Tech Tips & Tales from The MS Office Maestro

Hello and a big warm welcome Reader

​
I’m thrilled you’ve joined me—whether you found me through a webinar, a course, or a recommendation, you’re now part of a community that’s all about making work smarter and easier.

Here’s what you can expect in every newsletter:
✅ Personal stories – a peek behind the scenes
✅ Training news – updates on courses and events
✅ Practical tips – shortcuts and strategies for Microsoft 365 apps

I’d love to hear from you!
Drop me an email at shelley@tomorrowsva.com and tell me:

• What’s your role?
• Which Microsoft tools do you use most?
• What would you love to learn next?

Your feedback helps me create content that truly supports you.

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Tales from The Maestro

Jet Lag and the Power of Focus

I arrived back from the U.S. yesterday morning and let me tell you, jet lag is real! My brain feels like it’s running on dial-up speed and focusing is a challenge. So, instead of trying to power through a mountain of tasks, I made a decision: do only the 2 things that truly matter today.

First, write this newsletter (because connecting with you is a priority). Second, outline a 6-module course for a new client. That’s it. No inbox deep dives, no admin rabbit holes, just 2 high-impact tasks. After that? Rest.

Here’s the business lesson:

When your energy is low, prioritise ruthlessly. Productivity isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what matters most. By focusing on the essentials, you protect quality, reduce stress and set yourself up for success tomorrow.

So next time you’re tired, overwhelmed, or just pulled in too many directions, ask yourself:

What are the 2 things that will make the biggest difference today?

Then do those and give yourself permission to rest.

Training Spotlight: A Global Learning Journey

I’m thrilled to be working on a new modular course for a client with 18 team members spread across Australia, Tasmania and the UK. This program will start with an introduction to Microsoft 365. What it is and why it matters. Then dive into practical sessions on using Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.

Each module will be 1-hour long, making it easy to fit into busy schedules while keeping the learning focused and actionable. Once the outline is finalised, we’ll get dates in the diary and kick things off.

The big benefit? This training will empower their team to work smarter, collaborate seamlessly across time zones and unlock the full potential of Microsoft 365 with Copilot. It’s all about making technology work for them, not the other way around!

Could your team benefit from something similar? Let's have a chat about how I can help.

Copilot Prompt of the Week - Excel

“Review this spreadsheet and identify any errors, inconsistencies or unusual patterns in the data. Suggest corrections, highlight anything that looks risky and recommend one improvement that would make this file easier to work with.”

Why it Works

This prompt forces Copilot to move beyond simple summarising and into diagnostic mode. By asking it to spot inconsistencies, risks and usability issues, you get practical insights you may overlook when working closely with a file. It also encourages Copilot to propose a single, focused improvement, ideal when you want a quick win without information overload.

Microsoft 365 Tip of the Week - OneNote: Use Tags to Turn Notes Into Action

OneNote – Use Tags to organise your notes, spotlight priorities and turn information into actionable steps.

Apply tags like To-Do, Important, Question, or Follow-Up to instantly make long pages of notes searchable, structured and ready for action.

Story

Sarah, a community wellbeing coordinator, attends back-to-back meetings all week. Her OneNote pages are full of scribbles, ideas, names, and half-finished thoughts. By Friday, she knows she’s forgotten something important — she just doesn’t know what.

One day she tries using OneNote tags.

During her next meeting, every task gets a To-Do tag, every decision gets an Important tag, and every query for a colleague gets a Question tag.

On Friday morning, instead of trawling through pages of notes, she simply searches for the To-Do tag. Instantly, OneNote compiles a list of every outstanding action from the entire week, neatly gathered from all her notebooks.

She completes half the list before lunch.

No more lost actions. No more “I’ll check my notes later”. Using tags transforms a mountain of scattered information into clear priorities — and Sarah feels like she’s finally running her week, not the other way around.

Keyboard Shortcut of the Week

Shortcut – Excel: Ctrl + Shift + L What it does:​ Turns filters on or off for your data table. If your table has headers, this shortcut instantly adds filter drop-downs so you can sort, filter, and analyse your data in seconds. Press it again to remove the filters. Why it’s great:​ Imagine you have a 500-row sales report and need to quickly see all orders above £1,000. Instead of manually adding filters, you hit Ctrl + Shift + L, and every column header gets a filter drop-down instantly. You can sort, filter, and slice the data immediately. It saves time, reduces frustration, and keeps your workflow smooth — especially when you’re juggling multiple datasets in one workbook.

Course and Event Updates

Early Bird Extended to Midnight, 16th December!

Microsoft 365 Fundamentals with AI and Copilot – Cohort 2

Ready to supercharge your productivity and harness the full power of AI in Microsoft 365? Cohort 2 of our Microsoft 365 Fundamentals with AI and Copilot course is now open for enrolment!

This hands-on, practical programme is perfect for Admin Professionals who want to work smarter, not harder. You’ll learn how to:

✅ Maximise Copilot across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams​
✅ Streamline workflows and save hours every week
✅ Build confidence using AI tools that transform the way you work

Early Bird Discount: Enrol before midnight on 16th December to secure your savings! After this date, the price increases — don’t miss out.

📅 Course Dates: 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th January 2026
💻 Delivered live online via Microsoft Teams​
🎥 Includes session recordings and resources

👉 Reserve your spot today and kick off 2026 with a productivity boost!

​Microsoft 365 Fundamentals with AI and Copilot​

Did you know?

I was recently asked where a list of all the courses I offer can be found. So, I thought it would be useful to signpost them. You can find them all here

​www.msofficemaestro.com ​

Coming Up

Next week, I’ll be delivering AI Tools for Administrative Assistants once again. A session I always enjoy because it’s packed with practical tips that make a real difference. After that, things go a little quiet on the training front, giving me time to recharge and plan ahead.

The next big event? Microsoft 365 Fundamentals with AI and Copilot, launching on January 6th. I can’t wait to kick off the new year with this course; it’s going to be a fantastic way to start 2026!

Want to join us? Sign-ups are open now, so if you’d like to start the year by mastering Microsoft 365 and Copilot, Save your seat!

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