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, and keep the Core 5 Shortcuts Cheat Card beside your monitor until the muscle memory sticks.

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.
  • Add one new shortcut on Friday—only if you used it.

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

The Five to Master First

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

Bonus (navigation): Start / end of line — Windows: Home / End • macOS: ⌘ + ← / ⌘ + →.

Why these? 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.

#lowenergy tip: set a 1‑minute timer and do only drill 1. Done counts. ⏲️

Phase 3 — Energy Snapshot (⏱️ 3 min • 🧩 Easy)

Task Mouse‑heavy Shortcut‑first
Open site in a new tab Aim → click “+” → click address bar → type Ctrl/⌘ + T → Ctrl/⌘ + L → type
Fix a word Point to exact spot → click → hold Backspace Jump by word → Delete word

Phase 4 — 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.
  • Friday check‑in: Keep the five; add one useful extra.

Add‑Ons for Sharp Days (optional) (⏱️ 5 min • 🧩 Easy)

  • Switch tabs: Ctrl + Tab / Ctrl + Shift + Tab (macOS same).
  • Reopen closed tab: Ctrl + Shift + T (macOS ⌘ + Shift + T).
  • Beginning/end of document: Windows Ctrl + Home/End; macOS ⌘ + ↑ / ⌘ + ↓.
  • Forward delete (Mac laptops): fn + Delete.

Tiny System Card (print or save)

Less-Clicks Starter

  • This week’s five: T, W, L, word-jump, word-delete
  • Daily: 2-minute drills
  • Rule: mouse only when necessary
  • Friday: add one new shortcut you actually used

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.
  • No medical advice: Adapt pace to your body and day.

Friction Fix ✂️

  • Enable Sticky Keys (Windows/Mac) to ease modifier presses.
  • Pin a 1‑minute timer on your phone. One micro‑drill, then stop.

Next Action ▶️

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

Sources (official)
  • Windows text editing (Ctrl+Backspace, Ctrl+←/→) — Microsoft Support: Keyboard shortcuts in Windows.
  • Browser basics (New Tab, Close Tab, Address Bar) — Chrome Help: Chrome keyboard shortcuts.
  • macOS editing & navigation (⌥+Delete, ⌥+←/→, ⌘+←/→, ⌘+↑/↓, ⌘+T/W, fn+Delete) — Apple Support: Mac keyboard shortcuts.

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