The new office where I work is quiet - really quiet. Imagine getting email and instant messages from techies that are sitting just a few cubicles away. Envision iPods, heavy duty coding, and lots of data crunching.

This is not what I'm used to and the jury is still out on whether this is a long-term gig for me. But one thing I do appreciate: the atmosphere allows me to stay really focused.

So focused, in fact, that a few times recently I have found myself "in the zone" - you know the feeling: time flies, productivity soars, and creativity reigns. It's amazing how much value the Beatles can add to your work!

Now, your shop might frown on iPods on the job but you must find some way to get yourself in the zone. And there's one sure way I know of to get focused: speed.

As an Excel user, moving faster will obviously result in greater productivity. But you will also experience new levels of creativity and start uncovering solutions to your Excel challenges.

I'm not sure you will believe me until you experience it for yourself, but trust me: You Need Speed.

Don't misunderstand. I'm a big believer in powerful formulas, and I have found that thoughtful design is critical to successful spreadsheeting. But first comes speed.

Some of the Excel strategies that I use and teach require some serious discipline to break old habits. You will be happy to know that the tip provided here requires only a one-time change to your Excel settings and nothing more. But the power of this simple change should not be overlooked.

I recently shared this concept with a friend. After a few weeks, she told me that her entire department had implemented this change and it had transformed the way they use Excel.

Ready? In Excel, go to the Tools menu, click on Options. On the Edit tab, find the line that says "Allow editing directly in cells". UNCHECK the box.

[In Excel 2007, click the Microsoft Office button, click Excel Options, click the Advanced category...]

When this box IS checked, and you double-click on a formula cell, your cursor will appear directly in that cell to allow you to edit the formula.

When this box IS NOT checked (which is what you want), and you double-click on a formula cell, your cursor will magically take you to the first cell that is referenced in the formula.

Why does this matter? When you are trying to "follow" the formulas in Excel or to move around quickly, using this double-click method to take you straight to the source of a formula is MUCH FASTER than reviewing the formula and then scrolling around to try to find the source.

I could take you through countless examples of this. Instead, just try it - UNCHECK the box, and start double-clicking on formulas to see what happens.

But, you may ask, how then do I edit formulas? Simple...press F2. You will have to edit in the formula bar instead of directly in the cell. This is a minor sacrifice for what will prove to be a huge productivity improvement. You will quickly get used to editing in the formula bar.

Try this on the job this week and watch your productivity soar!

To learn more Excel tricks and tips, visit SpeedExcel.

Dewey Vaughn works in corporate finance for a technology company and is an Excel expert.

Source: www.ezinearticles.com