Shortcuts & Data Analysis
tip
Why bother learning shortcuts at all? When you do the same task 20 times a day, saving 10 seconds each time adds up. As you learn more shortcuts, you save more time. It builds momentum, like a flywheel.
Essential Excel Shortcuts:
- Add filters to your data = Ctrl + Shift + L
- Selects all contiguous data = Ctrl + A
- Copy Cut Paste = Ctrl + C, X, or V
- Bold, Italics, Underline = Ctrl + B, I, U
- Ctrl + Shift + V = paste as values
- Ctrl + Alt + V = bring up paste special
- F5 = GoTo menu
I added these shortcuts to my Quick Access Toolbar (QAT):
- Sort ascending
- Sort descending
- Reduce decimal places
- Accounting number format
- Power Query editor
- Add Window
When I'm looking at an unfamiliar set of data a lot of times what I'll start with is sorting the data (add in an index column if you want to sort it by the original source). If numbers cluster at extremes, I'll look at segments to start. Sometimes, I use conditional formatting to highlight negatives, positives, or extreme values.
With new data, I often:
- List unique categories using the UNIQUE function
- Sum amounts by categories if there are any
Because I do a lot of the same things with different data, it makes sense to learn the shortcuts I've listed here.
But you're different, you might not work in Excel very much at all, if that's the case, maybe don't bother with shortcuts? Chances are your regularly used functions will be different. There are two ways to "create your own " shortcuts on your machine.
Memorize the Alt sequence.
- Open up excel, press Alt and wait half a second.
- Now when you press F, it will open up the File ribbon and different yellow letters will appear. Most shortcuts are only a few keys in a row, Alt A M deletes duplicates, Alt H H N removes the background color.
Add
could add those to the QAT since I use them frequently enough, but I have them memorized so, no reason.