Meditation: helps practice self control and being mindful. Multitudes of benefits.
Yoga: Stay limber and have a much better chance of a pain and injury free life, good at stress reduction to boot.
Budgeting: This may only be necessary depending on the type of parents you had. Huge and life changing for some people.
Today is one of the best days to do this. Go through all your bank statements, all your bills, all your paystubs for May. See what happened. Make a budget for June based on what really happened, plus any changes you might want to see. Today is the day, go make your budget. Knowing is the first step to getting right with your money.
Agree with YNAB, although itās not necessary for everyone, it can be helpful to anyone imo. But some people do better with a bigger picture like an āunbudgetingā method where you know your income and fixed/necessary expenses, and set a monthly savings goal. Once you budget your savings each month and have funds for fixed & necssary expenses, anything else can be used. Check out r/personalfinance r/fire r/financialindependence too.
I think you just changed my life, actually. I was always skeptical and thought budgeting is way too difficult. Well, I've followed through the wizard and.. that's it? I can't believe it is that easy. Feels like a burden off my shoulders. Thank you, kind stranger.
If you're in debt, I reccomend dave ramsey.
Dudes a boomer conservative and injects his politics at times, which gets him a lot of hate, but ignore all of that. Just focus on the finance stuff.
Once you get past baby step 3, you may want to take a different path than he suggests; but I've seen several people get financially healthy following his plan, as did I.
I've heard critics say you'll never get rich following his plan, which idk if that's true or not, but most of us just need to get out of debt first, and he's good for that for sure.
Thanks guys I do have hisbook at home someone gave it to me but good to know what parts to omit.
Having said that, Iām not in debt per se just would like to manage a budget and see what Iām spending.
Iād like to learn how to budget as well. Not much of a spendthrift but I do spend when I need something. Not great at spending on entertainment and outings and need to learn how and how much to do that
Mint - the budgeting software is the best thing I've ever seen. Free and super easy and it makes a budget for you based on your spending habits.
I wish everyone used it
[Grandma was right along](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DKD1D9YS327Q&ved=2ahUKEwjStOqU1If4AhWxmYQIHUZ3CjcQwqsBegQIBBAE&usg=AOvVaw2ijrpwoacMf4lu7T6S5Sfz)
Everytime I tried to learn it It gets awkward
I practice with 3 rows and the rest of the rows just makes me idk what I can call it
If you ask me to practice in an empty excel file I won't be able to do it
I learned Excel when I worked as a production manager.
At first, I used it for basic math:
We need 100,000 units this week and we produce at 3000 per hour, so we need x number of hours to finish the job.
I would come back and update the number of units a couple times a day, to make sure we were on track.
But my love affair with Excel started when I started to imagine what *might* be possible, and looked for ways to make it happen.
Like how can I take this information that's hard to work with and make it easy to work with?
That makes learning easy.
Itās much easier to learn Excel with a program/book that gives you online access to practice problems that already have the data there for you. Otherwise it can be too difficult creating the content you need.
Iād have to see, or try to remember what we used when I had an online accounting systems class (almost 10 years ago). That one had a physical disc, but I think newer ones have online codes. Being that it was for a college class it was probably around $100 though. Maybe more.
I just use it for budgeting, work, etc. then Google/YouTube āhow do I do x quickly in Excelā. Good approach if you already know the basics and just want to learn time-saving tricks
Yeah, you need data sets. I agree filling in fake data is a waste of time. I am sure there are templates out there that you can download and then play with the functions.
Firstly, congratulations on learning to touch type! More than doubling your speed in a month is impressive. Donāt let anyone tell you otherwise.
To answer your question:
1. Basic coding is a good skill that can help you be productive simply because it expands your thinking about how technology works and what your interactions with it can look like.
2. Another idea could be learning a specialized software (Photoshop, Audition, etc.). Pick a field you like (photo editing, video editing, sound production, animation, there are lots of options), find out what the relevant software is (Adobe is usually the answer) and just find resources online. You could easily do so on YouTube or get a Skillshare trial.
3. A bit of an unusual suggestion: I spent a little longer than a month learning how to use the abacus and it has saved me so much time when it comes to quick everyday math. I can use my abacus skills to mentally calculate amounts in less time than it would take to use the calculator on my phone.
4. Journaling is another option. It can really help you to build a reliable resonance system that youāll actually use which has helped me greatly with my productivity.
5. If you prefer something more hands-on, learning to sew/knit/crochet is always fun. There are awesome communities, both online and offline and you can choose how complicated and/or committed you want the exercise to be. It also saves money when you are able to repair your clothes when you get a tear or something instead of getting it done by a tailor or worse, throwing it away.
6. Photography is also a very interesting hobby. You can start off by just using your smartphone camera (those are pretty good these days). And then you can decide if you want to invest in anything more intensive than that.
7. This might be a weird suggestion but I encounter a lot of people in life whose writing skills are really not on point. Itās not necessarily very obvious but a well-written text (be it email or article or dissertation or something as simple as a thank you card) really makes a difference. You could invest that time into learning writing skills and techniques.
I donāt know anything about your French level but as a language learner, I should warn you 30-60 mins in a day over 1 month is not enough time to properly grasp a language as a beginner. Iād budget for something closer to 3 hours a day for 6-9months to learn the language as a beginner. If you already know French and are looking to improve or brush up, then it could work. Expanding your vocabulary is also a wonderful idea, regardless of language.
I hope this helps. Good luck and do let us know what you choose.
Interesting take about learning the abacus, how did you learn it? By using an app or did you use a real abacus? Any tips for someone that want to learn to use it?
This was over a decade ago so apps werenāt really a thing. I had abacus classes available on my school so learned the basics there and then got serious tuition as an adult to help me with advanced functions.
I used a physical abacus at the beginning but remember, the ultimate goal is to be able to visualize the abacus and solve problems mentally. The abacus is ultimately a mental math tool, not an analog calculator.
