I have only been a mac user for about two months. However, switching from a PC to a Mac was easy for me. It is probably due to the fact that I am a techie. Also, I am a huge supporter in keeping with the mac philosophy of productivity. So then, using the keyboard to do work quicker and efficiently is up my alley.
Are you trying to be more productive on your mac without relying so much on your dock and the clicker? If so, you only need to download and install one application, and that is Quicksilver. With Quicksilver and your keyboard, you can get so much *more* work done faster and efficiently.
First, you will need to hide your dock and position it somewhere other than where you normally position it. Why, you ask. Well, even though you hide your dock, you still will have the tendency to go to it because it is an automatic reflex. However, if you position it somewhere else, when you move to where it used to be, you will remember that it is no longer there. This will then remind you to use Quicksilver and your keyboard. Moving your dock is to help train you to use the keyboard and Quicksilver more. Once you get out of the habit of going to your dock, then you can reposition it back to your favorite place or by then, you may not need your dock anymore.
In order to use the keyboard efficiently, there are few commands that you should keep in mind. One is the apple or Command key + tab. This command lets you scroll through and choose from your open applications. Once you invoke this function, continue to hold down the command or apple key, and click the tab button to scroll and/or choose the application you want. Now, what if you want to go to an application or a file that is not open without relying on finder or the dock? Well, that is where Quicksilver comes in handy. The default control to bring up Quicksilver is Control + Space Bar. Once the window pops up, type the name of the app or file you want. When it shows up in the window, then hit the return or enter key. Now, it is in the list of your open applications where you can then scroll through using the apple or Command key + tab. Now you may notice that when you minimize a window, you cannot maximize it by using the Command + tab function. You will need to call up Quicksilver. Type in the the name of the app, folder, or file and this will maximize it.
To also help with your productivity, you might want to turn off all distractions while you are working on your Mac. If you are like me, you probably check your email 24 – 7. Turn off all notifications for email and make sure that your desktop is tidy and free of distractions. By utilizing these little tidbits, your productivity will increase exponentially.
Tags: David Allen, getting things done, GTD, keyboard, mac productivity, macintosh, Productivity, quicksilver