Keyboard shortcuts can transform how you work. They save time, reduce reliance on the mouse, and streamline repetitive tasks. But learning them all at once? That’s a quick way to feel overwhelmed. A simple trick is to place a sticky note on your monitor with the shortcut you’re currently learning. Practice it regularly, and eventually, it’ll become second nature – like driving a car.
A couple of years ago I ran a series of social media posts around keyboard shortcuts and people *loved* it. Maybe because they learned one trick at a time and so avoided that overwhelm we talked about.
I use shortcuts all day long… and love when I come across a new one that saves me even more time.
I wanted to share these with you (and if you notice any mistakes, please shout – particularly with the Mac equivalents – I’m relying on some quick and dirty internet research since I’m a Windows gal all they way!).
I’ve broken them down in to categories to make picking the ones that might be most helpful to you a little easier.
I’ve noted my absolute favourites with a “**” below.
Everyday Basics
- Copy: Ctrl + C / Cmd + C
- Paste: Ctrl + V / Cmd + V
- Cut: Ctrl + X / Cmd + X
- **Paste Without Formatting: Ctrl + Shift + V / Cmd + Shift + V
- **Undo: Ctrl + Z / Cmd + Z
- Redo: Ctrl + Y / Cmd + Shift + Z
- **Select All: Ctrl + A / Cmd + A
- **Print: Ctrl + P / Cmd + P (and remember, you can also select some text, right click and select “Print” to get just that content to print, whether that’s to a printer or to PDF)
- Save: Ctrl + S / Cmd + S
Formatting & Text Editing
- Bold: Ctrl + B / Cmd + B
- Italic: Ctrl + I / Cmd + I
- Underline: Ctrl + U / Cmd + U
- Align Centre: Ctrl + E / Cmd + E
- Align Left: Ctrl + L / Cmd + L
- Align Right: Ctrl + R / Cmd + R
- Justify: Ctrl + J / Cmd + J
- **Insert Hyperlink: Ctrl + K / Cmd + K
File & Window Management
- Rename a File or Folder: F2 (Windows)
- **Lock Your Screen: Windows + L / Ctrl + Cmd + Q
- Show Desktop: Windows + D / Fn + F11
- **Snap Windows: Windows + Arrow Keys
- ****Clipboard History: Windows + V (Windows only) (this one gets x 2 **, it’s so good!)
- Open File Explorer: Windows + E
- Close Current Window: Alt + F4 / Cmd + Q
- Open Task Manager: Ctrl + Shift + Esc (Windows)
- **Switch Between Apps: Alt + Tab / Cmd + Tab
Excel & Google Sheets Power Moves
- Fill Down: Ctrl + D (in Excel or Google Sheets)
- Enter Edit Mode for Cell: F2 (Excel) / Enter (Google Sheets)
- **Insert Line Break in a Cell: Alt + Enter
- Highlight Entire Column: Ctrl + Space
- Highlight Entire Row: Shift + Space
Browser Navigation
- **Refresh Page: F5 / Cmd + R
- **Find on Page: Ctrl + F / Cmd + F
- Zoom In/Out: Ctrl + (+ or -) / Cmd + (+ or -)
- Switch Tabs: Ctrl + Tab / Cmd + Tab
- ****Reopen Last Closed Tab: Ctrl + Shift + T / Cmd + Shift + T (another one that gets 2 x **!)
Special Characters & Emojis
- **Alt Codes for Symbols:
Use Alt + 0187 for “»”, or Alt + 124 for the vertical bar “|”. There are tons of Alt codes, and memorising a few of your most-used symbols can make a big difference. - **Emoji Keyboard:
Hit Windows + . (dot) to bring up the emoji keyboard. Start typing the description (like “heart” or “thumbs up”), and it’ll filter down to the exact emoji you want. I’ve held myself back from giving this one 2 x **’s, but anyone who emails/messages with me regularly knows that I’m a big fan of emojis (though not to *replace* a word, but more to convey an emotion!) - **Fadas (Irish Accents):
I’m Irish, and there are a lot of beautiful Irish names that include a “fada”. Getting someone’s name right matters, and this is a quick way to show someone that they matter by taking the time and care to spell their name correctly – I’ve had many people comment on this in the past, so I know it does make a difference. To add a fada, use Alt GR + the letter (e.g., á for Gráinne) or Alt GR + Shift + letter for capitalised versions (like Á for Áine).
Avoiding Overwhelm: One Shortcut at a Time
As I said above, with so many useful shortcuts, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and throw in the towel before you even get started. My advice? Don’t try to learn them all at once. Pick one that fits into your daily routine -like Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V for copy and paste if you’re a total newbie – and get comfortable using it. Once it becomes second nature, move on to the next. Gradually, you’ll find yourself navigating tasks much faster.
How an OBM Can Help You Go Even Further
While shortcuts can save you time, they’re just one piece of the productivity puzzle. If you’re a business owner in the growth stage, chances are your biggest challenge isn’t just time management – it’s the sheer number of decisions you’re making. You’ve become the bottleneck in your own business.
That’s where an Online Business Manager (OBM) comes in. An OBM helps free up your time by managing the day-to-day operations, so you can focus on strategy and growth. With an OBM on your team, you can delegate decision-making for tasks that slow you down, allowing you to step back from the bottleneck and reclaim your time.
An OBM helps you create efficient processes, ensures the team stays on track, and gives you room to work on the bigger picture. And let’s be honest, no number of keyboard shortcuts can solve the problem of trying to do it all yourself.
If you’re ready to level up your productivity and tackle that overwhelm, let’s chat. Together, we can streamline your operations and give you the freedom to grow your business without the stress.