when the hand masters the art, you no longer have to think about how you sign because your hand can now do the job without you thinking about it.

Applying the same method with building spreadsheets skills in adults, the category of senior citizens we can call BBCs (Born Before Computers), the battle is won in the first 10 minutes of the training session. Let’s now break down the 20/80 rule with reference to spreadsheet skills training

• The first 10 minutes or a little more depending on the number of students is for storytelling. During this time the instructor and the students introduce themselves and should include allowing the students to tell a bit about their experiences regarding the subject at hand. It’s during these moments when the instructor can take the students’ own stories of weaknesses with regard to the subject and turn them into stepping stones of triumphant entry into the next versions of themselves with reference to the subject before them. I am not sure why but I have learned from teaching experience that the name EXCEL scares the hell out of new users. It’s like whenever new users have seen the EXCEL interface on computers with the mysterious boxes as they usually refer to them all over the screen, it reminds them of their mathematical woes probably in their formative school days. How do I get the students passed that fear gate? I ask the students to open the Excel application on the training computers and we all look at the interface together before we even click anything on it because I know that we need to address the elephant in the house, the EXCEL boxes, or CELLS that they see. This is the most interesting part of the storytelling when you tell the students that what they are seeing is actually a primary school second grade (grade 2) mathematics book in electronic form which has been designed not to allow the student to do all thinking when using it because the computer application was designed to think for them. The students may probe a little further on the details but usually, you can feel the sigh of relief dawn on their faces as they suddenly relax with a sense of confidence to conquer. This makes the brain send a new message that they are dealing with the simple stuff.  It also helps a lot to dispel every rumor or every prejudiced idea the students may have heard about how complex Excel is and reinforce the “Yes we can do it” message that should encourage them to be willing to start from scratch with the attitude of “they can do this” By the way when dealing with adults try as much as possible to remember their names and call them by name when encouraging or motivating them it makes them feel ‘young’ so to say if you know what I mean
• It’s also important to let the students know from the onset that the computer has the lifesaving Undo and the ESC button so that they are not afraid to click and make mistakes. Students find this very comforting and are ready to explore without fear.
• If the students are already users of other computer applications such as Word Processors, they may not have problems handling the notorious Mouse but if not ensure that they are helped in handling the Mouse using a clicking (left or right) exercise because the Mouse handling skill is crucial in working with Excel.
• Utilize 20% of the time on the delivery of the content and clarifying details on spreadsheets and how to accomplish different tasks as per the subject plan. Adapt the plan based on the student profile as strict adherence to the order of the tasks can sometimes be very boring and fail to ignite the fire in the students
• 5.    In the 80% part of the rule, it’s time to move the content from the head to the hands (body) to build motor skills or muscle memory. Start with the simple but interesting tasks that should start building the muscle memory like the FILL down series technique for days, months and number series. This is where the students type the first day or month and use the left-click and drag down to fill in the rest of the names of days or months as a list. Let the students repeat doing the task for even four times again and again. In my experience, this creates the students ‘Wow’ moments and motivates them to begin to look forward to more interesting automated tasks. When you create that ‘Wow’ moment in students then you know that the hidden expert in the students is now awake and ready to come out. The rest goes into autopilot as you see a group of interested and interactive students even trying to get ahead of the instructor's Excel possibilities

The Objective of building computer skills is not to push everything in the head but to impart the skill into the body (hands) because the body does not forget easily just like the body does not forget how to walk. 

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