Shortcuts! Shortcuts! Shortcuts!

I love shortcuts so any time I can add a shortcut in my life I will do it. So here are my favorite shortcuts to use and set up.

My favorite Windows shortcuts to remember

Windows + D (shows your desktop and minimizes all windows)

Windows + L (locks my device when I walk away)

Click here for more Windows keyboard shortcuts

Favorite Shortcuts I set Up

Did you know that your taskbar is an automatic shortcut for programs you pin or have open? So here you go 10 shortcuts that are completely customizable.

Windows logo key  + number

Open the desktop and start the app pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. If the app is already running, switch to that app.

My Favorite apps to pin and use as shortcuts.

1. Windows Explorer
2. Snipping tool or Snip and Sketch- I snip screenshots all day long and this is probably my most used shortcut

Learn more about the snipping tool

1. Chrome
2. Outlook

I sync my most used cloud files from OneDrive and SharePoint

I work with different types of files throughout the day and I use teams for all my meetings. But for some files I want them to be synced and available on my computer online and offline. So I actually navigate to my most-used document libraries in SharePoint and OneDrive and click sync. Now my most used files are available in file explorer. Once I can see them I right-click the files I need offline for and click Keep on my device.

I backup my files

I try and save all my files to OneDrive. If you have ever had data lose due to a crashing computer, internet dropping or hardware failure then you know why this is so important. By using OneDrive for my backup it ensures the following.

1. I will have my files from any device I log in to
2. All my files Auto Save
3. I have version history if I change a file
4. I can easily collaborate if needed

I create users in chrome for different logins

I support many different customers and have tons of different log ins. When I first started half my day consisted of logging in and out of different accounts. Until I found out you can create “People” in chrome. This is now a feature in Microsoft Edge browser as well. Even if you don’t support multiple customers or different accounts I find that even having a separate “Personal” profile is helpful for when I need to check my personal email or browse Pinterest in on my break 😉 My having separate profiles helps me accomplish the following

Click here to learn how to add people in Chrome

Click here to create profiles in Edge

1. Easily focus on my projects without getting distracted by other tabs open
2. I have unique history for each profile so its easier to see how long a project took
3. Reduce the amount of times I’m logging in and out as the pw will be cached per company policy

I use outlook quick parts for content I add to many emails – Create reusable text blocks for email messages

Do you have email messages you tend to send frequently? Whether is support Q&A that you know the IT team is going to ask or a link to help your clients book a meeting with you, or information you provide regularly via email that is ALWAYS the same. I use quick parts this way I don’t have to dig through old emails or copy/past the “blurb” each time.

Click here to learn more about using Quick Parts in Outlook

I always have OneNote open

I loved the idea of bullet journaling when I heard about it. But I work in technology so I was always looking for a solution to use a digital bullet journal. Each Month I sent up a page for the month with each date listed in a table. (I have an excel sheet to create this) So at the beginning of my day I can start listing out what I need to accomplish, notes for calls, and anything else I need to jot down quickly. By using OneNote instead of a legal pad on my desk to jot down notes I am able to easily search for previous notes and add digital content like URLs, and images.

Click here to learn – What is a bullet journal?

Click here for more on OneNote

I actually set up and use quick access in file explorer

At first I thought quick access was the most annoying feature added to Windows. It was constantly changing and sometime it would have a help folder and other times it would disappear. It wasn’t until I started actually using the feature and pinning most used folder to quick launch that I really appreciated the feature. So when you see a folder there that was helpful or needed just right click and pin it to quick access.

Click here to learn more about using Quick Access

I hope you enjoyed this post on some of the ways I set up and use my PC to be productive.