Fewer clicks = more energy left. Learn five high-leverage shortcuts this week and you’ll save dozens of micro-movements and decisions every hour.

Start here, then layer in the deeper drills from Shortcut-First Computing for MS when you have a sharper day.

Quick Path ⚡️

  • Learn these 5: New Tab, Close Tab, Address Bar, Word Jump, Delete Word.
  • Practice 2 minutes daily: one tab drill, one edit drill.
  • Post a sticky cheat: T W L ⟵ ⌫ (new, close, location, jump, delete).
  • Use the mouse only when necessary; keep hands parked on keys.

Phase 1 — Master the Core Five (⏱️ 5 min • 🧩 Easy)

  • Focus on the five shortcuts in the kit below. They remove pointer hunting, cut micro-aiming, and build reliable muscle memory.

Phase 2 — Micro-Drills (⏱️ 2 min • 🧩 Easy)

  1. Tab triage (60s): Press T T T, then L → type a site → Enter. Close extras with W W.
  2. Edit run (60s): In any text box, jump by words (Ctrl/⌥ + arrows), delete by word (Ctrl/⌥ + Delete), then jump to line start/end.

Phase 3 — Make It Stick (⏱️ 3 min • 🧩 Easy)

  • Post your cue: Write T W L ⟵ ⌫ on a sticky and place it at eye level.
  • Pick one context: Apply the five only in your browser for three days.

The Shortcut Kit ⌨️

Core 5 Shortcuts

The essential shortcuts for browsing and writing.

Action Windows / Linux macOS
Open a new tab Ctrl + T ⌘ + T
Close the current tab Ctrl + W ⌘ + W
Focus the address bar Ctrl + L ⌘ + L
Jump by word Ctrl + ← / → ⌥ + ← / →
Delete previous word Ctrl + Backspace ⌥ + Delete

Privacy & Redaction Reminder
This workflow is device-local and does not involve sending data, so no privacy concerns apply.

Offline Backup (No-AI / Printable)
The content of this guide can be printed for an offline reference sheet.

Troubleshooting
  • A shortcut doesn’t work: Some apps or websites override system shortcuts. Test the command in a plain text editor to confirm it works, then find the specific app’s conflicting shortcut.
  • Modifier keys are hard to press: Enable Sticky Keys in your OS accessibility settings.

Friction Fix 🔧

  • Enable Sticky Keys (Windows/Mac) to ease modifier presses.
  • Pin a 1-minute timer on your phone. One micro-drill, then stop.
Need a printable version? Grab the Core 5 Spotlight for a dedicated cheat card.

Next Action ▶️

Start a 1-minute timer and run Tab triage once: Ctrl/⌘ + T, Ctrl/⌘ + L, type a site, Enter, then Ctrl/⌘ + W.

Accessibility and Care ♿

  • Use voice: Say “press Control T” or “press Command L” with Voice Access/Voice Control.
  • Protect hands: Pair with an ergonomic input device if strain persists.

Support & Further Resources 🙌