I’ll be honest — I was late to the shortcut party.
Back in the day, I’d right-click everything. Highlight a word? Right-click. Copy a sentence? Right-click again. I thought I was doing fine… until I watched a colleague edit a full spreadsheet without ever lifting their hand off the keyboard.
That day was a bit humbling.
But also kind of inspiring. Because once I started using just a few shortcuts — the really practical, everyday ones — everything sped up. Work got smoother. My fingers just… flowed. Less friction, less wasted time.
So, if you’re ready to ditch the clicks and finally upgrade your daily workflow, here are my top 15 time-saving keyboard shortcuts — explained like I’d explain them to a friend over coffee.
1. Ctrl + C / Cmd + C — The Obvious But Essential Copy
Let’s start with the basics. If you're not already using this, just… please start.
Copying text, files, images — this shortcut does it instantly. The mouse method takes at least three extra steps every time. It adds up.
Fun fact: I once taught this to my dad. It changed how he emails. He now thinks I’m a genius.
2. Ctrl + V / Cmd + V — Paste Without Drama
What good is copy without paste?
This one follows naturally. But here’s something I didn’t realize until recently — you can paste into almost anything: address bars, filenames, even terminal commands (if you’re into that). It just works.
3. Ctrl + X / Cmd + X — Cut and Move Like a Pro
Cutting something doesn’t just delete it — it stores it in your clipboard so you can move it somewhere else. I mostly use this for reorganizing paragraphs, especially in emails or docs when I change my mind halfway through.
Honestly, I use this more than regular delete.
4. Ctrl + Z / Cmd + Z — Your Undo Button for Life
This one has saved me from so many disasters.
Deleted the wrong file? Mistyped a name? Applied bold to 17 lines by mistake? Just undo it. And then undo it again. It’s like a time machine for your work.
5. Ctrl + Y / Cmd + Shift + Z — Redo What You Undid
Redo isn’t used as often, but when you need it, it’s a lifesaver. For example, if you undo something and realize… “wait, actually that was right,” this puts it back.
Mac users: it’s slightly different — Cmd + Shift + Z.
6. Ctrl + F / Cmd + F — Find Without Scrolling Forever
Imagine trying to locate one sentence in a 20-page doc. Nightmare, right?
Just hit this combo, type a word, and every instance gets highlighted. I use it every single day — no exaggeration.
It even works in PDFs and on websites. Try it on this page, actually.
7. Alt + Tab / Cmd + Tab — App Switcher Magic
I love this one.
Press Alt (or Cmd ) and Tab to switch between your running apps. No more struggling with your mouse to the taskbar and windows hide-and-seek.
Multitasking is like a second nature once you have gotten used to it.
8. Ctrl + T / Cmd + T — New Tab, New You
This shortcut opens a new browser tab — instantly.
It’s a small thing, but when you’re researching, comparing, or deep in a YouTube rabbit hole, it keeps your flow going.
Also useful when you’re secretly Googling something in a Zoom call. Just saying.
9. Ctrl + W / Cmd + W — Clean Up Tabs Fast
Too many tabs? This closes the one you’re on.
When I’m done reading an article or replying to an email, I tap this and move on. It makes my online workspace clean without disturbing my flow.
10. Ctrl + Shift + T / Cmd + Shift + T - Open That Tab You Didn t Want To Open Hint: This only works if your have either closed or have even closed the tab that you have recently closed To Use: Click on it
This shortcut is actual magic.
You close a tab by mistake. Your heart drops. Then you remember this exists — and boom, it’s back. I use it way more than I care to admit.
11. Ctrl + A / Cmd + A — Select All, No Dragging Required
Dragging your cursor across hundreds of lines? Don’t bother.
Ctrl + A will select all contents of the window either it is a folder, document or email. This is super helpful when you have to format or move things fast.
12. Ctrl + S / Cmd + S — Save Before It’s Too Late
Yes, we live in the age of autosave. But some programs still aren’t 100% reliable.
I’ve made it a habit to save after every major edit — especially when writing. Once, Word crashed and I lost two hours of work. Never again.
13. Ctrl + Shift + Esc / Cmd + Option + Esc Force Quitize When It Fails.
This is the hotkey that helps to keep your sanity when your screen freezes and your mouse is not of use.
It brings out Task Manager (Windows) or Force Quit (Mac). Whereupon you may turn off whatever is overpowering every thing.
This one feels like pulling the fire alarm. But sometimes, it’s necessary.
14. Ctrl + Shift + V / Cmd + Shift + V — Paste Without Weird Formatting
You copy some text from a website and paste it into your doc… and now it’s pink, Comic Sans, and 20pt size.
This shortcut pastes just the words — no formatting. It’s clean. Elegant. A must-know.
15. Ctrl + D / Cmd + D — Bookmark That Page
This one’s quick but handy. Found something worth revisiting? Hit Ctrl + D and it’s saved to your bookmarks.
I use this to collect all those “read later” articles I never actually read… but still.
Final Thoughts — Try Three Today
You don’t need to memorize all 15 at once.
Just pick three from this list. Begin with the ones that seem practical, use them at least a day, and get the impression. It will seem strange to them - as it does when you learn to type without looking - but it will soon become automatic.
And once they do? You’ll wonder how you ever worked without them.
So go ahead. Save your wrists. Save your time. And finally ditch the mouse for good (okay, maybe not forever — but you get the idea).
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