The 10 Keyboard Shortcuts That Save Me Hours (Windows + Mac)

You don’t need 200 shortcuts. You need about ten, used every day until your hands do them without thinking. These are the ten I’d learn first, for Windows and Mac.

Want it on paper? Get the free printable version and stick it next to your keyboard.

The list

#	What it does	Windows	Mac
1	Copy	Ctrl + C	⌘ + C
2	Paste	Ctrl + V	⌘ + V
3	Undo	Ctrl + Z	⌘ + Z
4	Redo	Ctrl + Y	⌘ + ⇧ + Z
5	Find on page / in file	Ctrl + F	⌘ + F
6	Save	Ctrl + S	⌘ + S
7	Switch apps	Alt + Tab	⌘ + Tab
8	Screenshot an area	Win + Shift + S	⌘ + ⇧ + 4
9	Clipboard history / Spotlight	Win + V	⌘ + Space
10	Lock PC / reopen closed tab	Win + L	⌘ + ⇧ + T

The three most people don’t know

Win + V (clipboard history). Windows remembers the last things you copied, not just the latest one. Press Win + V and pick any of them. The first time, Windows asks you to turn it on; say yes.

Win + Shift + S (screenshot an area). Drag a box around anything on screen and it’s on your clipboard, ready to paste into an email or chat. On Mac, ⌘ + ⇧ + 4 does the same; add Ctrl to copy instead of saving a file.

⌘ + Space (Spotlight). On a Mac, stop hunting through the Dock. Press it, type the first few letters of any app or file, and hit Return.

How to make them stick

Don’t try to learn all ten at once. Pick one today and force yourself to use it every time, even when the mouse is faster for the first few tries. When it’s automatic (usually a few days), add the next one. In a month your hands will barely leave the keyboard.

Ready for more?

These ten are the start. The full Shortcut Cheat Sheet has 107 Windows and Mac shortcuts on two printable pages: text editing, snapping windows, virtual desktops, browser tabs, File Explorer and Finder.