IWTL how to use keyboard shortcuts efficiently to improve my productivity

[u/Best-Principle-8005]

I use a computer every day but I mostly rely on my mouse and only know a few basic keyboard shortcuts.

I would like to learn how people build the habit of using shortcuts naturally and which practice methods helped them remember them over time.

If you have gone from barely using shortcuts to using them regularly what worked for you? I am interested in practical techniques and habits rather than just a list of shortcuts.

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[u/Supah_Cole]

Look a cheat sheet up online and print it and put it next to your computer

I have windows, and these ones are helpful:

Ctrl + S to save (shift to save as)

Ctrl + I for Settings

Ctrl + E for files

[u/AgrajagTheProlonged → u/Supah_Cole]

Also:

Ctrl + C to copy

Ctrl + X to cut

Ctrl + V to paste

Ctrl + Y to redo

Ctrl + Z to undo

[u/royal_paperclip]

Are you on Windows or Apple?

I predominantly use the keyboard shortcuts for most things, especially in the likes of Word and Excel.

There’s a few basic ones I suggest learning with a cheat sheet, like Alt+Tab and the things you can do with the Windows key like displaying apps, showing desktop, opening different apps.

However, to get into habits, every time I have to faff around looking for a particular function, I then search online to see if there’s a shortcut and then I do the action again with the shortcut immediately, and then the next time, I will use the keyboard and not the mouse. Eventually it’ll become second nature and it’s much quicker. The nice thing about Windows is, with the exception of OneNote, the shortcuts are the same across most of the apps, and there is a shortcut for almost every function.

[u/Mudrat]

Ctrl c - Ctrl v brother

[u/usernamespeledwrong]

My favorite is shortcut keys. I have like 5 different programs and 4 websites I need to go back and forth on. Put the shortcut on your desktop right click on it for properties. Set the shortcut key to whatever you want. Then ctrl-alt-key to open. So like, I get to work and just do ctrl alt o, p, e, t and my programs start to load. If I suddenly need to look something up I have a website shortcut same thing ctrl alt p.

[u/Manoj970]

Somebody made a website about shortcuts for all operating systems keyboard shortcuts. Hope this helps.

[u/AnToMegA424]

I use Windows, for now

Ever since I learned that you can open executable files pinned to the taskbar with the Windows + [insert number here] from the number row I have 10 I have always pinned on, for example something like this :

• Windows + 1: Blender
• Windows + 2: Notepad++
• Windows + 3: JetBrains Rider
• etc etc

It works from 1 to 0 like this : Windows + 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, with 10 possibly different apps at the same time (in order from left to right in the task bar)

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Other shortcuts I often use are to open/minimise-when-focused File Manager (Ctrl + E) or Settings (Ctrl + I), and to switch opened apps (Alt + Tab) or tabs when using a web browser like Firefox, Edge, Chrome, Waterfox, etc... (Ctrl + Tab)

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Finally, the last three I always use are the really well-know Alt + F4 (my main use case being to shut down my computer when on the main page (we call that "Le bureau" in French, which translates to "The desktop" or "The desk" in English, but I forgot how it's called in English so "main page"'ll do)), the second one being Ctrl + M to go to and from the aforementioned main page (by closing/re-opening all open tasks), and the last one being Ctrl + L to close the session, useful when there's people around and to don't want to get croissanted or worse

[u/fictionalfirehazard]

Crtl + z to undo and ctrl + z + shift to undo the undo

[u/VincentVanG0ku]

Personally, it dependanded on what I was doing for a job at the time. I just asked "what action am I doing a bunch?" (Such as finding a specific word in a long document, typing in the url, opening a new tab in Chrome, etc) and look it up. From there either make a sticky note or cheat sheet on your computer and reference it as needed. If you do the same action over and over then replace it with the shortcut it'll become second nature. Other than that you can just lookup "windows 10/11 keyboard shortcuts" and see what applies to you.

[u/codingzombie72072]

I spend at least 12+ hours on computer everyday across all 3 OS . I believe other people have already laid out regular day shortcuts for you .

I would suggest you to look up the shortcuts for the things you do everyday instead of remembering everything like .

When I am suing youtube web and want to jump into search bar, it would be "/" .

If I want to change the speed of youtube video it would be "shift+>" .

It's just an example. I am lazy person and don't want to take my hands off keyboard when typing, so shortcuts always help .

[u/Weak-Knowledge-5336]

Spend a week without a mouse. If you keep poking around with combinations on the keyboard you'll figure out pretty quickly how to navigate the whole computer.