The personal computer and I both entered the workplace at the same time.

We have grown up together and I am part of the elite (oppressed) minority who stuck with Apple products all through the dark times. I endured the mockery and pity of the unenlightened "beige" army, with the quiet dignity of one who knows they are actually superior to those who are abusing them. Or, to put it another way, I was a smug git who was too stubborn to "follow the herd".

Since then, software applications have become the backbone of my working life to the point that there are very few office-based activities I engage in that do not rely on at least one piece of software. So far so good but, in the 35 years since I first got my hands on a computer, the complexity of the apps and programmes, that we all use, has increased exponentially.

Comparing today's Adobe InDesign to Aldus Pagemaker from 1985 or Microsoft Excel to Visicalc is like comparing a mobile phone to a carrier pigeon! They do approximately the same job but in a much more sophisticated way and, consequently, present a much steeper learning curve to potential users.

Which leads me nicely to the point of this blog - finally!

The workload that most people are expected to tackle has been growing steadily, for a couple of decades now, to the point that many find it overwhelming. Increasing computerisation is often cited as one of the main reasons why these increased demands on people's time are reasonable and achievable. So now, workers are facing a double challenge - the sheer volume of work they are supposed to produce and the constant increase in features of the software that is supposed to be helping them.

Sadly, it is unlikely that the amount of work we are expected to produce every day will decrease anytime soon. But, there is something we can do about our mastery of the software we are relying on. Surveys regularly suggest that the average office worker utilises between 10% and 30% of the features of their most commonly used software. Even simple tasks like the ability to sort data in a spreadsheet or merge a list of names into a word-processor document are beyond the ability of a surprising percentage of the workforce.

So, why not invest just 15 minutes a week into learning a helpful new feature of one of the software packages you use regularly?

Mastering a new skill can save us time, increase efficiency and even give our morale a little boost.

YouTube and Vimeo have a vast array of free software tutorials - even on relatively obscure features. For those who want to take it a little more seriously, Lynda.com offer literally thousands of software training courses. I am not financially connected to them in any way - I just think they do a fantastic job. I spend hours every month watching tutorials. Sometimes I learn things I never knew before and sometimes I find that there are better ways to achieve what I want than the ones I am currently using. Either way, I get a huge benefit.

It can be hard to justify taking the time to learn new things but it really is a case of investing your time - not just spending it.

So, before you go, take 2 minutes to think about one feature of one of your software packages that you would like to master. Now, block out 15 minutes sometime this week in your diary to watch a tutorial about that feature. Enjoy!