Tri-Valley Mortgage News

Perhaps the number one thing we all chase is time...we need more of it right? Well time is time: we can't have more than 24 hours a day. And really we can't manage time itself. However, we can manage what we do with the time we have. Efficiency is the key and finding ways to be more efficient with our time is a worthy pursuit. To that end let's look at one way you can put efficiency to work for you today. I'm willing to bet you spend quite a bit of your day at your computer. Did you know that you can navigate your way around your computer much more efficiency if you just learn a few (or lots of) keyboard shortcuts?

Most of us use our mouse to manipulate our computer aside from typing text. But it has been proven that utilizing keyboard shortcuts can save you some serious time. Below are a few shortcuts I've learned and that I use most often. I'd suggest selecting two or three that you can practice using in lieu of the mouse for a couple of days and see how much quicker you breeze through your actions without the mouse. You can stick a Post-It on your monitor to remind you - old habits are hard to break! Try implementing these one at a time and you'll become a keyboarding wizard in no time. Your mouse might get lonely but you'll be thrilled with your improved efficiency and you may just feel like you've actually gained some time in your day!

(Since I use a PC, I've only listed PC keyboard shortcuts here. If you search "Mac keyboard shortcuts" you will find a plethora of sites to help you)

Basic Windows text keyboard shortcuts:

• CTRL+C:   Copy
• CTRL+X:   Cut
• CTRL+V:   Paste
• CTRL+Z:   Undo the last command/ Undo typing
• CTRL+Y:   Redo the last command/ Redo typing (in case you didn't mean to just hit CTRL+Z!)
• CTRL+B:   Bold
• CTRL+U:   Underline
• CTRL+I:    Italic
• Shift+Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow or Down Arrow: Highlights a block of text in any direction you choose.
• ALT+F4:    Closes the current window

Windows Explorer folder management shortcuts:

• F2:             Rename folder/object
• F3:             Find all files
• CTRL+X:     Cut
• CTRL+C:     Copy
• CTRL+V:     Paste
• ALT+Enter:  Open the properties for the folder/object (same as right-clicking with mouse)

Try these simple shortcuts first and see how truly easy it is. You know what? It's kind of fun too! Next I will post an entire entry on Outlook shortcuts - stay tuned!

*PS: for even more (yes, there are TONS!) keyboard shortcuts click here.