Working in tech and on digital platforms, I spend a lot of time on my computer. While I’m all for apps to make my productivity better, being quick and efficient with my computer doesn’t just stop with apps. Two things I use all the time are my keyboard shortcuts and my trackpad (I have a Mac). I can probably list off a dozen keyboard shortcuts without even thinking about it, but today I want to share my five favorite ones for my Mac that help me work faster.
1. Command + M = Minimize Your Window
This one is a shortcut I just started using and I love that I can quickly minimize a window to get to the window after. I have windows open all the time, so I can quickly get this one out of the way and to a different screen.
2. Command + Shift + 4 = Screenshot a Part of your screen
The ability to grab screenshots is super useful, especially when writing blog posts. Command + Shift + 3 will take a screenshot of your whole screen, but sometimes that’s not useful. The crosshairs allow me to just get what I want and then I don’t have to go edit afterward.
3. Command + Tab = See your recent open windows
I talked about the ability to minimize windows to see the last one you had open, but command + tab shows you a row of the last ten (I think ten) apps you’ve opened on your computer. This one is fantastic if you need to find something quick.
5 keyboard shortcuts to help you work faster. Click To Tweet4. Command + Option + Shift + Q = Log out without the annoying box
This one is one I use exclusively at work. If you’ve ever logged out of a Mac, you’ve seen the little box that asks if you want to open all your apps again when you log back in. When I’m trying to get out for the night, I don’t want to sit and tell my Mac what to do. During a call one day, I discovered this little jem of a shortcut. Now, when it is time to go, I just hit these four keys and I’m good to go.
5. Command + Space = Spotlight Search
This one is my favorite because Spotlight is so flexible. You can use it to search for things, both on your computer and online. So I can quickly search the Weather (it’s warm) or for a file on my computer.
While that’s all nice and dandy, my favorite reason for using Spotlight SEarch is that I can quickly launch apps if I need to. I just type the name of the app into my search bar, hit the return key and never have to touch my trackpad. Though I do love my trackpad.
Keyboard shortcuts are a fantastic way to quickly move throughout your computer. While these are all for Mac, you can see the whole list of Mac shortcuts here and all the Windows ones here.