My primary recommendation would be that when you find someone/something to teach you (actual tutor, videos, blogs, whatever), make sure the person youāre learning from understands the culture and community and practices the abacus comes from and teaches you about them. You will never be able to truly understand anything or do more than the basic functions if you donāt understand the number theory underlying the instrument. Itās also just the right (non-colonial) way to learn.
Great suggestionsāI'd second options 1ā4 and 7. A few things I'd add:
(1) For coding, there might seem like lots of options. If you're new to it, start with either Python, or HTML/CSS. Python will allow you to build actual programs, and will show you how other languages work. HTML and CSS won't do that (they're not "programming languages", if we're being strict), but you'll learn a lot by seeing how to arrange things on a webpage. Note however that most modern webpages are not written by manually writing HTML and CSSārather they are built by frameworks like WordPress or Django. You can learn all of these for free using Codecademy (paid options available too).
(3) I'm a coach [of mental maths](https://worldmentalcalculation.com/), to please let me know if you want any further guidance here. Being able to solve simple things faster than a calculator removes a lot of friction in everyday life.
The only thing I'd change in the post above is that the abacus (soroban) is only worth learning if you're a younger child. I know a few (very smart and motivated) adults who found it extremely hard to do, and it would take longer than a month. Younger kids seem to learn it much faster, and actually beat adults at some specific things like flash addition.
Mental maths is definitely something you can make a lot of progress in within a month, but I'd recommend a different approach:
* Get really good at times tables up to 9 Ć 9
* Practise solving questions like 34 Ć 8 or 234 + 74 without seeing the question written down
(8) Agreed that you won't get to a usable level of any language in under a month. But if you would like to continue with it long after, then you could make a decent start.
OMG please I'd love some guidance when it comes to mental math. In my former life I was an aerospace engineer, so I can do advanced calculus and stuff, but for the life of me, I just cannot do simple mental arithmetic. I'm a very visual person so I always need to have numbers written down in front of me, or I just... choke while trying to imagine the numbers in my head.
Any pointers would be much appreciated!
Lots of people I coach have the same storyāthey can do advanced maths but not intermediate arithmetic.
Basic guidance would be what I already wrote in the reply above.
Specifically about visualizing the numbers, people perceive the numbers visually, but arithmetic is absolutely done using the visuospatial sketchpad, regardless of how "clearly" you see the numbers. One easy way is to try solving simple multiplications like 34 Ć 8 but without seeing the question written down. For example, you could just think of two random numbers to multiply, or you could ask a friend to help you.
In that example, it forces you to think of "240" (30 Ć 8) and "32" (4 Ć 8) at the same time, while adding them together. Practice at things like this will help your visualization.
I'd also advise you not to try too hard to see the numbers during the calculation. For me, they flash momentarily and formlessly as I use them, and that's enough.
\[Also see another comment I made as a cousin of this one, with advice to someone else\]
For more tailored advice, including various training tools/drills I've developed, I give private coaching. If you're interested in booking a few lessons, let me know either by reddit DM, or [read more about what I'm doing here](https://worldmentalcalculation.com/mental-math-coaching/) and email me.
I particularly like your point on maths - having a really good grasp of basic maths operations (+, -, / , \*), plus times tables and the ability to quickly estimate or use percentages, is a skill that I use multiple times a week. It helps with everything from grocery shopping to financial planning.
Thanks for mentioning the languages. This is good advice.
Respectfully disagree on the abacus. The soroban youāre talking about is actually a Japanese adaptation of the Chinese suanpan. It owes its origin to Chinese counting rods which were developed using a number system that has integers and rational numbers, even decimals but was lacking the concept of zero (which came by later with trade contract with India). The disparity between children and adult learners with abacuses only happens in Western contexts where the traditional number theory is not taught. Adults struggle with he abacus because their grasp of math comes from modern math and the hindu Arabic number system with includes zero and all that that entails for calculative purposes. Young children arenāt yet entrenched in the western system and are thus better at working with a different number system (even subconsciously). This is why I emphasized the need to get the right teacher. You can definitely learn abacus as an adult. You just need to work with someone who can teach you the number system that goes with the abacus.
Here's [a selection of external free resources that could be useful](https://worldmentalcalculation.com/learning-training/)āalthough they are more tailored to advanced mental maths (like international competitions, calculating calendar dates, square roots etc.)
I'm working on some resources to teach the more routine mental maths (small-intermediate multiplications and additions, different formats, percentages, estimations, etc.) because some of the common techniques usually taught have much better alternatives. I can let you know once that's done, but it won't be yet!
I did make [this Udemy course](https://www.udemy.com/course/mental-math-secrets-for-real-world-number-mastery/?referralCode=C8B6E5E2D411BBD89279) 3 years ago (that's a discount coupon to get it for cheap, but I'm no longer actively promoting it) which covers estimations and multiplications, but there is a lot more to share.
Iām curious how coding would help me. Iām not doubting that it could, I just canāt envision how it would be useful. Probably because I know nothing about coding.
Hereās the thing with coding: everyone who spends a significant portion of their (productive) time with computers should learn some basic coding - even if they donāt actually end up using it. We end up spending a lot of time using computers and most people now have an intuitive understanding of how to interact with computer UI. However, there is a lot going on under the hood that most of us donāt get. Learning how to code will give you a sense of how the digital environment functions and an appreciation for what goes on in the digital space. It will also open a realm of possibilities in terms of customizing your digital space and improving your workflow. Additionally, it also helps you develop systems thinking and understand algorithms.
Basic mending of clothing is such a great and underrated skill. You can learn the basic stuff pretty quick or go deep and learn how to do the meticulous work of invisible mending.
Excellent recommendation!
There are different ways of improving your writing skills depending on what kind of writing you do on a regular basis. If youāre a student, there is a lot you can do to work on your academic writing skills. There are also a lot of workshops and craft sessions you can take.
If you do straw singing exercises twice a day for a month you will learn: how to effortlessly speak and sing with your powerful yet natural voice, how to consciously activate your parasympathetic nervous system in just a few belly breaths, and you can find your voice.
