Feeling Lost as an Aspiring Data Analyst – Need Advice

Hi everyone,

I’ve been self-teaching Python and R for data analysis, but after scrolling through this subreddit, I feel lost. Everyone talks about SQL, Excel, and tools like Tableau or Power BI as essentials for beginners. Now I’m questioning if I’m focusing on the right skills.

Is SQL really that critical? Should I pause Python to prioritize it? And how important are Excel and visualization platforms compared to Python libraries?

If you’re a data analyst, what worked for you when starting out? Any advice or insights would be amazing. I’d love to hear your successes and lessons learned. Thanks!