As someone who came from a Windows background, Linux initially seemed intimidating. But I quickly learned that mastering just a few basic commands can get you surprisingly far. Here are my top 10 essential Linux commands:

1. ls - List directory contents (add -l for details, -a for hidden files)
2. cd - Change directory (cd .. to go up one level)
3. pwd - Print working directory (shows where you are)
4. mkdir - Make a new directory
5. rm - Remove files (use -r for directories, but be careful!)
6. cp - Copy files and directories
7. mv - Move or rename files
8. grep - Search text using patterns
9. chmod - Change file permissions
10. man - Display manual pages (your best friend!)

I set up a Linux OS on a laptop at home just to experiment with these commands and the Linux environment. Practice helps commit things to memory. I highly recommend practicing the above commands in a Linux OS, either by way of a VM or by installing Linux on your own PC.

I cannot stress how important documentation is. I have encountered enough "I know I fixed this before but can't remember how" moments to know that every thing learned and every problem solved deserves documentation. That documentation will likely serve as a useful resource in the future for yourself or someone else. It is valuable information to have and can reduce time spent researching, re-learning, and troubleshooting in the future.

Below are three types of documentation that I believe are useful to maintain:

1. Personal Knowledge Base: Using Notepad++, I keep notes on solutions, commands, and concepts that I know will take repetition and time to commit to memory.

2. Standard Operating Procedures: For repetitive tasks, I have used and created step-by-step guides with screenshots. Guides like this can save hours when you need to perform the task again in the future and they can be quickly and easily shared with others.

3. Project Logs: For each project, I maintain a changelog of what I did, why, and any issues encountered.

The benefits have been enormous. Not only does it make work more efficient, but it also reduces the stress of potential errors and bugs by providing backups/references of earlier versions that can be reverted to as needed. Documentation can feel tedious at times, but it's a very good habit for any professional to develop. When it comes time to rely on that documentation in the future, you'll be glad you took the time create it.