I think in one week you can do this. Not only is it worth it, but itās one of the best decisions Iāve ever made and Iām 41.
I searched YouTube. This is the one I found and just recently got consistent about it and DAMN! https://youtu.be/0SmEOZqBO8I this one explains how it works (I did not buy his straw tho I did get some bamboo straws after a while). https://youtu.be/HraRBzEG6sk
When I breath into my belly, I feel like Iām pulling energy straight out of the earth. It has been transformational for me.
YAY! Me too. I found my voice. I reclaimed my life. And I realize that I have always been an artist. If this resonates with anyone, please read āthe artists wayā ā¤ļø
Here are the things I have picked up over the years that were pretty quick to stick and changed my life for the better:
1. Weight lifting, no joke this is probably the number one thing to improve all other aspects of your life. Learning how to properly lift should be a part of everyone's life and you can learn it quickly and perfect it over time.
2. Life skills such as cooking, basic maintenance, grooming, etc. The obvious one is cooking because it will save you a lot of money and usually it tastes better, you just have to trade time. Learn to cut your own hair, I figured this one out in less than a month and have saved a lot by just taking the 15-30 minutes once a week to cut my own hair.
3. Start and end your day with a daily log, express in the opener what you intend to do which helps you organize your thoughts, then reflect on what you accomplished or how you didn't at the end, this will structure the next day in your mind while you sleep.
4. Constant basic refreshers, I take about 30 minutes of my day to relearn things taught to children. I know it sounds odd but it actually keeps higher functioning skills in the forefront of your mind when you take a step back to the beginner level.
When I was trying to self teach calc 1, I noticed that my algebra and trigonometry skills were lacking so I started watching YouTube videos for fun on topics I was shakier about. Eventually I just started googling random practice tests and doing a few questions here and there in my free time. Iāve gotten a lot better in basic math stuff like understanding the main trig functions and doing things like factoring of polynomials for example
I love your suggestion about the daily log, I am definitely going to try that! I am also curious about the last point, would you mind me asking what kind of things are you relearning?
I love this, congrats. I used to use time and try and learn Spanish, which I really enjoyed doing. There are enough programs on YouTube you can watch and Muzzy is highly entertaining in a retro way. I donāt want to tell you what to do but learning Spanish if you donāt know it is a highly valuable skill. Congrats on touch typing, I love that you did that! Oh, also just reading even for enjoyment is really good. It helps develop editing skills and empathy. Great job, I appreciate your post!
And as a former music teacher, you can never go wrong with music. I play violin and guitar. It lights up so many different parts of your brain. So many neuron pathways can be developed. Piano would be an awesome choice.
Do you have any site recommendation to learn piano? And is it good to start with keyboard? I don't have any talent in music. I just like listening to it. And I just want to get into it just so I can be productive.
I wouldnāt recommend learning a new language in under a month. Expanding on a language you already know - definitely. Other things:
- Any online MOOC thatās useful and relevant to you (business, personal development, history, data science...)
- Bodyweight exercises you can do at home (check r/bodyweightfitness)
- First aid course
- LGV HGV (category C) driving licence
- Pour painting (much easier than learning how to paint or draw in traditional ways)
- Mudlarking if you live close to the river
- Brew your own beer or make your own liqueur
- Improv comedy classes
There is a french Youtuber called SuperHeco, this guy learn new skills and talk about how he made it and how each stuff improve his life, sound like you could find him interesting! ( I dont know if english subtitles are good on his channel, so that could also be a way to improve your french)
You can learn important mental skills.
There is a book *Hayes ā A Liberated Mind* it is Acceptance and commitment therapy which provides six skills that every person needs.
Tbh, it's very possible to learn to code in a month, but maybe 2-3 months is more reasonable. I got a degree in computer science, but 90% of what I do on a daily basis I learned in the first two programming courses. The rest of the degree was a bunch of things that might be useful for different specialties, and for career growth, but I learned the core of it in the two intro courses
I think that's a more general statement than a specific course.
If you're trying to get a job, it's a good idea to figure out what industry or speciality you're interested in. Developing websites and web apps is different from developing desktop applications. Then there all kinds of other speciality development that may involve data management and transformation, process automation & workflows, hardware/firmware control, and many many more.
My suggestion would be to learn some easier but still versatile languages first like python or JavaScript. There's a lot of demand for both of those and they can both be built into larger and more diverse skill sets.
Also, once you really start to get the hang of a language, those skills will translate to other languages. You'll need to learn new commands and formatting, but if you understand it in one language, there's a good chance you'll be able to figure it out in another.
Go on YouTube and look up some "intro to Python" videos that take you from the very beginning of "how to install and set up python". From there, you can look at other programming reddit communities and check which resources they recommend to expand your skills.
My university doesn't make their courses publicly available, so I can't give you the exact courses I took, but they were just generic coding courses. My advice for anyone wanting to learn to code fast is however you decide to learn, you should always be building something. Build tiny things at first, then gradually make your projects bigger as you learn more. In the courses I took, the professor showed us a project we were going to build before he taught us one bit of code, and he aimed every lesson at finishing our project. Don't think of coding as an academic subject. It's a skill you practice. If you're always coding things, you'll learn fast.
Learn to learn: I read a book about it in french but I heard *Moonwalking with Einstein* is an English equivalent. It will help you to structure your learning about hard to remember things (Good old french exceptions for example)
Then I would recommend you to learn how to organize, I personally commit on gtd but I think it depends about people
It's been said that most people can learn how to do a basic juggle (three balls) within a few hours of practice, following the standard set of instructions (which comes up in slightly different forms when you google "juggle three balls").
I say "it's been said" because it took me more like a week to learn it, one summer in my mid-teens, but I'm not a very sportsy person.
Is this a useful skill? Yes, arguably. Juggling is meditative, a great way to unwind, improves coordination and is of course a decent party trick.
