Keyboard Shortcut • A combination of keystrokes used to accomplish a task that would otherwise require multiple mouse actions.
I’ve always been a big fan of using keyboard shortcuts on my computer. To many, it may seem such a trivial skill; yet, it can have a profound impact on how you work and offer a significant boost to your productivity.
When I switched from Windows to Mac nearly five years ago, it took some re-training of my fingers to learn new system shortcuts. I still regularly work to train my fingers in this way. Why do I spend time and effort on learning such a small thing? I know that every keyboard shortcut added to my tool belt will give a good return. However, until recently, I didn’t know quite how good of a return these little tools would give.
![](https://typewheel.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/bold-mouse.gif)
![](https://typewheel.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/bold-keyboard.gif)
Recently, I installed an application to track keyboard and mouse usage. A couple weeks of monitoring revealed my preference for keyboard shortcuts. Shortcut actions clocked in at 60% usage and mouse actions at 40%. On average, I employ 1,800 keyboard shortcuts per day. Assuming each shortcut saves me one second of time (which I think a conservative estimate), I am allowing 30 additional minutes of work per day, 2½ hours per week, 10 hours per month, 3 weeks per year!
![](https://typewheel.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/keyboard-shortcut-productivity-1024x768.png)
Crazy, huh? So, are you ready to learn some keyboard shortcuts? Wondering where to begin? In my next post, I’ll lay out some tips, tricks, and tools for becoming a master of the keyboard shortcut. I will then begin sharing what I have found to be some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts in my tool belt.