Background Story
The first three months in Japan was information overload. Prior to my transfer, I had studied Japanese for 4 years and even passed the Japanese language proficiency test Level N3. But I found out lessons in the classroom and actually using it in Japan were two very different things.
On top of catching up with learning Japanese as it was used in everyday life and work life, I also found I needed to learn more difficult things that no one required me to learn but I found I had to learn if I was going to survive.
So I rolled up my sleeves, strapped on my learning mode, and dove into Excel’s VBA and macros. I’m happy to say that it was well worth it. Not only did it help me get my job done with better accuracy but it also saved me loads of hours that I could use for other tasks.
On the sweet side, other people were also able to use my tool to help them. When you help yourself, you help others, too. Win-win!
Journal With Me: Journaling Prompt for Saving Time By Learning
Now it’s your turn to journal:
- What one task is taking all your time at work?
- Is there a tool already available that can help you cut down on the time it takes to complete this task? (For example, instead of manually checking what changed in an Excel file,, you could use the Track Changes feature instead)
- If there is none, is it possible to make it yourself or to ask someone to make it?
- What is one thing you can learn that will help you cut down on time and make your work better? (For example, using shortcut keys or more complex Excel formulas)