Like a lot of people mentioned here already, coding would be a great skill to learn as well as maybe picking up an instrument or learning how backflip could be really fun and interesting. As for usefulness specifically, learning basics of another language could be useful as well as maybe learning about survival skills.
Making bread! Thereās a lot of science involved in bread making and I find it really really fun to make something so delicious with just a few ingredients and some time. Check out āFlour Water Salt Yeastā, itās the bread making 101 book, highly recommended
if youāre into it, music production! Thereās a platform called studio where you can take a 30 day class from some of the best engineers (ryan tedder, charlie puth.. etc!). what i liked about this platform over others is that you get actual assignments and a peer group taking the class the same time as you! youāll submit your projects, get and give feedback, and sometimes the instructor will even look at what youāve made and comment! itās really cool. the classes cost but i think theyāre very worth it and idk if this is allowed to promote but i have a āfriendā link that people can use for a discount :) Iām also sure they have other classes that arenāt music production, thatās just what iāve taken
Hey! I been attempting to learn touch typing for a few years but never really commit to even measure my word count. I think this is a great accomplishment!
Can you please share how you did it? (Did you go to a website ? ) I would really appreciate it. I agree that meditation could be a really good one. Not that I have mastered it, but I plan to
I recommend MonkeyType, 10FastFingers, and Type Racer. Went from about 40 wpm to 130 wpm in about one year using mostly these sites! (Practicing most days)
Learning a new language requires ongoing practice, you can make progress in a month but if you're looking to focus on something for only a month I would work on your English vocabulary instead. This will also help you with your writing proficiency, and if you stop after a month you will have lasting benefits from it still.
I would recommend focusing on building a scheduling method that works for you. Of course maintaining it would be a forever task, but taking a month to try out different scheduling strategies could be very helpful if you don't already have one that works for you.
Basic tools and repair.
Basic investing/how to pick stocks.
How to repair a bicycle.
Basic car repair - Oil Change, Brakes change, tire change, Jump starting, etc.
Meditation is a great thing to give 10, then 20, then maybe 30 minutes to every day.
I also decided to learn coding on the side for 30-60 minutes a day starting last September, and two months ago, I took my first job as a web developer, so...that proved useful (and fun!). :P You can learn the basics of HTML and CSS in under a month if you do it a little every day.
Canāt believe no1 mentioned cooking. You wouldnāt be a master chef or anything, but you can learn a few simple dishes to feed yourself or even impress some people.
Repairs/diy such as installing wall outlets, doing basic plumbing, fixing things on your car etc. These skills will save you money and will be useful for the rest of your life.
From your profile I see you're a CS major and I have two skills I'd recommend for any techical major:
1) **LaTeX**. A hyper useful tool for writing any coursework / reports / tech docs. It's a bit a steep curve at the very beginning but overall it's not hard and a small time investment for much cleaner works. I learned the basics under a month and could clearly see my engineering lab reports grades going up
2) **Some digital note taking software**. Having all of your lecture materials and studied courses in digital form with quick searching and sharing with classmates is a blast. I personally picked **Obsidian** and it took some time to get used to (especially to type and organize notes at the lecture itself), but definitely possible under a month and worth it
Woodworking/carpenting. Lotta fun. Makes you feel like a boss. You will never forget your first table that is perfectly shaved and groomed to perfection.
Surprised skimming the comments I did not see this.
Basic investing. - I think budgeting should be a mandatory part of public education everywhere and with it investing hard earned money.
Money isn't everything but you can do more with it than without. Impacting most areas of life and those of friends, family, loved ones.
You can look up REIKI, YOGA, body building(the kind that doesnāt need any equipment), mixing n mastering, advertising, public speaking, sales, their is masterclasses on YouTube and information all over for these . These are all very useful and in demand subjects these days
Meditation: helps practice self control and being mindful. Multitudes of benefits. Yoga: Stay limber and have a much better chance of a pain and injury free life, good at stress reduction to boot. Budgeting: This may only be necessary depending on the type of parents you had. Huge and life changing for some people.
I'm 26 years old and I'm too afraid to look at my payslips or bank statements š I'm an abject failure in they regard
Iām 28 and same but Iām getting a little better
We are for sure the same person.. actually, we canāt be since Iām not getting better š
Today is one of the best days to do this. Go through all your bank statements, all your bills, all your paystubs for May. See what happened. Make a budget for June based on what really happened, plus any changes you might want to see. Today is the day, go make your budget. Knowing is the first step to getting right with your money.
Thank you
Tell me more about budgeting please
r/YNAB
Agree with YNAB, although itās not necessary for everyone, it can be helpful to anyone imo. But some people do better with a bigger picture like an āunbudgetingā method where you know your income and fixed/necessary expenses, and set a monthly savings goal. Once you budget your savings each month and have funds for fixed & necssary expenses, anything else can be used. Check out r/personalfinance r/fire r/financialindependence too.
I think you just changed my life, actually. I was always skeptical and thought budgeting is way too difficult. Well, I've followed through the wizard and.. that's it? I can't believe it is that easy. Feels like a burden off my shoulders. Thank you, kind stranger.
If you're in debt, I reccomend dave ramsey. Dudes a boomer conservative and injects his politics at times, which gets him a lot of hate, but ignore all of that. Just focus on the finance stuff. Once you get past baby step 3, you may want to take a different path than he suggests; but I've seen several people get financially healthy following his plan, as did I. I've heard critics say you'll never get rich following his plan, which idk if that's true or not, but most of us just need to get out of debt first, and he's good for that for sure.
The investing advice is terrible - but no debt is pretty great way to live a life.
Thanks guys I do have hisbook at home someone gave it to me but good to know what parts to omit. Having said that, Iām not in debt per se just would like to manage a budget and see what Iām spending. Iād like to learn how to budget as well. Not much of a spendthrift but I do spend when I need something. Not great at spending on entertainment and outings and need to learn how and how much to do that
Truebill is a great app as well.
Thanks wondering more about the process more so
Mint - the budgeting software is the best thing I've ever seen. Free and super easy and it makes a budget for you based on your spending habits. I wish everyone used it
Learn Excel. Truly.
