How hard is it to learn Google Sheets?

So how hard is it to learn Google Sheets? It's the question I'm going to answer today.

Right now, I think it's actually not necessarily a question of is it easy or hard on that particular spectrum. I think it's a question of is it simple or is it complicated? I would absolutely say it's very complicated. It's a very complex subject, Google Sheets, because it's a tool that is incredibly diverse comprehensive. It can do almost anything.

You have very many layers to Google Sheets. You can use it to take notes, you can use it for text, you can use it for calculations forecasting, you can record macros, you can write Apps Script. And once you start writing Google Apps Script it becomes a literal infinite number of possibilities.

Now, before you learn Apps Script you probably are trying to learn formulas and there's a lot of formulas. There's like over 500 formulas in Google Sheets. In fact, I have another video here on YouTube in which I share a tip on what I believe is one of the hardest ways to learn Google Sheet formulas, which is to read a lot of documentation, to learn literally all of them. I think is a very hard thing to do, but in doing that and in going towards that goal you end up discovering a lot of possibilities within Google Sheets.

I've created and I shared in one of my videos on YouTube a tool that I created at Better Sheets. It's a directory of every single Google Sheet formula. It also links to and shows you all of the videos that exist for that particular formula so you can search any formula you want.

You can just go to bettersheets.co/formulas/[any formula you want]. You type in the formula IF at the end: bettersheets.co/formulas/if for IF. Now if you do that, you will get to a page where it'll show you some IF Better Sheets videos for members and some free videos that feature that formula.

Formulas is only one part of learning Google Sheets. It is definitely a stepping stone. It's definitely part of learning Google Sheets right and again, the layers are sort of text, some math, some forecasts, then formulas. There's also a ton of menu items. There's also combining formulas and recording macros. Then there's Apps Script.

I would like to know actually from you – as you're reading this – what is your hardest part of learning Google Sheets?

• learning basic math is it formulas
• combining formulas
• complex levels of formulas
• no way knowing what formula to choose at any particular time
• problem with macros
• Apps Script
• Charts or diagramming
• Data analysis
• Data management

Or is it something that’s not necessarily a part of Google Sheets, but we use Google Sheets for? Tell me what you're struggling, what your roadblock is in the comment sections below. I'm happy to continue further down those paths and help you overcome those struggles.

I’ve love to give you some ideas on where you can learn how to overcome them or create Google Sheets in which you don't even have to deal with those particular roadblocks. Maybe adding something like Apps Script to your repertoire will allow you to basically not even have to record any macros.

If you're right now recording macros and playing those and you're like, “I'd really like to be able to do this sort of ‘automatically.’” then check out Apps Script. Start learning apps script I have an entire uh three hour course called spreadsheet Automation 101 and it walks you all the way from knowing nothing to actually automatically creating and working with spreadsheets in Google Apps Script. You can use triggers. It shows you how to use triggers, which are how we automate Google Apps Script.

I think in totality, Google Sheets is a complicated program and I think that there are definitely ways to learn each part. You're going to learn Google Sheets not because you want to learn Google Sheets but because you want to do something at work. You want to accomplish some piece of work or you want to accomplish something in your life. You want to plan your a road trip. You want to plan your college budget. You want to put together your family budget. Or you want to put together a new business and you want to forecast some P&L. We're using Google Sheets for some higher purpose.

So in that regard, I think whatever you're doing – if you're budgeting, I think that's hard. If you're doing a P&L, I think that's harder. I think it's actually much easier if we do want to talk about easy versus hard. I think it's much easier to learn Google Sheets than it is to execute any sort of business.

I applaud you if you're working in Google Sheets with Google Sheets and you're working in a business and you're working for a boss and he's like, “We got to deal with some data management.”

If you're working for yourself, have your own business, and you're doing it all in Google Sheets (i.e. task management), I think managing tasks is way harder than it is to learn Google Sheets, but that's just me.

I'm happy to be here for you and help you with learning whatever it is you need to learn in Google Sheets. Again, comment down below. I would love to find out what it is you're struggling with. How hard, what it is that is hard for you, and point you in the right direction over here at Better Sheets. Don't make sheets. Make Better Sheets.

Watch the video for this tutorial:

Check out some fun Google Sheets tutorials for beginners:

Get more Google Sheets Tutorials at BetterSheets.co

We love Google Sheets here. If you love Google Sheets as well, you might want to consider becoming a member of Better Sheets. For only $19/month you can access over 300 Better Sheets tutorials. Learn Apps Script in under 40 minutes. Design better dashboards. Make your sheets faster and yourself more confident in sheets.