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Embrace the hotkey

Discussion in 'Self Improvement' started by Wouter, Dec 7, 2017.

  1. Wouter

    Wouter New Fapstronaut

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    As a graphic designer I work a lot behind the screen. When you are much in Photoshop or in Illustrator you'll find out about keyboard shortcut. For example, instead of going to your tools panel to grab the pentool, you can press P. All these hotkeys save a lot of time, but also keep your head clear. Instead of looking and finding the tool, which ask for concentration, a hotkey works with muscle memory. So without even thinking about tools or buttons, you can swap between them. This allows me to focus more on the work I'm doing. There are hundreds of hotkeys in the Adobe program, and I'm keen to learn them all. In the beginning Photoshop was like a maze I was walking in, searching for the way to my goal. Now it's like an extension of myself. And gives me a happier experience behind my computer.

    Not everybody works with Photoshop. But hotkeys are everywhere on your PC or Mac. And I want to learn them all. I use Chrome a lot. Hotkeys in Chrome are like heaven on earth. Instead of using my mouse to swap between my tabs, I use, Ctrl + tab, Ctrl + 1-9, I don't even have to think about it. When I want to close a tab, I use Ctrl W. If I close the wrong tab, Ctrl + shift + T. If I want to duplicate I use a magical one: Ctrl + L, and then Alt + Enter, you get the picture. There are even extensions for this, which allow you to use add even more.

    Oh, and what about Windows 8 itself? Windows + M to minimize a window. Windows + arrow keys to control the size of your window. Windows + S to go to the search window. And windows 1 - 9 to open a program in your the bar at the bottom of your screen. This one is really helpful when you use a lot of time the same programs. You just have to order them in the way you want, and use the windows key + 1-9 to swap between them. There are many more.

    Oh god, there are even hotkeys in Gmail, Facebook, Outlook, YouTube, Google Calendar, Google Keep, they are everywhere.

    I won't say it will give you a better job, give you a healthier lifestyle or that this helps the planet. But it will give you "superpowers" when your behind the screen. You don't have to think about your browser anymore, only about the webpage you are on. You can navigate between programs, and focus on your destiny, not about using the PC or Browser. The PC will be an extension of yourself, and your mind will focus only on the task you are doing. For me, this totally changed the way I look at technology I use.

    A great photographer once said: "The most unimportant thing about photography is the camera itself." And this is really true. The less you can think about using the camera as a tool, the more you can think about the picture you want to make. This principle works with your computer as well, and hotkeys are the way to do it.

    It can be a struggle to learn them all. Give it time, try one or three new ones at the time. And in no time, you'll literally surf the web.

    And that's all I have to say folks. It may sound like a small improvement, and maybe it is. But give it a try. Embrace the hotkey.
     
  2. Mankrik

    Mankrik Fapstronaut

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    Good point that I wholeheartedly agree with. Seems there are many functions that are hardly utilized that can save a lot of time. even the simple ctrl c for copy and ctrl v for paste have made my work a lot more efficient.
     

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