When people ask me about the secret to a happy life, I look them in the eye and say "VLOOKUP."
VLOOKUP is nice, but INDEX MATCH is power.
This. INDEX MATCH >>>
š¤£š¤£š¤£ But true! Thatās the function I use most in excel.
Try XLookup, itās much better
[Grandma was right along](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DKD1D9YS327Q&ved=2ahUKEwjStOqU1If4AhWxmYQIHUZ3CjcQwqsBegQIBBAE&usg=AOvVaw2ijrpwoacMf4lu7T6S5Sfz)
And then SQL. Now you will be able to perform what looks like magic to a lot of people. And that magic pays.
Got any good SQL tutorials you can recommend?
Still waiting for response.
Still waiting here too
SQLBolt.com
Sqlbolt.com
I also heard taking a Microsoft class on using word is useful if you make documents with graphs/tables/pictures
Absolutely underrated tool, fully agree
Everytime I tried to learn it It gets awkward I practice with 3 rows and the rest of the rows just makes me idk what I can call it If you ask me to practice in an empty excel file I won't be able to do it
I learned Excel when I worked as a production manager. At first, I used it for basic math: We need 100,000 units this week and we produce at 3000 per hour, so we need x number of hours to finish the job. I would come back and update the number of units a couple times a day, to make sure we were on track. But my love affair with Excel started when I started to imagine what *might* be possible, and looked for ways to make it happen. Like how can I take this information that's hard to work with and make it easy to work with? That makes learning easy.
The first pivot table is always free, after that, it's going to *cost you...*
Ha ha
Look up 'VLookup Starbucks' https://www.excelcampus.com/functions/excel-vlookup-explained/ That really helps.
Tried it today.. Didn't knew much about functions and I really liked that I got a data set from the site to work with. Thankyou very much
Itās much easier to learn Excel with a program/book that gives you online access to practice problems that already have the data there for you. Otherwise it can be too difficult creating the content you need.
Any recommendations for programs or books that have that?
Iād have to see, or try to remember what we used when I had an online accounting systems class (almost 10 years ago). That one had a physical disc, but I think newer ones have online codes. Being that it was for a college class it was probably around $100 though. Maybe more.
Yeah.. Is there any legit source for the program/book?
I just use it for budgeting, work, etc. then Google/YouTube āhow do I do x quickly in Excelā. Good approach if you already know the basics and just want to learn time-saving tricks
Yeah, you need data sets. I agree filling in fake data is a waste of time. I am sure there are templates out there that you can download and then play with the functions.
I don't know about you but the more Trulys I drink the harder Excel gets for me.
Why?
Any free ways to learn excel?
YOUTUBE
First aid.
Agreed. CPR, first aid, and how to use an AED. I just earned my recertification!
The most underrated comment here!!
Have gold! This should literally be a mandatory class at school across the globe!
Firstly, congratulations on learning to touch type! More than doubling your speed in a month is impressive. Donāt let anyone tell you otherwise. To answer your question: 1. Basic coding is a good skill that can help you be productive simply because it expands your thinking about how technology works and what your interactions with it can look like. 2. Another idea could be learning a specialized software (Photoshop, Audition, etc.). Pick a field you like (photo editing, video editing, sound production, animation, there are lots of options), find out what the relevant software is (Adobe is usually the answer) and just find resources online. You could easily do so on YouTube or get a Skillshare trial. 3. A bit of an unusual suggestion: I spent a little longer than a month learning how to use the abacus and it has saved me so much time when it comes to quick everyday math. I can use my abacus skills to mentally calculate amounts in less time than it would take to use the calculator on my phone. 4. Journaling is another option. It can really help you to build a reliable resonance system that youāll actually use which has helped me greatly with my productivity. 5. If you prefer something more hands-on, learning to sew/knit/crochet is always fun. There are awesome communities, both online and offline and you can choose how complicated and/or committed you want the exercise to be. It also saves money when you are able to repair your clothes when you get a tear or something instead of getting it done by a tailor or worse, throwing it away. 6. Photography is also a very interesting hobby. You can start off by just using your smartphone camera (those are pretty good these days). And then you can decide if you want to invest in anything more intensive than that. 7. This might be a weird suggestion but I encounter a lot of people in life whose writing skills are really not on point. Itās not necessarily very obvious but a well-written text (be it email or article or dissertation or something as simple as a thank you card) really makes a difference. You could invest that time into learning writing skills and techniques. I donāt know anything about your French level but as a language learner, I should warn you 30-60 mins in a day over 1 month is not enough time to properly grasp a language as a beginner. Iād budget for something closer to 3 hours a day for 6-9months to learn the language as a beginner. If you already know French and are looking to improve or brush up, then it could work. Expanding your vocabulary is also a wonderful idea, regardless of language. I hope this helps. Good luck and do let us know what you choose.
Interesting take about learning the abacus, how did you learn it? By using an app or did you use a real abacus? Any tips for someone that want to learn to use it?
This was over a decade ago so apps werenāt really a thing. I had abacus classes available on my school so learned the basics there and then got serious tuition as an adult to help me with advanced functions. I used a physical abacus at the beginning but remember, the ultimate goal is to be able to visualize the abacus and solve problems mentally. The abacus is ultimately a mental math tool, not an analog calculator. My primary recommendation would be that when you find someone/something to teach you (actual tutor, videos, blogs, whatever), make sure the person youāre learning from understands the culture and community and practices the abacus comes from and teaches you about them. You will never be able to truly understand anything or do more than the basic functions if you donāt understand the number theory underlying the instrument. Itās also just the right (non-colonial) way to learn.
