Supercharge Your Productivity: Time-Saving Computer and Gmail Shortcuts for Business Owners
As a business owner, your time is invaluable. Wasting precious minutes on repetitive computer tasks or email management can significantly impact your overall productivity. The good news? There are countless keyboard shortcuts and lesser-known tricks that can streamline your workflow and give you back those precious minutes.
Below, we'll dive into some of the most effective (and often overlooked) shortcuts for both your operating system (Mac or Windows) and Gmail, helping you reclaim your time and focus on what truly matters: growing your business.
I. Operating System Shortcuts (Mac & Windows)
Mastering these fundamental shortcuts can drastically reduce your reliance on the mouse, leading to a faster, more efficient workflow.
A. Essential Shortcuts (Mac & Windows)
These are the bread and butter of productivity. If you don't know these already, start here!
Copy:
(Mac)
⌘ + C(Windows)
Ctrl + C
Paste:
(Mac)
⌘ + V(Windows)
Ctrl + V
Cut:
(Mac)
⌘ + X(Windows)
Ctrl + X
Undo:
(Mac)
⌘ + Z(Windows)
Ctrl + Z
Redo:
(Mac)
⇧ + ⌘ + Z(Windows)
Ctrl + YorCtrl + Shift + Z
Save:
(Mac)
⌘ + S(Windows)
Ctrl + S
Select All:
(Mac)
⌘ + A(Windows)
Ctrl + A
Find:
(Mac)
⌘ + F(Windows)
Ctrl + F
Switch Between Open Applications:
(Mac)
⌘ + Tab(Windows)
Alt + Tab
Close Window:
(Mac)
⌘ + W(Windows)
Ctrl + W
Close Application:
(Mac)
⌘ + Q(Windows)
Alt + F4
Take a Screenshot:
(Mac)
Full screen:
⇧ + ⌘ + 3Selected area:
⇧ + ⌘ + 4
(Windows)
Full screen:
Windows key + PrtScn(screenshot is saved to the "Screenshots" folder in your "Pictures" library)Selected area:
Shift + Windows key + S(opens the Snipping Tool/Snip & Sketch)
B. Lesser-Known, but Powerful Shortcuts
These shortcuts can significantly speed up specific tasks.
Quickly Navigate Between Words:
(Mac)
⌥ + Left/Right Arrow(Windows)
Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow
Delete an Entire Word:
(Mac)
⌥ + Delete(Windows)
Ctrl + Backspace
Jump to the Beginning or End of a Line:
(Mac)
⌘ + Left/Right Arrow(Windows)
Home/End
Jump to the Beginning or End of a Document:
(Mac)
⌘ + Up/Down Arrow(Windows)
Ctrl + Home/End
Open the File Explorer/Finder:
(Mac)
⇧ + ⌘ + U(opens the Utilities folder)(Windows)
Windows key + E
Minimize All Windows:
(Mac)
⌥ + ⌘ + M(Windows)
Windows key + M
Open System Preferences/Settings:
(Mac)
⌘ + ,(Comma)(Windows)
Windows key + I
Force Quit an Application:
(Mac)
⌥ + ⌘ + Esc(Windows)
Ctrl + Shift + Esc(opens Task Manager)
II. Gmail Shortcuts
As a business owner, you likely spend a significant portion of your day in your inbox. Mastering Gmail shortcuts can dramatically improve your email management efficiency.
A. Enabling Gmail Shortcuts
First, ensure that keyboard shortcuts are enabled in your Gmail settings:
Go to Gmail.
Click the Settings gear icon in the top right.
Click See all settings.
Scroll down to the "Keyboard shortcuts" section.
Select Keyboard shortcuts on.
Click Save Changes at the bottom.
B. Essential Gmail Shortcuts
Compose:
CReply:
RReply All:
AForward:
FSend:
⌘ + Enter(Mac) orCtrl + Enter(Windows)Delete:
#Archive:
EMark as Read/Unread:
⇧ + IMove to Trash:
#Go to Inbox:
G + IGo to Sent Mail:
G + TGo to Drafts:
G + DGo to Contacts:
G + CSearch Mail:
/Select Conversation:
XUndo Last Action:
Z
C. Advanced Gmail Tips and Tricks
Canned Responses (Templates): If you frequently send similar emails, create canned responses (now called templates) to save time.
Compose a new email.
Enter the text you want to save as a template.
Click the More options icon (three vertical dots) at the bottom right of the compose window.
Select Templates > Save draft as template > Save as new template.
Give your template a name. To use a template: Compose a new email, click the More options icon, then Templates, and select the template you want to insert.
Stars: Use stars to prioritize emails. You can add multiple stars with different colors or symbols to create a more sophisticated system (e.g., yellow star for urgent, blue star for follow-up). Use the
skey to star an email. You can cycle through different stars by pressingsmultiple times.Filters and Labels: Combine filters and labels to automatically organize incoming emails. For example, you can create a filter to automatically label all emails from a specific client and skip the inbox.
Search Operators: Refine your Gmail searches to quickly find the exact email you're looking for. Some useful operators include:
from:(e.g.,from:john.doe@example.com)to:(e.g.,to:myemail@example.com)subject:(e.g.,subject:Meeting)after:(e.g.,after:2024/01/01)before:(e.g.,before:2024/02/01)is:unreadoris:readhas:attachment
Mute: Use the
mkey to mute a conversation and stop receiving notifications for it. This is useful for long email threads that aren't relevant to you.Keyboard Navigation in Conversation View:
j- move to the next conversationk- move to the previous conversationoorEnter- open the selected conversation
III. Browser Shortcuts (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)
Your web browser is another application you use constantly. These shortcuts work across most browsers.
Open a New Tab:
(Mac)
⌘ + T(Windows)
Ctrl + T
Close Current Tab:
(Mac)
⌘ + W(Windows)
Ctrl + W
Reopen Last Closed Tab:
(Mac)
⇧ + ⌘ + T(Windows)
Ctrl + Shift + T
Go to a Specific Tab:
(Mac)
⌘ + 1-9(number corresponds to tab position)(Windows)
Ctrl + 1-9(number corresponds to tab position)
Scroll Up/Down the Page:
(Mac)
Spacebar(down),⇧ + Spacebar(up)(Windows)
Spacebar(down),Shift + Spacebar(up)
Refresh the Page:
(Mac)
⌘ + R(Windows)
Ctrl + RorF5
Open History:
(Mac)
⌘ + Y(Windows)
Ctrl + H
Open Downloads:
(Mac)
⌥ + ⌘ + L(Windows)
Ctrl + J
Zoom In/Out:
(Mac)
⌘ + +or⌘ + -(Windows)
Ctrl + +orCtrl + -
By incorporating these shortcuts and tips into your daily routine, you can significantly reduce the time you spend on mundane computer and email tasks. This newfound efficiency will free you up to focus on the strategic aspects of your business, ultimately contributing to increased productivity and growth.