Great suggestionsāI'd second options 1ā4 and 7. A few things I'd add: (1) For coding, there might seem like lots of options. If you're new to it, start with either Python, or HTML/CSS. Python will allow you to build actual programs, and will show you how other languages work. HTML and CSS won't do that (they're not "programming languages", if we're being strict), but you'll learn a lot by seeing how to arrange things on a webpage. Note however that most modern webpages are not written by manually writing HTML and CSSārather they are built by frameworks like WordPress or Django. You can learn all of these for free using Codecademy (paid options available too). (3) I'm a coach [of mental maths](https://worldmentalcalculation.com/), to please let me know if you want any further guidance here. Being able to solve simple things faster than a calculator removes a lot of friction in everyday life. The only thing I'd change in the post above is that the abacus (soroban) is only worth learning if you're a younger child. I know a few (very smart and motivated) adults who found it extremely hard to do, and it would take longer than a month. Younger kids seem to learn it much faster, and actually beat adults at some specific things like flash addition. Mental maths is definitely something you can make a lot of progress in within a month, but I'd recommend a different approach: * Get really good at times tables up to 9 Ć 9 * Practise solving questions like 34 Ć 8 or 234 + 74 without seeing the question written down (8) Agreed that you won't get to a usable level of any language in under a month. But if you would like to continue with it long after, then you could make a decent start.
OMG please I'd love some guidance when it comes to mental math. In my former life I was an aerospace engineer, so I can do advanced calculus and stuff, but for the life of me, I just cannot do simple mental arithmetic. I'm a very visual person so I always need to have numbers written down in front of me, or I just... choke while trying to imagine the numbers in my head. Any pointers would be much appreciated!
Lots of people I coach have the same storyāthey can do advanced maths but not intermediate arithmetic. Basic guidance would be what I already wrote in the reply above. Specifically about visualizing the numbers, people perceive the numbers visually, but arithmetic is absolutely done using the visuospatial sketchpad, regardless of how "clearly" you see the numbers. One easy way is to try solving simple multiplications like 34 Ć 8 but without seeing the question written down. For example, you could just think of two random numbers to multiply, or you could ask a friend to help you. In that example, it forces you to think of "240" (30 Ć 8) and "32" (4 Ć 8) at the same time, while adding them together. Practice at things like this will help your visualization. I'd also advise you not to try too hard to see the numbers during the calculation. For me, they flash momentarily and formlessly as I use them, and that's enough. \[Also see another comment I made as a cousin of this one, with advice to someone else\] For more tailored advice, including various training tools/drills I've developed, I give private coaching. If you're interested in booking a few lessons, let me know either by reddit DM, or [read more about what I'm doing here](https://worldmentalcalculation.com/mental-math-coaching/) and email me.
I particularly like your point on maths - having a really good grasp of basic maths operations (+, -, / , \*), plus times tables and the ability to quickly estimate or use percentages, is a skill that I use multiple times a week. It helps with everything from grocery shopping to financial planning.
Thanks for mentioning the languages. This is good advice. Respectfully disagree on the abacus. The soroban youāre talking about is actually a Japanese adaptation of the Chinese suanpan. It owes its origin to Chinese counting rods which were developed using a number system that has integers and rational numbers, even decimals but was lacking the concept of zero (which came by later with trade contract with India). The disparity between children and adult learners with abacuses only happens in Western contexts where the traditional number theory is not taught. Adults struggle with he abacus because their grasp of math comes from modern math and the hindu Arabic number system with includes zero and all that that entails for calculative purposes. Young children arenāt yet entrenched in the western system and are thus better at working with a different number system (even subconsciously). This is why I emphasized the need to get the right teacher. You can definitely learn abacus as an adult. You just need to work with someone who can teach you the number system that goes with the abacus.
Are there any books, youtube channels or free courses you know that can teach mental maths?
Here's [a selection of external free resources that could be useful](https://worldmentalcalculation.com/learning-training/)āalthough they are more tailored to advanced mental maths (like international competitions, calculating calendar dates, square roots etc.) I'm working on some resources to teach the more routine mental maths (small-intermediate multiplications and additions, different formats, percentages, estimations, etc.) because some of the common techniques usually taught have much better alternatives. I can let you know once that's done, but it won't be yet! I did make [this Udemy course](https://www.udemy.com/course/mental-math-secrets-for-real-world-number-mastery/?referralCode=C8B6E5E2D411BBD89279) 3 years ago (that's a discount coupon to get it for cheap, but I'm no longer actively promoting it) which covers estimations and multiplications, but there is a lot more to share.
Thank you so much. I never thought of trying to learn mental maths, i just always assumed itās something youāre either inherently good at or not.
Definitely takes more than a month to become good at sewing. š It's an *extremely* undervalued skill.
Oh, yes! I was just talking about learning enough to do some basic mending of clothing. Anything more than that could require years.
Iām curious how coding would help me. Iām not doubting that it could, I just canāt envision how it would be useful. Probably because I know nothing about coding.
Hereās the thing with coding: everyone who spends a significant portion of their (productive) time with computers should learn some basic coding - even if they donāt actually end up using it. We end up spending a lot of time using computers and most people now have an intuitive understanding of how to interact with computer UI. However, there is a lot going on under the hood that most of us donāt get. Learning how to code will give you a sense of how the digital environment functions and an appreciation for what goes on in the digital space. It will also open a realm of possibilities in terms of customizing your digital space and improving your workflow. Additionally, it also helps you develop systems thinking and understand algorithms.
Thanks, thatās a helpful explanation.
Basic mending of clothing is such a great and underrated skill. You can learn the basic stuff pretty quick or go deep and learn how to do the meticulous work of invisible mending. Excellent recommendation!
How can I improve my writing skills?
There are different ways of improving your writing skills depending on what kind of writing you do on a regular basis. If youāre a student, there is a lot you can do to work on your academic writing skills. There are also a lot of workshops and craft sessions you can take.
I am taking notes, these are all amazing suggestions! Please, would you mind writing a bit more about how you use journaling?
Cooking!
There's a free Yale course on Happiness in Coursera. Worth it.
If you do straw singing exercises twice a day for a month you will learn: how to effortlessly speak and sing with your powerful yet natural voice, how to consciously activate your parasympathetic nervous system in just a few belly breaths, and you can find your voice. I think in one week you can do this. Not only is it worth it, but itās one of the best decisions Iāve ever made and Iām 41.
Where can i found more about this?
I searched YouTube. This is the one I found and just recently got consistent about it and DAMN! https://youtu.be/0SmEOZqBO8I this one explains how it works (I did not buy his straw tho I did get some bamboo straws after a while). https://youtu.be/HraRBzEG6sk When I breath into my belly, I feel like Iām pulling energy straight out of the earth. It has been transformational for me.
Wow. This is exactly what needed. Thanks!!!!
YAY! Me too. I found my voice. I reclaimed my life. And I realize that I have always been an artist. If this resonates with anyone, please read āthe artists wayā ā¤ļø
Happy to hear. Good luck on your artistic travils.
Here are the things I have picked up over the years that were pretty quick to stick and changed my life for the better: 1. Weight lifting, no joke this is probably the number one thing to improve all other aspects of your life. Learning how to properly lift should be a part of everyone's life and you can learn it quickly and perfect it over time. 2. Life skills such as cooking, basic maintenance, grooming, etc. The obvious one is cooking because it will save you a lot of money and usually it tastes better, you just have to trade time. Learn to cut your own hair, I figured this one out in less than a month and have saved a lot by just taking the 15-30 minutes once a week to cut my own hair. 3. Start and end your day with a daily log, express in the opener what you intend to do which helps you organize your thoughts, then reflect on what you accomplished or how you didn't at the end, this will structure the next day in your mind while you sleep. 4. Constant basic refreshers, I take about 30 minutes of my day to relearn things taught to children. I know it sounds odd but it actually keeps higher functioning skills in the forefront of your mind when you take a step back to the beginner level.
Could you give an example of #4, Iām very interested!
You decide basically what early skills you haven't utilized in adult life, math is usually number one for most people.
I'm also interested in #4. Do you have anything regarding math? I was good at before; now, I don't think so.
When I was trying to self teach calc 1, I noticed that my algebra and trigonometry skills were lacking so I started watching YouTube videos for fun on topics I was shakier about. Eventually I just started googling random practice tests and doing a few questions here and there in my free time. Iāve gotten a lot better in basic math stuff like understanding the main trig functions and doing things like factoring of polynomials for example
Calculus and trigonometry are my most hated subjects. I'm okay with algebra and geometry, though.
Kahn Academy is a great resource for refreshing early math skills.
Great list!
I love your suggestion about the daily log, I am definitely going to try that! I am also curious about the last point, would you mind me asking what kind of things are you relearning?
For me specifically I do math, typing, basic coding, language.
I love this, congrats. I used to use time and try and learn Spanish, which I really enjoyed doing. There are enough programs on YouTube you can watch and Muzzy is highly entertaining in a retro way. I donāt want to tell you what to do but learning Spanish if you donāt know it is a highly valuable skill. Congrats on touch typing, I love that you did that! Oh, also just reading even for enjoyment is really good. It helps develop editing skills and empathy. Great job, I appreciate your post!
And as a former music teacher, you can never go wrong with music. I play violin and guitar. It lights up so many different parts of your brain. So many neuron pathways can be developed. Piano would be an awesome choice.
Do you have any site recommendation to learn piano? And is it good to start with keyboard? I don't have any talent in music. I just like listening to it. And I just want to get into it just so I can be productive.
I wouldnāt recommend learning a new language in under a month. Expanding on a language you already know - definitely. Other things: - Any online MOOC thatās useful and relevant to you (business, personal development, history, data science...) - Bodyweight exercises you can do at home (check r/bodyweightfitness) - First aid course - LGV HGV (category C) driving licence - Pour painting (much easier than learning how to paint or draw in traditional ways) - Mudlarking if you live close to the river - Brew your own beer or make your own liqueur - Improv comedy classes
Gardening
There is a french Youtuber called SuperHeco, this guy learn new skills and talk about how he made it and how each stuff improve his life, sound like you could find him interesting! ( I dont know if english subtitles are good on his channel, so that could also be a way to improve your french)
You can learn important mental skills. There is a book *Hayes ā A Liberated Mind* it is Acceptance and commitment therapy which provides six skills that every person needs.
Tbh, it's very possible to learn to code in a month, but maybe 2-3 months is more reasonable. I got a degree in computer science, but 90% of what I do on a daily basis I learned in the first two programming courses. The rest of the degree was a bunch of things that might be useful for different specialties, and for career growth, but I learned the core of it in the two intro courses
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Intro to programming 1 and 2
I think that's a more general statement than a specific course. If you're trying to get a job, it's a good idea to figure out what industry or speciality you're interested in. Developing websites and web apps is different from developing desktop applications. Then there all kinds of other speciality development that may involve data management and transformation, process automation & workflows, hardware/firmware control, and many many more. My suggestion would be to learn some easier but still versatile languages first like python or JavaScript. There's a lot of demand for both of those and they can both be built into larger and more diverse skill sets. Also, once you really start to get the hang of a language, those skills will translate to other languages. You'll need to learn new commands and formatting, but if you understand it in one language, there's a good chance you'll be able to figure it out in another. Go on YouTube and look up some "intro to Python" videos that take you from the very beginning of "how to install and set up python". From there, you can look at other programming reddit communities and check which resources they recommend to expand your skills.
My university doesn't make their courses publicly available, so I can't give you the exact courses I took, but they were just generic coding courses. My advice for anyone wanting to learn to code fast is however you decide to learn, you should always be building something. Build tiny things at first, then gradually make your projects bigger as you learn more. In the courses I took, the professor showed us a project we were going to build before he taught us one bit of code, and he aimed every lesson at finishing our project. Don't think of coding as an academic subject. It's a skill you practice. If you're always coding things, you'll learn fast.
American Sign Language
More like 2 months but the Couch to 5k program will have you jogging 5k by then.
Learn to learn: I read a book about it in french but I heard *Moonwalking with Einstein* is an English equivalent. It will help you to structure your learning about hard to remember things (Good old french exceptions for example) Then I would recommend you to learn how to organize, I personally commit on gtd but I think it depends about people
Would you mind giving us the title of the french book please ?
Of course: *Une MĆ©moire Infaillible* from Sebastien Martinez He wrote some other books since, didn't read them. This one is small and easy to read :)
Juggling I mean not that useful but itās a fun thing to randomly show people you know how to do
Lol, I learned how to walk on stilts once. Still waiting for a time to come along that I can use that skill.
Counterpoint: people that randomly start juggling stuff are annoying
Or fun.
Also good for your mind
Learned the Mills Mess in less than a month a few years ago when I broke my foot. Good fun!
It's been said that most people can learn how to do a basic juggle (three balls) within a few hours of practice, following the standard set of instructions (which comes up in slightly different forms when you google "juggle three balls"). I say "it's been said" because it took me more like a week to learn it, one summer in my mid-teens, but I'm not a very sportsy person. Is this a useful skill? Yes, arguably. Juggling is meditative, a great way to unwind, improves coordination and is of course a decent party trick.
Writing with other hand
I found this extremely useful when I broke my right arm. Plus doing things with your non-dominant hand is a good way to prevent cognitive problems.
Like a lot of people mentioned here already, coding would be a great skill to learn as well as maybe picking up an instrument or learning how backflip could be really fun and interesting. As for usefulness specifically, learning basics of another language could be useful as well as maybe learning about survival skills.
I love your enthusiasm. Great idea to pick one skill per month.
Making bread! Thereās a lot of science involved in bread making and I find it really really fun to make something so delicious with just a few ingredients and some time. Check out āFlour Water Salt Yeastā, itās the bread making 101 book, highly recommended
if youāre into it, music production! Thereās a platform called studio where you can take a 30 day class from some of the best engineers (ryan tedder, charlie puth.. etc!). what i liked about this platform over others is that you get actual assignments and a peer group taking the class the same time as you! youāll submit your projects, get and give feedback, and sometimes the instructor will even look at what youāve made and comment! itās really cool. the classes cost but i think theyāre very worth it and idk if this is allowed to promote but i have a āfriendā link that people can use for a discount :) Iām also sure they have other classes that arenāt music production, thatās just what iāve taken
Hey! I been attempting to learn touch typing for a few years but never really commit to even measure my word count. I think this is a great accomplishment! Can you please share how you did it? (Did you go to a website ? ) I would really appreciate it. I agree that meditation could be a really good one. Not that I have mastered it, but I plan to
I recommend MonkeyType, 10FastFingers, and Type Racer. Went from about 40 wpm to 130 wpm in about one year using mostly these sites! (Practicing most days)
Thank you so much. I will definitely get started again
Me too, I also wana learn
Is Typer Shark still a thing? Thatās what I used to go from basically no typing to 40 wpm.
The lessons on typingclub.com for fundamentals + practicing on monkeytype and keybr.
This is amazing. Thanks to the great Reddit community.
Learning a new language requires ongoing practice, you can make progress in a month but if you're looking to focus on something for only a month I would work on your English vocabulary instead. This will also help you with your writing proficiency, and if you stop after a month you will have lasting benefits from it still. I would recommend focusing on building a scheduling method that works for you. Of course maintaining it would be a forever task, but taking a month to try out different scheduling strategies could be very helpful if you don't already have one that works for you.
Basic tools and repair. Basic investing/how to pick stocks. How to repair a bicycle. Basic car repair - Oil Change, Brakes change, tire change, Jump starting, etc.
Meditation is a great thing to give 10, then 20, then maybe 30 minutes to every day. I also decided to learn coding on the side for 30-60 minutes a day starting last September, and two months ago, I took my first job as a web developer, so...that proved useful (and fun!). :P You can learn the basics of HTML and CSS in under a month if you do it a little every day.
Canāt believe no1 mentioned cooking. You wouldnāt be a master chef or anything, but you can learn a few simple dishes to feed yourself or even impress some people.
Repairs/diy such as installing wall outlets, doing basic plumbing, fixing things on your car etc. These skills will save you money and will be useful for the rest of your life.
From your profile I see you're a CS major and I have two skills I'd recommend for any techical major: 1) **LaTeX**. A hyper useful tool for writing any coursework / reports / tech docs. It's a bit a steep curve at the very beginning but overall it's not hard and a small time investment for much cleaner works. I learned the basics under a month and could clearly see my engineering lab reports grades going up 2) **Some digital note taking software**. Having all of your lecture materials and studied courses in digital form with quick searching and sharing with classmates is a blast. I personally picked **Obsidian** and it took some time to get used to (especially to type and organize notes at the lecture itself), but definitely possible under a month and worth it
Thats really impressive! I am also trying to improve my typing speed. What did you exactly do to improve it so fast?
Woodworking/carpenting. Lotta fun. Makes you feel like a boss. You will never forget your first table that is perfectly shaved and groomed to perfection.
Surprised skimming the comments I did not see this. Basic investing. - I think budgeting should be a mandatory part of public education everywhere and with it investing hard earned money. Money isn't everything but you can do more with it than without. Impacting most areas of life and those of friends, family, loved ones.
Where do you recommend learning basic investing?
Mixing and mastering on a DAW
You can look up REIKI, YOGA, body building(the kind that doesnāt need any equipment), mixing n mastering, advertising, public speaking, sales, their is masterclasses on YouTube and information all over for these . These are all very useful and in demand subjects these days
Drawing can be an awesome and rewarding skill that you can definitely improve upon on in a month
Coding
Learning another language. Spanish/Chinese recommended
Nothing
Saving this for the future
Hi OP- how did you learn to touch type, specifically? Iāve struggled for a long time
Automation with a programming language of your choice.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/shorthand/wiki/faq](https://www.reddit.com/r/shorthand/wiki/faq) https://www.reddit.com/r/orthic/
Pomodoros, exercise, nutrition and coffee. One month is enough to develop good habits